How do we re-articulate musical meaning in the contemporary world? Recent work in music psychology has explained away much of the mystery of music, and the academy’s revision of the canon of great composers and ‘monumental works’ makes any such reverence problematic. However, ethics and aesthetics are linked in that they both ask questions about value, and when our listening is informed by values, we have a conscious role in determining how music affects our identities. This talk examines our listening choices and looks at the responsibilities which come with them.