Quote of the Day (John Powell, on How We Experience Music)

“We try to make sense out of everything we experience — including music. When we hear a new piece, we use the large mental library of music we have already heard to give us some context, and we unconsciously construct a set of expectations — we predict that the tune will rise or fall, get louder or softer — and we are often right. We find it pleasant if our expectations are frustrated occasionally, but we don't expect to be wildly donkey. Rather like the way you didn't expect the word ‘donkey’ just then.” —Scientist and musician John Powell, Why You Love Music: From Mozart to Metallica—The Emotional Power of Beautiful Sounds (2016)