Music as Communication

Abstract

This chapter asks what is rewarding about interactions with audiences, answering that it is its ability to help musicians understand the meaning of their work, to help them and their audiences understand feeling and to foster social ties. It focuses in particular on the narratives audiences tell musicians. It also discusses how musicians find value in the relationships they form with other musicians and music fans. It closes with a comparison of social/gift economies and market economies, explaining that the value comes from the former, even though the work is situated in the latter.