7.2 Music & Society: Music By Babies

This video discusses nature vs nurture in music using music by the Beatles.

[@mikebozik]

This was a very interesting discussion, thank you. I'm surprised there are no comments.😊 I think the musicians that downplay the learning of theory are being a bit dishonest, or perhaps oversimplifying. The truth is, they do know and use music theory. It's just their version of it. It is everything they have learned that sounds good to them. Therefore, there is structure and there are rules that they use in their writing. They just don't have deep book knowledge, which isn't necessary for writing popular music. In my opinion, the main reason they don't want to learn theory is because it seems difficult and unnecessary. It certainly is confusing if you don't read and have to start all over again from scratch. However, what they say is, "It will homogenize their sound and they will sound like everybody else." I have never found this to be the case. Music theory opens up concepts that one would have never thought of. It is not restrictive. It explains how, but not necessarily why. From a philosophical point, I have never thought of music theory as the rules and laws we must obey. Music theory was codified and written long after music had been around. To me, it is nothing more than an explanation of how composers put the notes together. Each generation adds its own peculiar ideas and stylings, and they eventually end up in the canon. Then, music theory comes along and explains how, for the benefit who all want to know. 😊 Just my 2 cents.