Novelty and Risk-Taking in Music
The Thematic Claim
In This Is What It Sounds Like, Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas propose that novelty—our tolerance for surprise, tension, and unpredictability—constitutes one of seven core listening dimensions that shape a person’s musical identity. This dimension, introduced in Chapter 3, asks whether listeners crave the adrenaline of the unfamiliar or find deeper satisfaction in the comfort of the known. The book argues that risk-taking, both by performers and listeners, is not merely an artistic flourish but a fundamental driver of musical reward. By examining how characters embrace uncertainty and how symbols of daring emerge, the authors reveal that musical joy often requires a willingness to venture into uncharted sonic territory.
Risk as Personal Transformation: Susan Rogers's Vow
The theme of novelty first surfaces not in a song but in the author’s own biography. Susan Rogers recounts her escape from an unhappy marriage after a Led Zeppelin concert, vowing to return to the Forum as a sound mixer rather than a passive attendee. This moment, crystallized in the symbol of the vow, represents a leap into the unknown: she leaves security, moves to Hollywood, and apprentices in a male‑dominated industry. The act of becoming Prince’s recording engineer required immense personal risk, as she had no formal training and no guarantee of success. This real‑life gamble mirrors the novelty dimension: the brain’s reward system responds to surprise and anticipation, and Rogers’s career trajectory shows how embracing uncertainty can unlock profound musical experiences.
Performers Who Thrive on Risk: Prince and Miles Davis
Two characters in the book exemplify musical risk‑taking from the performer’s side. Prince, as described in the Overture, maintained a poker face to protect his artistry but occasionally revealed childlike joy—such as when he fulfilled Rogers’s dream by taking her on tour. His willingness to improvise, to work with an inexperienced engineer, and to blur genre boundaries reflects a high tolerance for novelty. Similarly, Miles Davis’s impromptu verbal duet with Rogers—quick, unpredictable, and jazz‑like—embodies risk as a creative method. His declaration that “some of the best musicians I know aren’t musicians” turns the conventional hierarchy on its head, suggesting that active, risk‑accepting listening is as valuable as performance. Both Prince and Miles Davis demonstrate that the most memorable musical moments arise from stepping outside prepared scripts.
Risk in Listening: Vulnerability and the Record Pull
The novel approach of the book also asks listeners to take risks. The record pull ritual, described in the Coda, requires brutal honesty: both Rogers and Ogi Ogas play songs without pretense, exposing their private tastes. When they discover that their profiles are almost opposite, they are forced to confront the discomfort of musical mismatch—a form of novelty. Yet this vulnerability leads to a shared love for cowboy music, a genre that for Rogers evokes a lonely romance and for Ogi conjures a vast, optimistic landscape. The act of confessing a guilty pleasure—such as Rogers’s fondness for REO Speedwagon—requires a willingness to be judged, which is itself a risk. This section shows that the novelty dimension operates not only in the songs we seek but also in how we share our musical selves.
Complexity and Contradiction
The book does not present novelty as an unqualified virtue. While some listeners crave the thrill of the new, others find their deepest connection in repetition and familiarity. Rogers acknowledges that listener profiles are highly individual; one person’s sweet spot may be another’s noise. The tension between novelty and predictability is inherent: too much surprise can overwhelm, while too little can bore. The author’s own career—moving from engineer to producer—required balancing risk with craft. The symbol of the third ear (hearing from the audience’s perspective) suggests that successful recordings must calibrate novelty to serve emotional function. Even risk‑taking music, such as Prince’s experimental works, must ultimately connect with listeners. The contradiction lies in the fact that what feels novel to one generation becomes the safe refuge of another—cowboy music, once fresh, now offers nostalgic comfort.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Susan Rogers’s personal journey exemplify the novelty dimension?
Her decision to leave a stifling marriage and pursue a career in recording without formal training represents a high tolerance for risk and unpredictability. This leap directly mirrors the brain’s reward response to novel challenges, a core aspect of the novelty listening dimension.
2. In what ways do Prince and Miles Davis represent different forms of musical risk?
Prince takes creative risks by collaborating with an inexperienced engineer and improvising during live performances. Miles Davis embodies spontaneous verbal and musical improvisation, treating everyday interaction as a jazz solo—both demonstrate risk‑taking as a generative force.
3. What role does the record pull play in illuminating the novelty dimension?
The record pull forces participants to expose private tastes, creating a low‑stakes yet psychologically risky environment. It reveals that musical identity is not fixed; discovering opposite profiles can surprise listeners and push them to explore unfamiliar genres.
4. Why is cowboy music considered a “guilty pleasure” and how does it demonstrate shared vulnerability?
Both authors admit to liking a genre associated with sentimentalism, risking embarrassment. The admission opens space for connection despite vastly different profiles, showing that risk in self‑disclosure can lead to unexpectedly satisfying musical alignment.
5. How does the book reconcile the tension between novelty‑seeking and the comfort of familiar music?
It treats novelty and familiarity as poles of a single dimension, acknowledging that each listener occupies a personal sweet spot. The goal is not to prefer one over the other but to recognize how balancing risk and reassurance shapes a rewarding musical life.