I share your feeling about the experience of listening to the music I most
value. But I wonder whether we aren't confusing a number of relatively
distinct issues:
1. Most people "listen" to music for much less of their time than they
engage in some form of linguistic discourse, so there may be an important
element of relative novelty in the musical experience.
2. Linguistically-based artifacts, such as poetry, drama and well-crafted
oratory can also evoke strong emotions, akin to those evoked by music.
3. The ways in which meaning is made in music and in text are very different.
The last of these three issues is one I'd like to understand better.
Does anyone have any helpful suggestions?
Gordon Wells, gwells who-is-at oise.on.ca
OISE, Toronto.