Thinking & Drinking: Session 1

Thinking & Drinking Overview

Join us for a series of philosophical conversations about music. Why do we listen to sad songs if they make us sad? Should Bob Dylan have been eligible for the Nobel Prize in Literature?If an improvisation is made up on the spot, how can we expect it to sound good? These are just a few philosophical questions about music—fundamental conceptual questions raised by the ways we make and listen to music. Led by Trinity University professor Dr. Andrew Kania, you’ll get a chance to think through some of these issues out loud—helped along by libations from the best of the Pearl’s drinking establishments. Session includes two beverages and light fare.

Session 1

Sad Songs Say So Much: Music and Emotion

If music is just sounds, how can it be happy or sad? What is the significance of our emotional responses to music? And why do we listen to sad music if it makes us sad?