When music is played or performed, the way in which it is listened to can typically be classified according to the function which it plays. I will attempt a quick breakdown of some of the ways which I think differ from others in some way.
The noise - This occurs most often at various house parties where music is meant to be ignored or used as padding for a conversation to avoid silence. Most people do not actually listen to music, the experience of listening is foreign to them, rather, they find silence discomforting and seek to fill it with pleasurable sound. This is not to say that this use of music is not valid, I believe constant sound, especially repetitive, suppresses some part of the brain and enables us to focus on something, like a task or "the moment". This is why some people study to "lo-fi hiphop" or similar playlists. I myself benefit from techno music when writing for a deadline as it prevents me from thinking too much.
The exhibition - This is a tricky approach to pin down and describe its function and origin, though it is easy to identify. Its key distinguishing feature is that songs follow each other in quick succession and are predominantly not even finished. Imagine two ore more people who just met and are exchanging music recommendations and so forth. Parties will jockey for the metaphorical aux cord, songs will be cut short. The purpose here is to remind oneself or a fellow listener of a song rather than experience it. Music serves to exhibit something, a given ideology, identity, emotion, stance, aesthetic preference. One can use music like this alone, eg. reminding oneself of a period in life, a place, a person. Songs will be used to summon something in the listener rather than be given a chance to play out, though this does not mean they are spurious.
The experience - Music is a potent catalyst of experience. The most obvious example of this is the modern concert with its fixation on theatrics and overpowering the senses, but other examples are plentiful, such as music played during ceremonies or during dance. An individual might also use music to enable an experience, for example to enhance or even direct a drug induced trip. The common feature here is the use of music within an experience.
The analysis - Here music is pondered or contemplated as if it were an intellectual position. The listener might focus on the technical side of a piece of music, artistic choices made by composer or performer. The best way to characterise this approach to music is to summon the image of a philharmonic or opera full with people purporting not only to be entirely enticed by the music played but somehow to understand it. Now, while this smacks of snobbishness, something is to be said for giving a piece of music the full attention of ones intellect.
Now, in each particular instance when music is played or performed it eludes easy classification, and thank God. The ideal types offered above are simply some of the approaches to music that came to my mind at present. For instance, how does listening to music while running fit into this my classification? Part noise part experience I would say, but it does not have to be devoid of the other modes of use mentioned above. Perhaps I will expand this post when and if something comes to mind.
Post Scriptum: Below is a link to my favourite article about how music was experienced in the past and how this experience morphed over time. Really solid work. If you only have time to read one extra thing today, give it a try.
