Why read Emotion and Meaning in Music?

Book cover of Emotion and Meaning in Music

Book description

"Altogether it is a book that should be required reading for any student of music, be he composer, performer, or theorist. It clears the air of many confused notions . . . and lays the groundwork for exhaustive study of the basic problem of music theory and aesthetics, the relationship…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Emotion and Meaning in Music as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Adam Ockelford

Author

Reading this book for the first time had a profound influence on the way I think about music. It is the first of the seminal texts written by American musicologist Leonard Meyer in the second half of the twentieth century.

I admire how Meyer fuses psychological concepts with music theory to explain compellingly how music makes sense. Meyer’s writing is clear and accessible, and he uses plenty of musical examples to illustrate the sophisticated concepts that he introduces.

It is a must-read book for those who have ever wondered how music works, conveys meaning, and affects how we feel.

From Adam's list on explaining how music works.