Why do we enjoy music?

[NextLineIsMine]

Yesterday as I was stoned and enjoying a bout of musical euphoria I pondered, "whats the evolutionary point of our enjoyment of music?". It isnt really a part of courtship rituals, sure girls like guys in bands but ive been just fine not being in one. It would just be a distraction from what we need to do, so why do we so passionately love it?

I think it might be a hint to a greater meaning to life

[ghosty]

cause the manipulations of sounds are so infinitely complex that we appreciate the beauty of it, also many songs are relatable to people because they are written by someone reflecting on life, people relate to that and so they like it, and when it's sunbg it sounds more interesting and creative then just speaking about it

[Matt the Funk]

cause the manipulations of sounds are so infinitely complex that we appreciate the beauty of it, also many songs are relatable to people because they are written by someone reflecting on life, people relate to that and so they like it, and when it's sunbg it sounds more interesting and creative then just speaking about itWord up.

[NextLineIsMine]

from an evolutionary standpoint though its a waste of time, it doesnt help us protect ourselves, reproduce, or find food, so why would our brains be wired to like it?

[Matt the Funk]

from an evolutionary standpoint though its a waste of time, it doesnt help us protect ourselves, reproduce, or find food, so why would our brains be wired to like it?Errr pleasure receptors?

[thcbongman]

I'm one of those people who love for music goes beyond the norm. Not only do I hear music, but I feel it. Granted I think all people do, but the passion I feel is much higher, to the point I bust out dancing in public sometimes when I'm listening to my ipod.

Music takes me away to a dream. I love listening to lyrics that comes from the soul, wondering who the person behind the music was like, how they thought, their experiences. It's like telling a story in an intricate, complex way, or in a straight-forward manner!

The rhythm and beat. I can't ever understand someone who doesn't appreciate some kind of music. Music is a reflection of who you are.

[slipknotpsycho]

your brain isn't wired to like it... when you're an infant, unless your mother played music on headphones you like sounds that remind you of the womb...

it's an aquired taste i guess you could say... ever notice alot of shows you watch on tv, you weren't really intrested in at first then they grew on you?

music can also relate to us on a spirital level alot of times, remind us of pain, but in a good way, or remind us of good times, we tend to associate events and even whole parts of our lives with songs, music, bands and even genre's...

it just grows on you....

then of course there's the lyric aspect.... songs with deep meaning to you because of the lyrics... like the song is an extension of yourself that you were never before really able to experess or even comprehend. almost as if, the creator wrote that song just for you... it makes you feel warm, fuzzy and happy inside.

[ghosty]

it's a means of communication in some ways, it's a form of expressing the human condition, we're wired to like it for the reasons i stated above, music is essentialy the craft of controlling sounds all of which our brains pick up recognize as patterns and rhythms and decide wether or not we enjoy it.

[AR15]

Why do certain foods taste good? Why do certain landscapes/art look good? Why do certain things smell good? Why do certain things feel good?

Same reason why certain things sound good. They're senses, and certain things we sense are appealing while certain things aren't. And everyone has their own combination of what they like and what they don't, which can always change.

LoL and I like Ghosty's answer.

[MadSativa]

Music is the only science which can be felt, tasted, heard, seen, and engaged where we change and flow with. I know some of you are like science??? Yes science music helps you understand and learn more than if you did not know music. And when you play the knowlege that you attain while playing wether its sheet music or just rapor with an audiance is also very helpfull for learnig skills. So if music helps then wouldnt other arts help, sure but not as much as the art of music, their are alot of studies gonning on right now on physics and its relation with music, even M thory is often described with musical language, this comes from string theroy which was given its name form the relation of strings to an instrament.

[NextLineIsMine]

the appeal of food and smell have evolutionary reasons though. Things with high calories taste good because our bodies want to know which foods are the most nutrient rich.

food smells good so we can find it and know that its good to eat

Ghosty: why can't our usual language communication suffice? You described the things we enjoy about music but im still wondering what the fundamental reason is that we would enjoy music. What purpose does music serve for mankind?

[slipknotpsycho]

the appeal of food and smell have evolutionary reasons though. Things with high calories taste good because our bodies want to know which foods are the most nutrient rich.

food smells good so we can find it and know that its good to eat

Ghosty: why can't our usual language communication suffice? You described the things we enjoy about music but im still wondering what the fundamental reason is that we would enjoy music. What purpose does music serve for mankind?

well that's not entirely true o.0 there are quite a few foods that stink like shit, but taste good (atleast to some) and are nutritious..

take cabbage for example, ever smelled someone making a pot of that shit? smells like a neglected porta-potty.

[couch-potato]

Two words: Pink Floyd.

[Spoken Word]

i was thinking of making a thread similar to this.

I don't know about you all but I live for music..
i couldnt handle life without it. ALL kinds of music sound great to me. you would be suprised what music i like.
infact, even if i don't like the sound, i appreciate it because music takes time to make and it's supposed to have a whole lot of meaning for those who made it.

i hate it when people talk bad about an entire genre of music because they heard a couple of songs.. it's so ignorant.

anyways
but to answer your question. like AR15 said, it's about pleasures. it's about senses. it's about certain tastes. it's about moods.
there's a lot of things that would affect our enjoyment of music.
but i think even the least musical person would appreciate the sound of a female(with talent) singing simple hums.
so basically, i think music is natural human behavior. to think of certain reasons why we like it is too difficult a question to answer.

like ghosty said, it's also about sound. people say the sound of a breeze is soothing.
i think sound, as a sense to us, is a big reason for our liking music.

[crudemood]

I'm one of those people who love for music goes beyond the norm. Not only do I hear music, but I feel it. Granted I think all people do, but the passion I feel is much higher, to the point I bust out dancing in public sometimes when I'm listening to my ipod.

Music takes me away to a dream. I love listening to lyrics that comes from the soul, wondering who the person behind the music was like, how they thought, their experiences. It's like telling a story in an intricate, complex way, or in a straight-forward manner!

The rhythm and beat. I can't ever understand someone who doesn't appreciate some kind of music. Music is a reflection of who you are.

Amen! Music has no other purpose other than this.

[collieflower]

Music...its almost magic....have you ever studied music theory? You'd be suprised to how complex it all ties together...its really amazing.

Music expresses the human soul....pain, frustration, anger, happiness, depression, anxiety, strength, and faith....

Its another art....life isnt all about the evolution of the world and whats best for us...its about our time and what we do with it.

[Oneironaut]

Music definitely has something to do with our pattern-recognizing abilities. Humans can recognize patterns much better than any other animal, which allows us to learn and use language, do math, make art and create tools with ease. Music takes advantage of this with its rhythmic beats, which I think is tapping a little bit into the sexual parts of our brains (sex is about rhythm too)...

[Ganja Dude]

thcbongman I definatly know what you're talking about when it comes to music. Music has evolved with us over many many years. Lyrics is jut one part, but I think what mainly attacts us is the manipulation of sound to fit your liking. If you think about people's taste in music it can sometimes reflect their whole lifestyle. I think like without music would be dull and plain.

[Metaphor]

Music is ecstasy & if youve never heard a song that brought on strong emotions of any kind then your listening to crap and wasting your time.. Listen to something that your gunna feel. I cant speak for the entirety of mankind but I love music because I can alter my emotions & state of mind with it.
Music is the most innocent drug... and I defiantly abuse it.

On a side note i wanna thank all the musicians that i listen to. (I love all you guys)

[ipodguy]

ha i just clicked on the same thread 3 times in a row