Humans have been making music for at least 35,000 years. In this current day and age, we have found a multitude of ways to engage with music, from performances to subscriptions to awards and criticism, or even apathy. This article examines Concord Academy students of varying musical backgrounds and their relationship to music.
Music can transcend words and analysis. Nathan Liu ’26 mentions, “Some music is appealing to the moment, the instantaneous, and that bypasses the intellect. That is one of the core features of music; it is different from intellect, something non-thinking.” Rather than an essay or a formula, the art of music, at its core, appeals to emotions and feelings rather than reason. This makes music so much harder to objectively analyze. We feel it differently. Nathan also brings up the opinion that “The better music appeals to the intelligible aspect and the raw emotional aspect. It is more nuanced. Through a deliberate effort to understand with reason, you get a greater emotional pleasure out of it.” For Nathan, the ultimate goal is emotional value, but he values intelligible music(He describes it as music in which you can discern thoughtfulness and reason, whether from its complexity or historical and literary allusions) much more highly, believing that it can become more emotionally appealing upon further reflection and engagement.
Our backgrounds fundamentally shape our music taste. Kien Pham ’26 said, “Growing up in Vietnam, I grew up listening to V-pop. Within V-pop, there are a lot of genres, from indie rock to more rock styles; it has brought me to many of the genres I wouldn’t have listened to.” Many people find themselves with music tastes aligning with their cultures, whether it’s V-pop or your dad’s favorite band, music choice and appeal can come from culture and tradition. Yet, when asking multiple people, many didn’t know much about their own parents’ taste in music, or don’t listen to music from cultures they align with. Just as familial and cultural background may impact our use of music, Musicianship plays a major role as well. Both Kien and Nathan mentioned that their lives as musicians have changed the way they approach music, not just as a background for daily activities, but as a performance art to enjoy and, through practice and study, strive for excellence. Yet, Jeffrey Liu ’28 mentioned that this musicianship did not lead to any changes in his actual music taste, despite playing jazz on the saxophone for years.
Music plays a much smaller role in many other people’s lives. Boris Liu ’27, who noted that he has no clear history with music, suggested that music often serves specific purposes. He described the casual use of music as a means to focus while studying, or to find energy or motivation before sports events. For many people, music is just a simple tool to use or a passing pleasure in daily life, drastically different from the deeper satisfaction derived from actively engaging critically with music.
What’s so shocking is how differing we treat music, even if we come from similar backgrounds, or have the same experiences - from musicianship to cultural bonding. Music is a testament to our individuality, our perspectives, our passions. It's something that many people take for granted, while others consider it to be one of life’s great experiences.