11-14-11

I found Kivy's theory most intriguing. I think it is true that music does not directly express emotion but is rather expressive of emotions based on the connections our minds make to human behavior. I enjoyed the line "Music...appeals to our minds, not our hearts" (97). I agree, not because I feel music has no affect on the heart but because I believe music appeals to the mind before, as a result, sparking emotion in us. Our mind, after all, processes everything we are exposed to. Therefore, music does not directly impact our heart and body but must first go though some sort of cognitive interpretation before we feel anything as a result of the music; this process is interesting to me.
I also loved Higgins' arguments against Kivy's theory. "Music, however, is an intentional human act and one that aims at communication."(100). Though I agree with Kivy's theory I don't disagree with what Higgins is pointing out. Music is indeed meant for communication and the artist/composer is trying to convey some sort of communication though I don't believe it has to be limited to one intended emotion or message which Kivy also writes about. It seems to me, that maybe that emotion is not important, for example, the music that has been the most meaningful to me over the years has been music in which I feel a powerful communication, regardless of what the subject be. I think this is what I find meaningful: music as a medium that gives power to communication. To support this, I sometimes think it is impossible to know what exactly the artist is conveying in their music. But with this being said, it is still possible to feel a connection with it, which, I believe, is due to musics unique ability to let us communicate.