After5NewYork - The Hidden Language of Music: How Sound Tells Stories

A Conversation on Music, Emotion, and The Stories We Hear

Join a musicologist and sound researcher for The Hidden Language of Music: How Sound Tells Stories, an engaging exploration of how classical music communicates ideas, emotions, and experiences without relying on words. Together, we'll uncover how melody, rhythm, harmony, instrumentation, and even silence can shape the way we feel, remember, and understand the stories music tells.

What We'll Cover:

• The language of sound - Explore how musical elements like melody, rhythm, harmony, and tempo can communicate meaning and emotion without words.

• Music and emotion - Discover why certain sounds can trigger powerful feelings, memories, and emotional responses.

• How music tells stories - Examine how composers and musicians use sound to create narratives, build tension, express identity, and transport us to different places and moments.

Whether you're a music lover, storyteller, or simply curious about why certain songs move us so deeply, you'll leave with a new appreciation for the hidden language of music and the stories it can tell without saying a word.

Don't miss this chance to connect with your After5Society.

About The Speaker:

Joseph Jones is a New York–based composer, conductor, and playwright whose work explores the emotional and expressive power of music. He studied composition at the Peabody Conservatory of Music with Nicholas Maw and has conducted with organizations including the Aspen Music Festival, Allentown Symphony, New York Youth Symphony, and Gulf Coast Symphony. In 2015, he founded Orchestra Amadeus, a New York City–based musical project dedicated to promoting social justice through classical music. As a composer, Jones has created works spanning art song, chamber music, choral and orchestral music, oratorio, opera, and symphony, with his compositions performed across the United States and Europe. His background as a violin, viola, percussion, and voice performer gives him a broad perspective on how music can communicate emotion, meaning, and stories beyond words.

Good to know before you come:

• Exact bar location will be disclosed in your confirmation email

• Arrive early to grab a drink and get settled

• The speaker portion lasts 1 hour, with optional time to stay and socialize afterward

• This is a participatory event

• Seating is limited to keep the experience intimate