Music as Agency and Communication

The role of agency in music is pervasive. It is involved in what makes a sound music in the first place ; it is involved in what it is to hear something as music ; it is involved in the distinctions we perceive when we hear a piece of music ; it is crucial in an account of the perception by an audience of a performer, most particularly in opera ; and agency is involved in musical communication and the value of live performance. I elaborate these various kinds of involvement, and contrast accounts that recognize this involvement with those that overlook it. Musical communication is particularly challenging : what is it that is communicated ? A good answer to this question can help explain the significance - and also the limits - of the role of music in political and social movements.

More info about the Jean Nicod Lectures and Prize 2024