Deconstructing Musical Structure

Milicevic, Mladen

1998

Organised Sound 3(1): 27-34.

Language: English

This paper addresses the overwhelming importance which computer music composers usually place on the structural elements of their music. It deconstructs the belief that the meaning of music lies within its structure. This represents only one half of the equation, while the other half embodies the notion that music is ultimately intended to be listened to by subjective human beings who will interpret the music in different ways. The meaning is not located in the musical object (the piece), nor is it exclusively in the mind of the perceiver (human), but rather lies in the relationship between the two. Furthermore, this paper proposes that there are no objective aspects of music at all.