# What Is Music > [!quote] > > Music is what feelings sound like. -- Victor Hugo > > Music is poetry of air. - Music is the bond, the expressions of feelings, the proof of belonging, the life and beyond. - Popular music and classical music - Pop music often uses electric instrument; classical music uses acoustic instrument. - Pop music usually has lyrics. - Pop music usually has strong beats. - Pop music tends to be short and repetitious. - Pop music is performed often without music notation; classical music is often performed with a score. ## How do we hear music? - Neurotransmitters are stimulated when listen to music. - To raise the pitch by an octave, we need to double the frequency. - Outer ear -> inner ear -> basilar membrane -> auditory nerve -> primary auditory cortex - Limbic System is responsible for emotion, hence the feel of music. ## Why we like what we like? - Music template = nurture + nature - Western music "syntax" - Leading Tone pulls toward the Home Pitch of Tonic - Large Leap is then reversed by following pitch - Harmony must fit with the Melody - Chord Progression - Harmony usually return home to topic - Fundamental and overtones - Consonance and disonance