Science cannot measure the aesthetic qualities that make music revered
Evidence
However, in spite of its many capabilities, science cannot describe music. There is nothing documentary beyond the crude notes and symbols on a sheet of music. Science has no dimensions to measure the evocative elements of a good tune. It cannot technically describe why a famous tenor’s voice is so revered, or why the sound of ancient Cremona violins has been held up as an example of how it should be done. Nor can science differentiate, by measurement, the mellifluous qualities of trumpet intonations by a master, and those of a music student who simply hits the notes. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 41
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the deeper theme across this and other sound/silence books: measurable sound and perceived sound are different regimes (The Soundscape’s signal/keynote distinction). — connects to: No musical tuning system can be proven superior to another; The ‘we can’t measure what we hear’ myth stems from inadequate measurements; Timbre lacks a one-dimensional subjective scale unlike pitch and loudness — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1425 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- The ‘we can’t measure what we hear’ myth stems from inadequate measurements
#contradicts(0.80) - Conventional distortion metrics cannot predict human response to music or movies
#corroborates(0.80) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 458 - Psychoacoustic knowledge rests entirely on subjective listening tests, not direct measurement
#corroborates(0.80) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2376 - Timbre lacks a one-dimensional subjective scale unlike pitch and loudness
#exemplifies(0.75) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1425 - Sound quality is judged as deviations from ideal amounts of perceptual dimensions
#qualifies(0.75) - Timbre, unlike pitch and loudness, has no objective scale
#exemplifies(0.75) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1481 - AI music shows significant limitations in meaning and creativity compared to human-generated music.
#corroborates(0.75) — Joanna Stern, I Am Not a Robot- My Year Using AI to…, 698