Steve Schwartz wrote:

>Of course words can express emotion, and furthermore fairly precisely.
>If music does express emotion - as opposed to stir emotion in a listener -
>then it does so pretty vaguely.  In short, it lacks the precision normally
>associated with "real" languages, for no other reason than emotions all
>by themselves are fairly imprecise.

Actually words don't express emotion nearly as well as music can.  Words
are stoppers.  They can try to express emotion.  The truest form would
probably not be a word at all but something like Aaaaeeeiiiiiiieeee.

Words can describe, try to explain ...  But expressing emotion is probably
easier when playing music.  You don't have to define the emotion for it to
exist.  Words can do a poor job of that too.  But, yes, you can be more
precise about what specific thing caused it, especially with anger.  But
you don't say "I cry" - you just cry.  You can say "I love" but definitely
you can do this with music.  "I am so happy!" - That's something you don't
usually hear said out loud.  It's usually expressed with physical movements
of the body, changes of expression in the face.

Music certainly isn't a "language" if it's going to be defined as something
that has to do with words and precise definitions.  But it's a form of
communication and even with words, we often don't know what the other
person is trying to tell us when emotions are involved.

Andrys in Berkeley
http://www.andrys.com/books.html
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