Why do sound and music produce such an effect on listeners?
The action of sound is direct, powerful, and sudden: it is surprising. That is why listeners may experience pleasure from a piece of music. More than any other artistic production, music directly meets the body through hearing and it may directly affect the nervous system: chords, melodies and timbres impress the whole human organism and nerves transmit the impulse produced in the ear to the entire organism. In fact, the auditory nerve is linked to other nerves.
That strong action of sound on the body explains why dance music produces a twitching of the whole body, especially the feet, in music listeners. That is why, by the way, it is called dance music, because it puts the feet in motion. It seems that each sound has the power to produce one specific sensation. Listeners perceive one sound as harsh, another one as clear, etc. Even if their impressions are partly subjective, they are partly objective too.
Sounds are linked to physical excitement. Does it mean that musical appreciation is governed by physiological laws? Partially, because of the physical properties of sound. In Ancient Greece, these properties were highly appreciated and the main function of music, which was rare, was to intensify the effects of poetry. Music was thus seen as a sensuous element and perhaps it may explain why music was only performed by slaves. Anyhow, sonorous pulses, because of their native simplicity, are highly qualified to induce sensation, and, when they are organized in a harmonious way, pleasure.
The sensuous nature of music and serendipity
Surprise, which is related to animation and movement, and may be defined as an unexpected event that happens suddenly, is neutral in itself: it may be positive or, on the contrary, negative. It is generally included in the repertoire of human emotions. When a sound is produced, it may be a surprise for the listener, who may be startled, astonished or dazzled. When is sound a pleasant or an unpleasant surprise? It depends on the moment and the listener. Yet there are general rules: apparently nobody likes to hear tires that make a noise or a jackhammer in motion. On the other hand, sounds produced by a music box, even if they are not the object of specific attention, are habitually seen as pleasant. It is, of course, the same for sounds that are included in sophisticated musical structures: these structures are considered pleasant or unpleasant.
The expression ‘it is music to my ears’ is generally used to mean to people that their comments are a pleasant surprise and that the situation may lead to serendipity. Serendipity is actually more than a pleasant surprise, as it obviously supposes the occurrence of an event by chance, but also its development in a beneficial and satisfactory way. When there is a surprise, it is because implicit and explicit expectations are fulfilled and even surpassed. The idea of randomness is present in serendipity, but so is the idea of arrangement. When something good that was not expected happens, it is better to go further. Considering that, it is evident that a lot of electronic music producers today may combine random elements in a very quick and very efficient way before using their musical knowledge to get the most of the most satisfying combination. The best of them master the natural power of the sound and the best musical techniques.