What define "musicality" ? And what constitute "musicality" in audio ?

I've never understood that specific characteristic but your description helps. Looking forward to seeing what others have to say.

There are some descriptors that make perfect sense to me both intuitively and with experience but some do not. Musicality seems like it could have a lot of 'felt' variables; hard to pin down.

I think when that is the case it is easy for us to misunderstand one another and not even know it.

I think that many descriptors of sound are difficult to explain, but one that is very difficult to explain is "musicality" but when we experience it, relatively for sure, not in an absolute sense, it is like we are less conscious of the sound first and more conscious of the flowing experience of the music we listen to in the now ...Sometimes miraculously, all is right in the audio system, and we swim with the music...No subconscious insatisfaction grab us back...


For each of us if we think about the many different factors that make this experience possible, we, each of us had our opinions,our experiments, our discoveries: cables, particular piece of gear, tweaks, etc... I am very curious about how each of us gain his access to this "musicality" experience... The fact is there is a progression, but one day, suddenly the miracle is somehow there :"musicality"... Why? How? I think that for each of us this experience of wonder is different... I am curious to read the reflexions of others about that...


I am interested to read about "wonders"  in experiencing "musicality" by each of us, it is a long road to experience that, this is not a problem that has only a simple one miraculous solution, it is a long way for most of us...I am interested by  your particular history about that experience...

Musicality I think is one of those terms people use for when the system or component sounds good in a way that you are trying to think of exactly how it sounds good but its hard because your foot starts tapping and your heart starts racing and your mind keeps returning to how goddamn good it sounds so quit bugging me man just go away and oh yeah damn that sounds good!

The Linn turntable people used to call it "pace." I think it goes beyond that.

So many times when I’m listening to music, whether its a full classical orchestra or a jazz trio, I find myself thinking "boy what a tight group." That’s musicality.

Musicality has to do with pace, the expert playing of the musicians, the correct tonality of the instruments, the layering of the instruments, and/or the proper positioning of the players on the sound stage. When it all comes together, that is musicality.

I don’t think musicality has much to do with audiophile terms, like transparency, and such. I’ve heard musicality on the car radio, even to such a degree that I’ve stopped the car, written down the name of the artist, then driven over to the nearest record store to buy the music.

Conversely, I've heard super transparent systems before that are amazing in that one regard. But, after 20 minutes of listening, one is left wondering ... where is the musical involvement? Where is the musical emotion? Why am I bored listening to this system? Where's the exit? 

Like in the famous pornography case, when asked how he would define pornography, the judge said: "I know it when I see it." With musicality, I know it when I hear it.

Frank

It seems to happen when all distractions have gone away.

I don’t think musicality has much to do with audiophile terms, like transparency, and such. I’ve heard musicality on the car radio, even to such a degree that I’ve stopped the car, written down the name of the artist, then driven over to the nearest record store to buy the music.

Conversely, I’ve heard super transparent systems before that are amazing in that one regard. But, after 20 minutes of listening, one is left wondering ... where is the musical involvement? Where is the musical emotion? Why am I bored listening to this system? Where’s the exit?

Oregonpapa,thanks for your point, very interesting for me, because this experience of yours we have lived that also most of us and it is some food for thinking...

Thanks to the others also, interesting beginnings for tought...

I am going to have to agree with this, with the caveat that a quality system can intensify the feeling.

Oregonpapa
Musicality has to do with pace, the expert playing of the musicians, the correct tonality of the instruments, the layering of the instruments, and/or the proper positioning of the players on the sound stage. When it all comes together, that is musicality.

I don’t think musicality has much to do with audiophile terms, like transparency, and such. I’ve heard musicality on the car radio, even to such a degree that I’ve stopped the car, written down the name of the artist, then driven over to the nearest record store to buy the music.

and this, without the emphasis on the system

millercarbon
Musicality I think is one of those terms people use for when the system or component sounds good in a way that you are trying to think of exactly how it sounds good but its hard because your foot starts tapping and your heart starts racing and your mind keeps returning to how goddamn good it sounds so quit bugging me man just go away and oh yeah damn that sounds good!

Musicality has peaked when that chill runs down the back of you spine.

But plenty of people use the term "musical" to describe how a system sounds, not just how a performance sounds. That makes it sound like two different things.

I think that no musical hall or concert hall sound the same, and no individual room either; and the performance is linked to the location of the interpreters and the location of the listeners, sometimes 2 different locations that the audio grid linked together... Not only there is engineering factors in the experience of listening music, architecture of the concert hall in the lived experience, audio engineering also, audio electronics in delayed experience, there is also the individuality of the hearing body of each of us with our own past experience... The experience of "musicality" is linked to all that I think...But one thing is fundamental, each of us, creator of music or listeners, we all crave for "musicality" in the concert hall or in our audio room...I want to know the factors that contribute to this experience in our audio experiments in our own room... That reduce the experience to the audio side of the story and the personal factors in our own history with the experience of the reproduction of music... I will leave the creative side of the story to philosophy of music and of musical performance... I want to read each of us about his personal experience with his audio system in his room..... 

What are the most  important factors, or perhaps the single more important one, that contribute to your own experience of "musicality" ?I will learn something...

It's a lazy meaningless term. The proof is in the fact that someone decides to defend it in the OP. It is like calling food "tasty". Good audio writers never use the term because they don't have to. They have the writing skills to describe what they are hearing without resorting to meaningless shorthand. It also gets thrown around more often with regard to low to mid-priced gear. It bothers me less than PRAT because that too is a horse-crap term. "Toe-tapping" is another. I have one for all these stupid terms; "cringe-worthy". 
Thelonious Monk is known to have said, "writing about music is like dancing to architecture". The same can be said for trying to describe attributes of audio gear but since we gear-heads love to read and write about our hobby, here we are. 
In this age of the internet, there is a democratization of audio reviewing. We have webzines like 6Moons and Parttimeaudiophile in which the level of writing/reviewing is a whole step down from the likes of Mike Fremer, Art Dudley and Jon Atkinson and then below the webzines we have "the 600 lb fat guys living in their mom's basements" putting up whatever they want on this Board and others. And no, the reference to 600lb fat guys is not meant literally, it means some anonymous person who could be anywhere with little or no meaningful knowledge or experience. 
I have multiple hobbies and gravitate to multiple forums/boards. On each, one has to rifle through a ton of chaff to find any wheat. 

Interesting remark Mental, thanks... And Thanks Fsonicsmith for your  points about "musicality", there is truth to ponder...

I start this question about "musicality" because it takes me 7 years to had this awe moment with my audio room and audio grid,and to think that I have it now relatively speaking for sure; I can listen music now with satisfaction without thinking back about big "defects" in my audio grid that distract me of the music I want to listen to...

Now for the first time I enjoy without too much thinking about some change, upgrading, or buying... This is the " musicality" I enjoy... I am curious to know what others think about their "musicality" experience in listening...And what is the factors that makes that happened to you...For sure there are many factors that create "musicality" experience...But some factors are more important than others, they are the one that interest me...Those factors that contribute the most to your pleasure and satisfaction with your own audio grid...


By the way it is because I read forums like Audiogon for the last 7 years that I learned what to do for myself to gain this always relative and minimal but important "musicality" personal experience; I learn to ponder the decisive factors I must focus on and work with to gain this experience of satisfaction with music reproduction I name "musicality", and not only what piece of gear is more useful to buy...I want to learn from you... 

"Musicality" - a term equivalent to watching music waveforms on an oscilloscope! 

If the music sweeps me into it I call it musical.  If everything sounds perfect but lacks involvement I call it technical.  With the right balance the two work together. A component can be more accurate, balanced, dynamic ... but does it make me feel good inside?  

My take on musicality:   It is the "gestalt" delivered by a happy combination of composition, performance, recording, electronics and physiology.   When present it obviates the need to focus on "audiophile performance" descriptors.  It can manifest even without benefit of top tier electronics.  It is necessarily subjective and might not even be consistently experienced day to day (despite the same recording, same electronics, etc., etc.).  It is often ephemeral.  I think fsonicsmith makes some valid points but on balance I disagree.  I do concede the term is of little use in the context of a gear-focused audio discussion, however that doesn't make it meaningless in any absolute sense.

Thanks Ghosthouse, I really like your remarks...In particular about top-tier piece of gear,it is not absolutely necessary to buy top-tier electronics for this experience, I am ok with that opinion ...Buying the right product or the more costly one is not the only factor, there is also thinking,experimenting, tweaking,modifying and implementing the different pieces of our audio system in a room...I will wait for more ideas...

My question was only asked to learn what makes for you the "awe musical experience" not like an ephemereal only subjective one,but like also a relatively objective goal relatively accomplished with a minimal audio system created for this experience and assembled by the user,the listener,and the buyer ... Many factors,many opinions, and I like to learn... Like i said i must give their due to the many forums where i learn to create this experience in his minimal format for myself....My best to you

mahgister -

Gotcha...okay. The critical requirement. What is absolutely essential for the "awe musical experience" is the music/composition itself. Case in point, driving home at night listening to music on the car radio. Stravinsky’s "Symphony of Psalms" was played. First I'd ever heard it.  I sat in the car in the driveway until it was finished. A magical moment that had nothing to do with sonics or gear quality. Went out the next day and bought that recording (vinyl - this is back before CDs).

So +1 to Oregonpapa’s car radio comment.

Ghosthouse and Oregonpapa your point is very good and I enjoy myself the same revelation about " music" with my radio car... The greatest pianists I ever listen to are badly reproduced on cd for example... Then I concur with you 2...

But enjoying "music" is not exactly the same thing than audio "musicality", this is not synonymus though related...I dreamed 7 years ago to buy some audiophile system and I read plenty about that to experience a relatively good level of "musicality" with an audio system grid... I am curious about how others embark this road and succeed...Enjoying music is a thing, enjoying audio "musicality" in reproduction another...I am curious of the experience of others...

Pretty simple , sounds like live music .

Yes you are right for sure Shubert...

But how to touch this in audio? How do you obtain that for yourself? When do you live this experience the first times or the last times and why? I am interested by YOUR experience, products, tweaks, experiments, to live that "musicality" in your audio room and system... And others like me may benefit from your insight and experience, or enjoy your remarks...Thanks to you...

mahgister - 

To me, the "awe musical experience" vs "musicality" (as might be experienced during playback of recorded music) are two separate things.  "Awe" and "musicality" might overlap but I can easily imagine hearing a nicely musical audio system (approaching the quality of live sound, even) without the awe-factor because it was lacking in the moment's personal response to that particular music selection...and this lack not reflecting in any negative way on the gear itself!

PS - I don’t think you can force this experience of awe or musicality...whatever you want to call it. It happens when IT pleases or perhaps more aptly when Someone Else pleases. All you can try to do is prepare the space for it to happen...as much as budget and technical insight allow. Everything matters...gear, wire, power supply, vibration/resonance control, personal energy level...but the music most of all.

Ghosthouse you are right for sure...I concur with you...

But when that is said, what is the factor or the factors that make possible the experience of "musicality" with your system with your music of choice, then with your personal implication in your experience?


For example in reading your post, I enjoy a jazz file from my computer that I had not listen in a while,a musical jazz file recorded in public that I was not enjoying so much in the past; but now I tap my toes... Why? I know perfectly why, the reason is the improvements made crystal clear for me in my audio grid in the last months...I am only curious about your experience...I dont want to detail mine too much here...I want to learn from you all ...

I would struggle to describe musicality ( or even speel it at times) but I know it when I hear it.

How do I know or define that knowledge?

By being able to listen to my music for more hours than actually exist in a day.
With no fatigue and no desire to leave my blessed super comfy listening spot.

Taken time and money to reach this position but if I am honest with myself any equipment changes from here out are just because I want to and not need to.
A happy place to be within indeed.

@schubert :  "Pretty simple , sounds like live music ."

For me that definition falls short in far too many ways.

First, not all live music sounds good. Not all live music is performed well. Not all live venues have good acoustics. All venues and performers sound different at different times. So there would have to be some other qualification than 'live'. It just doesn't tell us much.

Second, the vast majority of music I listen to is made in a studio. And the stuff I really like is made well and played well. So in that case the characterstic of 'live' is not relevant to what I'm hearing on my system.

Very interesting remarks N80...

Apart of personal musical taste and education, in your own audio system what steps had make possible the experience of "musicality", the vivid impression of pleasure linked to your recorded music ?

My system sounds very close to live music .I knew what it should sound like from attending over 2,000 live classical concerts over the last 50 years .
How I did it was the same almost every serious audiophile does it , cut and paste every bit of the system till you get there .
I like to say, "I have the best 30K system in Minnesota and it only cost me 130,000 $$$ .
Flash no8 , The great halls and symphonies of this world don’t play bad music and very seldom make mistakes .
                   They and the worlds greatest soloists taught me what I need  to know in over 2.000 lessons .                   
                     I'm a slow learner .
                   


                  Of course if you don't listen to live acoustic music its of no use to you .

Shubert ... we are all different...
 
For sure it is way more easy to buy costly components and with that buying some  "musicality"... My system all in all cost me 1000 bucks and I am proud to enjoy "musicality" with it, not at your level potential in audio term for sure.... I am curious, what is the most satisfying component purchase in your system or the most important step toward this goal in your audio room or grid?  Thanks for your answer...

I have no idea how easy it is to replicate live classical music. Never been to a classic live event and likely never will.
Would imagine without the vagaries of amplification and mixing desks it might be a little easier than full on rock concerts.

So Schubert take on it might be fairly realistic for him.

For myself I KNOW I have attended more God awfully poor sounding live rock concerts than good ones.

I KNOW I do not want my,music in my room to sound like the majority of rock concerts I have attended ... Lol.

Different horses for different courses.

True , but more alike than different . The money I spent was over 50 years .

All jokes aside , every thing counts, Trite but true .The room is the most important thing . My car gets me caught up in music and the 4 speakers likely cost Nissan less than 10 bucks .I’ve walked into many rooms where the owner spend 20k to get
harsh treble and muddy base down to no avail because it was the room
not his gear !

I’ve always been to lazy to fool with rooms but then I’ve moved around all my life and too old to start now .
My standard joke is I’d rather listen to a 1500 $ speaker with a 5k amp than vice -versa .
The only thing I ever really liked to play with are turn tables . Owned over 100 and at least 200 phono cartridges .Still have 3 in my old age . And run 2 .

The older folks get the more convinced they are they’ve just about closed the gap on Audio Nirvana. Trite but true. 🤗

uber,  A rock concert is more a social event than a musical event .
How else could you get 5k people to wave their hands in unison like a
 Nurnburgh rally ?

geoff is just trite period .

@schubert : "A rock concert is more a social event than a musical event"

A very narrow opinion and not one that can be supported with anything but a single opinion.

I’m not a classical aficionado. But I’ve been to a lot of live symphonies in good places, I’ve been to opera in Italy, been to chamber music series at Spoleto, I have friends who are phd’s in violin, piano and organ. And I’ve been to a fair share of live rock and blues shows. And I just don’t get your narrow view.

Nothing wrong with having it. But sharing it doesn’t help anything.

"How else could you get 5k people to wave their hands in unison like a
Nurnburgh rally ?"

I would be surprised if Wagner wasn’t playing AT Nuremberg. In fact, Bruckner was played during some of those rallies.

Musical taste has nothing to do with the personal experience of "musicality" per se... Every one has his taste, and bliss is a democratic possibilities for all biological human entity... I am more than ever curious about the particular experience of "musicality" in audio by each of us...Steps,means, revelations,experiments etc ... I am even interested by what money can buy if you have no other revelation than your last purchase...But I prefer low cost inventive or creative solutions ...

This time I find myself in agreement with Geoff Kait. It seems to be a weird combination of impending death, hearing loss, and refusal to admit failure when the time to start over has come and gone. I can’t count how many old geezers have smugly announced that they have finally discovered the Holy Grail and announce it was found in a yard-sale sourced 1970’s Sansui receiver, Bozak loudspeakers, and carefully tinned lampcord. These are the same guys who want us to know that after 50 years of marriage their sex lives are better than ever.

@mahgister, you asked:

"Apart of personal musical taste and education, in your own audio system what steps had make possible the experience of "musicality""

As with some others above, I’m still not convinced "musicality" is a useful term. That’s why I said in my first response:

"I think when that is the case it is easy for us to misunderstand one another and not even know it."

In this thread alone there is almost no agreement on what it is or even whether it is a system issue or a performance issue.

Heck for schubert it is any music that is at least 100 years old and performed without the aid of any 20th century technology whatsoever. ;-)

So I can’t answer the question.

I can tell you what I like about my system but I wouldn't use the term musicality or musical to do it.

Perhaps, Musicality = Music to my ears

It has nothing to do with the system. Just spin a disc full of music you despise: Even God bestowed an heavenly perfect setup onto you, it would not have any musicality to your ears.

In other words, claiming an hi-fi system with musicality = It gets out of the way (i.e. doesn’t distract you enough) to enjoy the music.

musicality |ˌmyo͞oziˈkalətē|

noun

tastefulness and accomplishment in music: she sings with unfailing musicality.

• the quality of being melodious and tuneful: his speaking voice hinted at musicality.

• awareness of music and rhythm, especially in dance: the audition panel was looking for coordination, musicality, and flexibility.

I dont want to argue about "musicality", it is only a metaphorical term that speak about some pleasure suddenly felt after some modification of an audio room or grid, by creative, inventive means or an intelligent purchase...It is an audio forum ,not a linguistic symposium nor a philosophical one... I am interested by you and your walk and particular road and experience in audio toward simple joy... Never mind snobism or stupidity, I only want to listen to some intelligent and sincere lived experience by anyone who has something to communicate apart his own prejudices and boredom or bad faith...I accept smiles and spirit...

By the way I own a Sansui, this is very good but not the holy grail except for the low price, my sex life is good for the past month and perhaps the new one, I had only the normal hearing loss linked to my age...

When I was young (20 years old) a friend of mine,older, introduce me to audio...Together we listen to classical music, on his homemade speakers, with relatively good amplifier(phase linear)… I dreamed years after that to listen my Bach on a good system with some "musicality" to my ears... My own system at this times was particularly minimalistic and not so good...

Then 45 years later, i succeed (relatively speaking for sure) to create some relatively good, for the price paid, audio system, even if i never had enough money to buy what I dream for in audio... To touch this dream then i read a lot on many audio forums for the last years, at the end, modulo some information, I succeed by wise purchase with few bucks to devise, with luck and mostly experiments, some audio system with a relative and satisfying "musicality"... The greatest improvements always comes from simple experiments with room and gear , way more than from the purchase of the amp,speakers,dac .etc For sure it is very important to buy the right product, but money dont buy necessarily audio "musicality" nor good taste,nor ears education... This is my simple history and the reason why I am interested by you and your own discoveries...I want to learn and read from you, simply that...Suggestions are welcome,observations are welcome...

If you want to say anything else,be like Geoffkait, always short and sweet, and most of the times funny...

@mahgister: "I am interested by you and your walk and particular road and experience in audio toward simple joy"

Okay, I'll bite. Others have heard this before. I have always been a music lover. I have always had some sort of 'system' but mostly low-fi. And for decades had great enjoyment of music on those low end systems. Usually on weekends.

Last summer I inherited a really nice system 16-17 year old system that had been languishing in a basement.  I wasn't even sure how to hook it all up....had never seen XLR cables or bi-wired speaker wires bigger than a garden hose.

The first try out of the system was disappointing. Sounded flat and low bass.

So I came to this site and got some advice about old gear that had been sitting a long time, room dynamics, etc. When I got all that right I was blown away. Dropped DirecTV and now listen to music every day. Mostly the same music as before just on a better system. I've been replacing a lot of that music which was mp3s purchased on iTunes with well researched and well produced CDs.

So what grabbed me? Transparency. The system disappears. Richness. Fullness. Ample soundstage. Separation. Precision without sterility. Nice highs without glare or being too bright. And one of the most important things to me: bass. Not thumpy boomy bass but tight, precise, well defined bass that is balanced with the highs and mids but still able to thump when it should. That's what keeps me coming back and what has given new life to the music I have always liked.

Ah! thanks very much N80..Very interesting read for me... Your history enlightened my day...Please would you described this miraculous inheritance... I am curious and hooked by your personal story...The story of each one of us is at the end the story of all...Thanks to you... Reading you I understand you so much...

"Your history enlightened my day"

Glad my story could do that.

My system was originally purchased by a fairly wealthy bachelor cousin. When he moved out of his home and into a penthouse apartment he told family members to come get whatever of his stuff they wanted. He was going minimalist. I thought all this was kind of strange and did not go.

But, my brother-in-law and his family jumped in the truck and got some of his stuff. In that stuff was this system. I think they thought they were getting something like those multi-component systems from the 1980s.

When they got it home the wife didn't want the giant speakers in the house and they did not know how to hook it all up anyway and so it went in their basement for several years. I knew it was there but had no notion of what it was.

So when my low end system started to fail I asked him if I could try that stuff. Once I got it all going I told my brother-in-law how great it was but he did not want it and did not want it back in his basement. So here I am.

Thanks N80...
Interesting how luck drives sometimes our life, and I understand your "musicality" moment revelation...For example after gaining that audio "musicality"at the end of my 7 years quest I listen now to new music that was not my first love...Jazz for example, I like it very much in my improved audio system... My first love was Bach and choral music and piano with the divine Scriabin, I can listen that on any system even a bad one because I love this music so much... But new musical tastes for me sometimes are possible only in an improved audio system to sound at his best... I am also now interested in therapeutical music,classical Indian music and Persian ancient music or Iranian contemporary music and it is more easy to taste that with a good system...

I will defend old people no matter what kind of nonsense they might say from time to time.
Young are to become old unless die before that time. First learn to shut up and listen then argue, maybe.
On the subject of this thread. I heard many instruments live that did not sound musical to me. Same with speakers. Musical means as natural as it should be.

We inherited a Telefunken table radio from my husband's grandfather.Gorgeous,euphonic,and "musical" sound .Our main system is of course truer to real live music.Totally different but "musical" .They both stir within each of us a profound emotional connection with the music.

musicality
noun
sensitivity to, a talent for, or knowledge of music.

musical 'reality'.

of course, with reference to the output of an audio system.

i believe descriptors are valid, and even needed to convey, in truth or as close to the truth as is subjectively possible how much or how little of various facets of the audio 'envelope' are present or vacant, and how they arrived or were removed.

the confusion arrives during quantification of this or that aspect.

how much bass report was produced when the cannons explode in the 1812 Overture.

or just how sweet, warm, bright, and or resolving was any portion of the reproduction?

to these ends, I feel its common to interject presumably well known or commonly acquainted items from areas far fetched or vastly different from their audio spectrum counterparts, purely for familiarization with well traveled, better known avenues.

sound stage depth was cavernous is an easier pill to swallow than would be "the sound stage depth was as cavernous as those which exist in the Caves of Carlsbad, CA, or those in the Ural Mountains of russia.

essentially quantifications of unknown but recognized values, require imagination and articulation sufficient enough, so the proposal being transmitted, listed, or accounted for, by the describer framing the various qualities being noted are adequately or reasonably comprehended at some later date by whomever.   has the desire to review it.

the issues I am unable to abide long or at all, are references from completely unknown works, or with entirely unfamiliar settings or venues.   an author chooses to use as his or her adjectives and adverbs. as well listing uncommon, presumeably urbane, or eclectic musical works which could only be auditioned by the narrowest of means.

EX: the trumpets resoundding echo was identical to what I heard on the Piazza del Soloboundifuesta by the St. Phillip Basilica in upper Gaston France during festival in 1975..

great!

now I gotta get some fancy sneakers, a pair of cammeras, and some knee high black socks, and schedule some long distance globetrotting so i can maybe be in the loop??

sheesh.


EX: I played the Duetsche Grammarphone 218Gram pressing of the 1966 spanky and our gangs choral recital of the Franciscan monks Omage to St. Ammaretto... in D minor as conducted by Sir Walter Humperdink ... etc., etc. which there are only 200 known Lps on the planet at last count.

can't even find a copy on itunes!

if it ain't available on itunes, well, then its just not musicality.

I've no issues with anyone dusting off seldom employed words from the language, culture, or social standards du jour. frankly, none.

neither will I take to task to often those whose memories slip back to some 'feel good' rumminations now and then. but when all of the penned accounts are extreme, desperately remote vehicles used expressively, hell man, buy an American car for Pete's sake.

I mean, that is if you want me to join in on your little journey, and oh, yeah, maybe buy the thing or concept you're selling.

lets be real and eliminate adding these inoccuous grains of fascination so very few have or will ever have had the occasion to enjoy.

... and exactly how valid are 'aural' memories from years ago? decades ago?

I've been to a lot of places around the globe. main stream types and no where near the stream sorts to boot. I've even wound up in the streams a time or two though time has taken the edge off of most of those ventures, adventures, and fascinations.
I'm not sure If I can recall what I had for dinner yesterday!

regardless the degree of articulation, eloquence or communicative level being related, the more commonly known items, places, things, and experiences are always going to be the ones the overwhelming majority of people will be able to satisfactorily digest when reading or re-reading an article.

when you elevate the discourse or involve a wealth of eccentricities you will diminish the number of people capable of relating to it.

knowing what to say or how to say it is not nearly as important as knowing who you are saying it to..