Music and the background

Daniel Schmicking

pp. 116-138

in: Zdravko Radman (ed), Knowing without thinking, Berlin, Springer, 2012

Abstract

This chapter explores human Background¹ capacities that enable the experience and performance of music by applying Searle's theory of the Background and related concepts to the field of music. My strategy is to approach Searle's theory sympathetically. From my explorations, which try to fathom, at least, to some extent, the scope and viability of his theory, both stronger and weaker aspects of his conception will become manifest. Thus the presently available behavioural, neurophysiological, and episodic evidence from experiencing and making music is not sufficient to choose between Searle's Background theory and a model of unconscious informational processing. Among the positive outcomes is a short exploration of making music based on Searle's theoretical framework, which reveals co-performing music as an instructive and, probably, unique type of collective intentionality.