catapult magazine

i was reading a few threads in this here music division and i was reminded of this question i have posed to several people.

does music make the mood? or does the mood make the music?

rephrased:
does the music i chose when i get home create the mood i’m in? or is it the mood i’m in and i chose the appropriate music?

very often those who i have questioned this question, say i think it’s both old chap! and i have a greed in times past, but upon further revel-ation and pondering i think i am leaning towards my mood chosing the music. i know little of psycology or tendencies on any professional level, but from my experience i think this is the case. mind you i do say that i am leaning, i am still not sure on this one, because at times (like now) i just hit play on the old cd player and what is in there is in there.

…so i throw it to the forum, the people, the listeners.

btw i’m new to this forum. thanks for the things that i have already read. you doth seem to be people who can answer this old question here.

alrighty.

I’ve been wondering lately about the possibility that it is just as satisfying to be sad as it is to be happy. As far as I can tell, pursuit of happyiness seems to drive people to indulge in order to forget their troubles.

I find Bob Dylan’s ‘Time out of Mind’ is heart breaking and sad but fulfilling.

Yes. When Christians express concern that a person is listening to sad music too much, this seems to suggest that happiness is a Christian emotion and sadness is for non-Christians. If this is true, then witnesses for Christ had better keep those smiles going. Come on, all you shiny happy people! You let Jesus down when your smile is upside down.

Concerning the origins of mood, I think the mood of the chicken comes before the music of the egg (and U2 comes before all). Without any scientific back-up, going only on personal experience, the baby in the mother’s womb already learns the relationship between mood and music with the rhythms of the mother’s heart and the pulsation of her blood etc. I’m starting to think maybe we learn sadness and happiness in the same way that we learn the language of sound. Or maybe the learning of sound’s messages IS the learning of emotion.

Your idea of sadness being just as fulfilling as happiness is intriguing to me. Happy today equals Brittney Spears, Pepsi, and dancing around and singing with lots friends. Sadness is a thing to be feared. Possibly this comes from the fact that no one really wants to be alone…for to be alone is to see yourself as you are…and that is scary (then we might have to change as well).

“The pursuit of happiness” leads people to indulgence…that is true if your definition of happiness is the same as Brittany Spears’.

w.scott

Yah it seems that the idea of happiness has been hijacked by Britenyesque commercial fantasy.

It is interesting to see Bono attempt to redefine ‘good mood’ emotions with words like ecstatic and joy.

Oops.

See: Frequencies and Notes

The idea that our feelings are cultivated is a radical one. If the music industry defines what it means to be happy, what it means to have a good time, then the role of musicians is enormous. It is even more important for musicians to cultivate moods and feelings for people if we realize that even our moods and feelings are not “natural”, but are handed down to us through our own culture. So, the poor state of music right now reflects/causes the poor state of our emotions now and as young people grow up. If people can’t appreciate the good emotional content of certain types of music, they may grow up as emotionally deficient people!

kristinmarie — interesting point you make about praise and worship making you feel that way. felt that way for a long time — and felt guilty about it. glad to know that there is others out there who do as well — well not glad - youknowwhatimean . . .i just stopped playing . . .i know this post is older, but have you done anything to correct or change this view or feeling? cynical is suchj a good way to describe it?
what is the deal there-i am like “holy jeez” i am a bad person.