Alan Dudley wrote:

>Do composers, for instance, need to feel sorrowful to write sorrowful
>music, festive to write festive music, or seeking for God to write
>seeking-for-God music?

It may not be an absolute need, but it definitely will result in a better
musical composition.  There's also the issue of a listener being able to
detect the "phony" nature of the feelings.  When I'm thinking that way
about a work, *I* feel used and angry.

>Similarly, do performers need to feel the emotions they seek to convey?

Same as above.

>So we come to listeners.  I know that a listener is not going to convey
>much emotion to others by the way he listens, but does he convey emotion
>to himself.

Of course.  Without that little feature, hardly anyone would write,
perform, or listen to music.

Don Satz
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