Where is “The Sadness” in Sad Music?:

Recognition of Emotion in Music

Abstract

    Some features of music are described using emotional terms, for example, sad music, joyful rhythm, fearful melody, and so on. These features are called expressive properties. There are two leading theories concerning expressive properties, the resemblance theory and the persona theory. The former claims that sad music shares some features of the behavior of a sad person, the latter claims that sad music induces an imagining in the listener, of a sad person. In this paper, I will suggest that, given the philosophy of mind, these two theories can be compatible.