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I often feel at a loss when trying to describe some aspects of music to non-musicians. Like the other day when I was listening to Benny Goodman's Sextet and Stephanie asked me, "So what makes this good?" At first I try not to gaffaw because to me I can't understand how someone would not simply hear and automatically understand just how great that band was. (She does actually like the band, she wanted my take on it.)
I know that non-musicians tend to enjoy a strong beat and a strong melody. Music that does not have a strong beat, but has a great melody can still be easily appreciated by non-musicians. And the vice-versa is true as well. Music without a strong melody but a strong beat can easily be appreciated by non-musicians. But for anything that's even just a little "outside"... well some may still "get it" but most non-musicians scratch their heads and wonder "why would anyone listen to this noise?"
Maybe it would help non-musicians if they could experience what it feels like to play an instrument in time, in harmony (or purposefully "out," as the case may be). Having experienced the particular physical sensations of your body or hands moving and producing sound in time and in tune helps you to feel connected to the music, even when you're not playing. When I'm listening to the music, I often think of how it feels to play the music. I imagine myself playing it. Even if there is no guitarist, I imagine what the trumpeter is doing, or how it might feel for the bassist to pluck the strings, or how it feels to brush a snare drum. I can imagine this because I have actually done all those things (albeit not that well, but no matter).
The Experience Music Project in Seattle has a section in the "museum" that allows anyone to play a number of instruments they have set up. There are the usual rock instruments including drums, basses, guitars, and keyboards. The curators wanted to give non-musicians the opportunity to experience how it feels to play music, and maybe that will give them a greater appreciation for music.
For me, sometimes it is just the way that it feels for my fingers to move across the fretboard of a guitar (a good guitar), the way it feels to press and hold a sweet voicing, the way it feels to strum Freddie Green style along with a good swingin' bassist and drummer and hear how it goes "chunk, chunk, chunk"... sometimes it is just those physical sensations that are so enjoyable.
I think Kenny Werner says in "Effortless Mastery" something about playing your instrument and how it should feel comfortable, easy, and relaxed. It should not hurt. Mostly it doesn't, but after a few hours I must admit the thick .013 set of strings really dig into my callouses. But it's well worth it, of course :)
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