Can Further Understanding Music Damper Our Enjoyment (of music)?
This is a topic that few may be willing to explore, but similar to understanding how a trick is performed will cause its mysticism to vanish, could understanding too much about music cause us to be disillusioned to its beauty? This line of thinking makes sense, for when you understand something fully you learn to view it differently. As opposed to enjoying a beautifully composed sonata as a single piece you may find yourself counting, pulling out phrases, or even analyzing the piece.
Perhaps the fault lies with how we study music in general. Music theory breaks things down to a fundamental level, in a very logical format, it’s a wonderful way to study, but learning does shape our thinking. This does not mean you should not learn music theory. In fact, learning music theory can increase your appreciation for music. You’ll begin to understand the effort, work, time, and dedication a person has put into their work.
In the end, having a deep understanding of music can possibly make it less enjoyable, but that same understanding can make it more enjoyable as well. This is really determined by many factors including your learning experience. The associations we create will ultimately impact our views and they can help or hinder us. Perhaps the most important thing in all this is the power of choice. If you truly love music don’t let any person or experiences deprive you of that. Hold on to that love and let it grow.
Learning should be a fun and enjoyable process. If you are finding it daunting them perhaps you would benefit from a different method. There are many ways to learn something, perhaps all that you really need is another viewpoint from which to see.