Settle into your chair a few minutes before a classical concert and read about that night's music in the program. Unwrap a new CD and read the enclosed notes about a piece of music, then hit "play."
We all do it, right? Well, stop. A study just published in the journal Psychology of Music suggests we may have a more complete enjoyment of the music if we do not read explanatory notes about its history, meaning or structure beforehand.
In the study, described here, 16 non-musicians listened to a total of 24 of Beethoven quartets. Before some of the listening sessions the test subjects were given explanatory reading material. Before listening to other pieces of music, they were given nothing to read. They were then quizzed about their responses.
Researchers say that reading "what-to-listen-for" program notes actually lessened the test subjects' enjoyment of the musical pieces.
What explains this outcome?
"Music has been associated with the pleasure of 'flow,' a state that may be harder to achieve when conceptual knowledge intervenes," said researcher Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis of the University of Arkansas. "Listeners are less likely to let the music wash over them if they have just read a description."
What do you think of this "ignorance-is-bliss" finding? Does it make you want to skip the explanatory reading and simply listen to the music?