Fifteen-sixteen years old Fenno–Swedish compulsory school pupils' written descriptions of ‘strong’ experiences were used for comparing (a) the frequency of experiences related to music and to other aesthetic areas (literature, drama etc.) and (b) the frequencies of music experiences related to different basic modes of confronting music: receptively (listening to live or technically reproduced music) or by productive activities (performing etc). In at least moderately urbanised regions, music was the art area most frequently evoking experiences. The ‘non-art’ area of nature was also important especially in some female and rural subgroups. Most music experiences related to listening, but a fifth involved performance activities. Among other things, attention was directed to the role of the school in preparing its pupils for music experiences, to the importance of productive activities, and to some problems regarding the efficiency of audiovisual media to evoke music experiences.