TOS-Con Speaker Spotlight: Robin Field

I’ve been a musician for most of my life, but after working at a studio for several years helping to record whatever projects came through the door, my love of music had gradually dulled. I could have done without hearing much of what I was working on. I didn’t realize the extent to which I had become relatively apathetic toward music—until last year when that apathy abruptly dissipated.

Such was the effect of hearing entertainer and performer Robin Field (best known for his “Reason in Rhyme”) sing, play the piano, and tell the story of his career. I walked away artistically revitalized, inspired both to play and to seek out new music. My wife, who was there with me, soon after began taking piano lessons—something she’d thought about doing for a while but had kept putting off. Both of our lives have been richer since hearing Field.

You can imagine my excitement, then, at learning that Field would be back at TOS-Con this year, performing and discussing “How Music Conveys Meaning.” I reached out to him for a sneak peek. Here’s part of our conversation:

Hersey: What do you mean when you say that music conveys meaning?

Field: Although many people believe—and musical experts claim—that music means nothing but the feelings it evokes, I can prove that music communicates objective content that almost anyone can learn to identify conceptually.

Hersey: What key value do you think people will walk away from your talk with?

Field: Using familiar examples, this lecture/performance will give people a method for understanding music more precisely than most have ever thought possible. It will demonstrate that the arts are not impervious to reason!

Hersey: What do you think is the most life-enhancing aspect of TOS-Con?

Field: Look at the variety of talks! After fifty years of living by a rational philosophy, I still find it thrilling to discover the clarity it brings to every aspect of life.

Register today so you don’t miss Robin’s lecture and performance, “How Music Conveys Meaning” at TOS-Con 2019. And if you are a student or young adult, age 18 to 29, you’re eligible to apply for a “Think, Strive, Thrive” scholarship to attend. But you’d better hurry because the deadline is June 10.

See you in Park City!

About Jon Hersey

Jon Hersey is the associate editor of The Objective Standard. His work focuses on intellectual history, specifically, the ideas on which freedom and flourishing depend. He has published in-depth articles on John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Stark, William Wilberforce, Rosa Parks, and more.

View all articles by Jon Hersey →