Harmony & Dissonance

• Why aren’t “peak experiences” consistent?

• Why can’t winemakers make wine by recipe?

Shared attributes of wine and music

• Strong visceral appeal– Revenues from music exceed pharmaceuticals– There are no $1000 beers

• Non-linear preference patterns (sweet spots)

Consumer Preference

X

11 13.5 16

% Alcohol

X X

Alcohol Balance

Figure 1"Sweet Spot" Tasting of 1999 Syrah

reduced from 18.0% ethanol

0

5

10

15.5

15.4

15.3

15.2

15.1

15.0

14.9

14.8

14.7

14.6

14.5

14.4

14.3

14.2

14.1

14.0

13.9

13.8

13.7

13.6

13.5

13.4

13.3

13.2

13.1

13.0

12.9

12.8

12.7

12.6

Syrah % v/v ethanol

Jud

ge

(n=

22)

free

ch

oic

e fr

equ

ency

Shared attributes of wine and music

• Strong visceral appeal– Revenues from music exceed pharmaceuticals– There are no $1000 beers

• Non-linear preference patterns (sweet spots)• Strongly shared sense of harmony• Broad disparity of stylistic preference• Capacity to carry emotion • Contributing influences are all present

simultaneously

Listener’s backgroundexpectation of musical genres

Performer Composer

Instrumental Composition

MUSICAL APPRECIATION

STYLE

Taster’s backgroundexpectation of historical genres

OriginWinemaker

Varietal Composition

WINE APPRECIATION

STYLE

Clinical Tools for Cognitive Musicology

• Behavioral studies of brain injuries• Magnetic Resonance Imaging• Electro Encephalography• Positron Emission Tomography

“Blues” processing PET scan

Males

Females

Emotion

• Melody– anticipation leading to resolution

• Modality– Underlying mood

N.M. Weinberger’s case subject “I.R.”:

• Bilaterial damage to temporal lobes, auditory cortex

• I.Q. and general memory normal• No language difficulties• No melody recognition or recollection• Emotional reactions completely normal!

Melody and intrinsic moodfunction separately!

Different wines

carry different emotions!

Emotion• Melody

– anticipation leading to resolution• Modality

– Underlying mood• Harmony cascade

– Parasympathetic (“relax”)– Frontal lobe rewards– Euphoria

• Dissonance cascade– Sympathetic (alert!)– Limbic system (fight or flight)

Blood and Zatorre, 2001:

• PET scan images while listening to musical intervals

• C / G (perfect fifth)– Reward System– Parasympathetic relaxation

• C / C#– Fight or flight system– Sympathetic alert system

Thalamuscharacterizesstimulus

Stimulus

Thalamuscharacterizesstimulus

DISSONANCE

HARMONY

Limbic System(danger)

FrontalLobes(RewardSystem)

0.1% Alcohol Difference!

Fields of the Phenomenon

Individual

Group

Experiential Analytical

The experience itself

Clinical observations, explanations & theories

Shared experience:

-How are we alike?-How are we different?

Social implications

-Advertising-Use in promoting our image

www.PostmodernWinemaking.com/WineAndMusic