Provided by Matthew Tan.
 | “I love the relationship that anyone has with music ... because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. ... It's the best part of us probably ...” Nick Hornby - Songbook |
- How would you define music? Can a collection of sounds be considered music, and how can you distinguish its artistic value?
- Imagine a world without music. Describe it.
- Music, especially in the past, was used to bring together various cultures and traditions. If we remove all our other senses (e.g. sight, smell) except sound, do you think music is powerful enough such that it can allow us to identify with a different culture or life just by listening? Without music, are we human?
- A long time ago before writing came about, music was a way in which verbal information could be encoded; it allows for the accurate preservation of lyrics. Why then do schools today use writing? Why do we not sing?
- Because music requires synchronization, unlike speaking which requires turn-taking, it serves as a way of signaling affiliation (social bonding, coalition building). Are there other ways besides music by which we merge identity? Is music really all that important in our lives?
- Prompt: music => creativity => survival of the fittest.
- Does the abundance of music and its accessibility today diminish its emotional effect?
- In the present day, we listen to music ‘sitting quietly in a passive listening mode’. Has its function of bringing people together disappeared? Does music isolate us?
- Can we argue that in a way the music we hear today is lesser compared to humans 500 years ago?
- One can argue that our personal tastes and preferences, our strengths and weaknesses, are determined not by ourselves but rather the external surroundings. Would it matter then if we have more exposure to music (in relation to taste)? Prompt example: would someone who has not had the exposure to a wide variety of music in the past derive less pleasure than we do today?
- Distinguish the difference between ‘pleasure’ and ‘meaning’. How exactly do you think we derive both of these from music?
- Economists refer to addictive goods as habit-forming goods. Do you think music is a habit-forming good? Is it possible that humans are becoming more dependent on music?
- How does music relate to discontentment?
- Is music man-made or an integral part of nature?
- With the ever-growing music industry today, does it provide aspiring artists a larger platform for creation and artistic endeavour? Or does it make it harder for artists to succeed due to the deluge of competition?
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