Discussion 1

Prompt #1 – Fan Mentality vs. Academic Inquiry

Let’s get started with an important concept to consider – fan mentality.

In the Introduction, the distinction is made between the perspective of the “fan mentality” versus that of the academic perspective (p. 6). This is an important concept to consider when we’re listening to unfamiliar musical styles. Basically, it’s not a question of whether we “like” a piece of music, the academic puts this immediate subjective response to the music aside and focuses on the historical significance of the music, asking questions like, who made the music?, what recording technology was used and how did that influence the music?,  what are the musical influences?, what was the original intended audience?, and how did listeners who were not the original intended audience react to the music?

I try to acknowledge my initial subjective reaction to a new piece of music and then put that off to the side while I focus on my academic questions.  After I’ve considered the music from an academic point of view I often find that my fan mentality response to the music has changed.  This thoughtful approach holds true for all artistic appreciation.  What do you think about this important distinction between fan mentality and academic inquiry?