“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endeared,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone...”
As a musician, I started thinking about this a lot after we began discussing this section of Keats’ text Tuesday. I began to think about all the things that were said in class. I want to echo some of the things that were said and interject some other things. When we hear music that has been published and over played, we can become desensitized to it just like we pointed out how Voltaire showed us that we can become desensitized to the bad things that go on around us.
I don’t know many people who don’t enjoy music of some type, but we change what we like when something new comes out. As music gets old, it becomes less “sweet” to our ears. Essentially, once music is out for people to hear, that piece can’t be changed, and it begins that downward spiral. Therefore, the only music that stays sweet is the music that is never commercialized. Just like Lucy said in class, some of my favorite music is music that I have written, but never shared with anyone. This is mainly true because it still has all the meaning to it that I have held onto.
Whether or not that was Keats’ original intent, that seems like a great application for today.
P.S. I commented on Cameron White’s “The Next Moment.”
While I mostly agree with you, Nick, there are a few other factors that can play into the downfall of a song. One that I notice time and time again is poor writing. Most people who write songs nowadays don't really pay attention to music theory, and that makes their songs "interesting" when they first come out, but then they fade away as we get tired of listening to them. Why do we get tired of them? I won't get into a full explanation here, but there are a lot of common errors in writing that actually make the ear feel tired.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to say that I disagree that 'the only music that stays sweet is the music that is never commercialized'. While this statement is mostly true, I find that some of my all time favorite albums are just as sweet in my ears as they were when I listened to them for the first time upwards of ten years ago, and they're widely commercial. (I.E, Evanescence - Fallen, Panic! at the Disco - A Fever you can't sweat out, Queen - a Night at the Opera)