As much as the next person, I always love music to have a strong emotional output. This is subjective from person to person, and our opinions differ - but I think a lot of people dont realize that music can be completely and utterly devoid of emotion (in the writers eye at least) and still be music. I realized this only recently when I was reading some articles on classical music and it listed how many famous compositions were actually music essays, studies in technique and theory - and nothing more.

While I believe this to still be music, I think this actually supports the subjectivity of emotion in music - because some of these pieces are hailed as some of the most beautiful ever, yet to the composer they were an exploration of technique, theory, or maybe even curiosity?

Just a thought I have had for awhile, anyone care to chime in?

one person's trash, is another person's treasure....

I also feel too that a musician can become detached emotionally as well to some music they have created. I heard Elvis Costello say once that the song "everyday I write the book" had become a chore to perform and that he had grown to dispise it. The original meaning and emotion of the song was lost on him now. It was a crowd favourite but it had become like nails on a chaulk board to him so he stopped playing it for a while because he felt he couldn't convey the song emotionally anymore.

I think about that with bands that have been around for many many years. The crowd has their favourites they want to hear but at some point it must get mind numbing to play the same songs over and over for so long and still make it interesting to play.

I can see what y'all mean. And I know people who hate even just a little distortion in guitar. And I wonder how those bands can even stand playing their songs over and over.

I agree with your thoughts. That's the reason why we can say that we like or not a piece of music but we never can say that something is good or bad.. because music is art and art is subjective. Something that could be noise for me could be the most beautiful piece of music for any other person.

I think it was John Tavener who said that his aim was to remove himself completely from his classical composions in order that you could hear God.