| 2005 Summer Seminar |
—Michael Shapiro, M.A.
Course Description:
Music is something of an enigma in the Objectivist world. How can such powerful emotional responses come from art that, lyrics aside, has no conceptual referent? How can our musical opinions be so strong, yet so seemingly immune to analysis? Is there any point in discussing music with others, given how variable musical taste seems to be among individuals? Is any piece or style of music "objectively better" than another? Rand's writings offer some fascinating insights on the psychological nature of musical appreciation and suggest some guidelines for how we might be able to analyze the formation of musical opinions. In this pair of talks, Michael Shapiro will explain Rand's views on musical aesthetics (dispelling the myth that Objectivism requires fealty to Rachmaninoff or tiddlywink music), outline some the many factors that makeup our musical tastes, and explore what we can (and can't) say about musical evaluation.
Michael Shapiro is a professional composer for film, television, and multimedia. He has a bachelor's degree in cognitive science from Carnegie Mellon University, a masters degree in music composition from New York University, and is a graduate of the film scoring program at the University of Southern California. He has written scores for several independent feature films, including 2003's Home Room starring Erika Christenson and Victor Garber, and Sneak Preview Entertainment's upcoming horror feature HellBent. He has also composed the score for the Objectivist Center's audio book edition of Ayn Rand's novel Anthem.
Schedule: Tuesday, 9:45 - 11:00 AM
Track: Art and Aestethics