The 5 magnificent delusions regarding musical elitism

As I've said before, a person's taste in music is merely a subjective opinion on the aesthetic quality of aurally interpreted, structured vibrations.

How one person can possibly be superior to anothers is simply mind boggling.

I know that's a really clinical, sterile way to look at music, but it's the only way most people ever come to realise just how subjective "taste", particularly in music, is.
 
Powers said:
As I've said before, a person's taste in music is merely a subjective opinion on the aesthetic quality of aurally interpreted, structured vibrations.

How one person can possibly be superior to anothers is simply mind boggling.

I know that's a really clinical, sterile way to look at music, but it's the only way most people ever come to realise just how subjective "taste", particularly in music, is.

maybe taste is subjective. but the music itself IS comparable? for some if not all or more than those reasons posted on the previous page.
 
NineFeetUnderground said:
maybe taste is subjective. but the music itself IS comparable? for some if not all or more than those reasons posted on the previous page.

But if the taste is subjective how can one possibly be superior to the other?

It's worth noting that I'm a total hypocrit. I'm the first to label a band shit if I don't like them, but I'd like to think that one day I'll appreciate, if perhaps not like, what other people see in those bands.
 
some sounds, like nails rubbing down a chalkboard, or strips of velcro being torn apart, are universally deemed as sounding bad.

consider that music consists of sound. there are certainly some sounds that are almost universally disliked. so since our sensitivity to sound seems to be subject to at least some universality when it comes to what is considered good or bad, we can also conclude that music is also subject to some universal standards.
 
all_sins_undone said:
some sounds, like nails rubbing down a chalkboard, or strips of velcro being torn apart, are universally deemed as sounding bad.

consider that music consists of sound. there are certainly some sounds that are almost universally disliked. so since our sensitivity to sound seems to be subject to at least some universality when it comes to what is considered good or bad, we can also conclude that music is also subject to some universal standards.

In the avante garde 1920's and 30's, the days of early film noir and art deco, all sorts of sounds were tried in music, everything from tennis balls being thrown against a piano's strings to paint being dripped on to a ladder. It's no small wonder that gifted yet pompous experimentalists (or arguebaly just mentalists) like John Cage were growing up at this time. I'm not really sure I say there really is such thing as universally "bad noise".

Apart from "the brown noise" because it makes you poo yourself, and that's never a good thing.
 
what i was getting at, is that music can infact be compared, and that there IS a distinctive difference between good and bad music. using the categories i listed previously, the differences between good and bad music should be easily recognized my most people here.
 
i aint play this said:
instead of agreeing or disagreeing, why don't you actually say whats on your mind, because i have a feeling you have no fucking idea what you're talking about.
 
Well I think we'd all agree "the brown noise" is bad.

What I was getting at is, that it's subjective. Face it, what you may like others may not and vice versa.

Therefore if you like it, think it's good and someone else doesn't, thinks it's bad, then how can there be defintive boundaries between good and bad?

To be honest if we all liked the same music the world would be a very, very boring, bland place.

Besides which all the boundaries you described, which was very well done might I add, act within the subjective taste of the person in question rather than sectioning it into different pieces from the outside.
 
The only thing that is subjectable to the listener is the effect it has on the listener. Other things that contribute to the make up of the music like difficulty in the the playing, variation, musical asthetics can be argued and proven to be more superior to another. I can't say this music will give you a better listening experience to someone else. Imagine if I forced some Blut Aus Nord down the throat of a rap fan? I doubt they will enjoy it more, each to their own.