"created a model that can predict with about 74% accuracy in experimental conditions how to give an individual participant the chills" That sounds amazing. I'm an avid music enjoyer, but have never in my life experienced aesthetic chills in any context, & I feel like I'm missing out :( . But the supplementry material in the article contains a full list of stimuli used, so there's something to do this afternoon! Enjoyable article as always
Thanks, Kero! That's so interesting... my first response was to wonder if you had experienced it but just didn't recognize it as aesthetic chills, maybe it shows up slightly differently in your body. What do you experience when you encounter something that like absolutely wows you?? Like, a work of art that truly moves you or a natural vista that overawes you or a late night conversation with a friend where you bare your souls to each other or something like that? Do those things hit you differently than a slightly more normal or expected artwork in any way?
I wondered that too! Alexithymia means I'm terrible at interpreting any kind of bodily signal even when I do manage to notice them, but I'm not sure about here. I do get chills often, but usually only when people are too close. I regrettably haven't had many such experiences lately, so I'll just have to pay more attention in the future!
Your "Dawn Chorus" is a perfect soundtrack to this essay. Giving me the chills...
We make music, because we can't do otherwise. That is enough of an answer for me. And hey, if it still works for you on full-time basis, if your family still flourish, then why not? Maybe it flourishes more because you do what you need to do, to be who you are, to find awe in it all.
I know I got a lot from your music, your insights, and your general musical presence.
Art and music don't really fit well into economic calculations. But honestly, does anything that is worth living? Is there any logic to it all? I don't think so.
That Schoeller study sounds very interesting! I gave your cover of Dawn Chorus a listen alongside the original and your version gave me more goosebumps than Yorke’s, especially at about the 3:50-4:30 mark.
I wonder if part of the reason these kinds of songs you mention are especially goosebump-inducing is partly because of a greater use of extended harmony and clustery chords, since the brain finds it harder to compute the frequency ratios and parse the voice-leading tendencies of individual parts?
(I would also recommend Eric Whitacre’s When David Heard as a goosebump-tester – there’s some real behemoth chords there.)
Thanks so much for listening @Samuel Thyr! And wow, I appreciate the kind words (“more goosebumps than Yorke’s” is going on my gravestone).
I think personally extended harmony definitely does it for me. In particular, ninths, maybe for the reasons you’re stating. A ninth is a reliable goosebumps-inducer to me, especially in a song where I’m not expecting it (i.e. lots of triads, then suddenly a major ninth).
That said, part of the point of Schoeller’s study is that everyone gets goosebumps from slightly different things. It depends in part on the context you’re bringing with you. Interesting stuff.
Great essay about both music and how we try to understand things. And for marathon training music, I like “The Runcast” curated by one of KEXP’s best DJs (who is a marathoner himself). Good luck!
"created a model that can predict with about 74% accuracy in experimental conditions how to give an individual participant the chills" That sounds amazing. I'm an avid music enjoyer, but have never in my life experienced aesthetic chills in any context, & I feel like I'm missing out :( . But the supplementry material in the article contains a full list of stimuli used, so there's something to do this afternoon! Enjoyable article as always
Thanks, Kero! That's so interesting... my first response was to wonder if you had experienced it but just didn't recognize it as aesthetic chills, maybe it shows up slightly differently in your body. What do you experience when you encounter something that like absolutely wows you?? Like, a work of art that truly moves you or a natural vista that overawes you or a late night conversation with a friend where you bare your souls to each other or something like that? Do those things hit you differently than a slightly more normal or expected artwork in any way?
I wondered that too! Alexithymia means I'm terrible at interpreting any kind of bodily signal even when I do manage to notice them, but I'm not sure about here. I do get chills often, but usually only when people are too close. I regrettably haven't had many such experiences lately, so I'll just have to pay more attention in the future!
Your "Dawn Chorus" is a perfect soundtrack to this essay. Giving me the chills...
We make music, because we can't do otherwise. That is enough of an answer for me. And hey, if it still works for you on full-time basis, if your family still flourish, then why not? Maybe it flourishes more because you do what you need to do, to be who you are, to find awe in it all.
I know I got a lot from your music, your insights, and your general musical presence.
Art and music don't really fit well into economic calculations. But honestly, does anything that is worth living? Is there any logic to it all? I don't think so.
So let's keep staring into the great marvel.
Thank you, Ewa :)
That Schoeller study sounds very interesting! I gave your cover of Dawn Chorus a listen alongside the original and your version gave me more goosebumps than Yorke’s, especially at about the 3:50-4:30 mark.
I wonder if part of the reason these kinds of songs you mention are especially goosebump-inducing is partly because of a greater use of extended harmony and clustery chords, since the brain finds it harder to compute the frequency ratios and parse the voice-leading tendencies of individual parts?
(I would also recommend Eric Whitacre’s When David Heard as a goosebump-tester – there’s some real behemoth chords there.)
Thanks so much for listening @Samuel Thyr! And wow, I appreciate the kind words (“more goosebumps than Yorke’s” is going on my gravestone).
I think personally extended harmony definitely does it for me. In particular, ninths, maybe for the reasons you’re stating. A ninth is a reliable goosebumps-inducer to me, especially in a song where I’m not expecting it (i.e. lots of triads, then suddenly a major ninth).
That said, part of the point of Schoeller’s study is that everyone gets goosebumps from slightly different things. It depends in part on the context you’re bringing with you. Interesting stuff.
Qobuz: is this a site most distribution goes to automatically or do I have to do it separately?
Yeah I think Distrokid and CDBaby and the rest do Qobuz automatically
Great essay about both music and how we try to understand things. And for marathon training music, I like “The Runcast” curated by one of KEXP’s best DJs (who is a marathoner himself). Good luck!
Thanks for the recommendation!!