According to Deanna Sellnow, “Music itself is not actual life. Rather, music represents human experiences and emotions. Moreover, music does not cause or cure feelings.” This idea, part of her “The Illusion of Life” perspective, initially left me questioning: How is it possible that music doesn’t cause emotion?
Last October, I had the privilege of seeing David Gilmour from Pink Floyd in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in California. As a longtime fan of Pink Floyd and admirer of Gilmour, it was my dream concert. I fell in love with his music as a teenager and developed a deep affinity for many of the great Floyd albums, like The Wall and The Dark Side of Moon. Later in life, my son became a guitarist, and Gilmour was a huge influence on him. My son and I enjoyed listening to his music together, and it even influenced some of my son’s songwriting. The personal connections run deep.
Gilmour rarely toured after the 1990s, and at 78 years old, I doubted he ever would again. So, imagine the pure elation I experienced when I heard he was playing some limited shows and I was able to secure second-row tickets for my son and me! The concert was nothing short of phenomenal. The closing song was the iconic “Comfortably Numb,” and during that soul-piercing guitar solo, I was overcome with emotion to the point of tears. It was a culmination of emotions that is hard to put into words. Certainly, these feelings were caused by the combination of those blissful notes and beautiful guitar bends. But was it truly the music that caused these feelings? If I’d never heard of David Gilmour, never listened to his music, and had no personal connection to his work, would I still have felt the same way? Would a first-time listener experience the same overwhelming emotions?
Sellnow’s theory suggests that it’s not the music itself, but the listener’s interpretation and personal connection to it, that triggers emotional responses. This is the “illusion of life,” where we project our personal experiences onto the music, thus giving it meaning and the power to move us. It’s these connections and interactions in our brains that cause the emotions, not the music itself. While this idea resonates with me intellectually, I can’t help but wonder: would Sellnow feel the same if she’d experienced a David Gilmour guitar solo that literally made someone feel “comfortably numb”? Do you think her perspective would shift if she’d been in the crowd that night?
Wow! What a great experience to have been able to listen to David Gilmore live. I, too, am a big fan of Pink Floyd. I have fond memories of an array of their music. They are just amazing. You and your son were fortunate to have been able to see him play the iconic music. I was recently at a Metallica concert in Seattle, they played in the Allegiant Arena. The concert was just incredible I completely agree with your statement about Sellnow. I think she has never been to a concert to know or understand how profoundly music can move people and cause so much emotion.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there's just something different about the experience of a live performance. It's not the same as listening to music on the radio. I saw Metallica when they opened for Ozzy in like 1987. That was an experience too! (lol)
DeleteWhat an experience. I feel that everyone should have a moment in music that makes them forget they are in an arena with thousands of other people listening at the exact same time, but the experience is only yours. Different style of music, but I attended Mariah Carey's Christmas show at TD Garden in Boston. She opened the show with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". I swear every hair on my arm was standing up straight. I had probably heard her version of that song a hundred times over the year, but that live, intimate interaction as I was surrounded by 15,000 other spectators moved me! I, like you, was "comfortably numb".
ReplyDeleteLive concerts are just so amazing and such a unique experience! It would be interesting to study why they are so different compared to just listening to the music.
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