There are people for whom music is just wallpaper. try as I may, I can't seem to understand their relationship to music. I find it difficult to get anything done if there is music within earshot; it grabs my attention and I can't leave it alone. Although I've experienced music as a solo activity it seems music in my life has always been a connection to social interractions.

Singing harmonies with others who are like-minded (about the harmonies) is one of the great uplifting experiences. Playing in a session with others you may have seen the night, or the year, before is another. Who needs drugs when the kick that such music gives can be so viscerally moving? Dance music can be just as uplifting, whether you're doing the dances or playing for others.

And it doesn't always need to be folk music in which you're actively participating to achieve this. Years ago I was at Mawson, which has a daily average windspeed of 30 knots; blizzards have windspeeds exceeding 60 knots and Mawson has an average of 100 such days a year. All this wind is howling through aerials, guy ropes, masts and other outside structures, flapping guys against things; an ever present noise in the foreground, not just the background.

One night I was on nightwatch, which meant that I had to check all the buildings and their oil-fired heaters every three hours. I also had to take the Met. Station readings and the powerhouse readings every three hours, This meant much traipsing between buildings, exposed to the wind. On one of my inspections of my own donga, Bernie mandelkern was working late and listening to his tape deck through headphones so others in the donga were not disturbed.

"Listen to this!" he said, as I passed his door, and gave me the headphones. I had never used headphones before, but it was magic. No wind; no noise! Just quintessence of civilisation! It might have been Brahms but it could have been almost any type of music at all; I was transported. I stayed only a few minutes, as I had to keep on my rounds, but it was a lifetime.

Since then I've learned concertina and, while they don't cause my chest cavity to resonate the way some of you have described, playing with others can perform the same trick. Music can be truly transcendental. I feel so lucky I've got ears that work!

Cheers, Rowan