Interpretation

Interpretation is greatly influenced by one’s past experiences and their current circumstances or state of mind. A certain art form may remind someone of a past experience they had or relate to them in a different way than someone who has no immediate prior connection to the art form or has a different connotation. In addition to past experiences, I believe that a specific individual’s mental state or current circumstances are a major role in initial interpretation. If someone is not in the mood to socialize and sees a group of people, they may interpret the group negatively as opposed to when that person is in the mood to be social. An example of a shift in circumstances affecting interpretation could be if a person is watching a movie after changing career interests from musicianship to cinematography. In this instance, the person may interpret the movie as a whole based more on its cinematography than its music score after switching career paths.