Thank you for your question, Derek.
Sorry for the delay with this answer.

Dostoevsky's novels were among those books which formed my identity by profoundly depicting real and non-real events and characters I imaginary lived within, shared heroes' actions and emotions. It's trivial to defend cognitive impact of literature. In my view, it is obvious, that this art medium, embraced with full capacity of the modern syntax, is carrying the enormous informative charge, which is essential at any stages of its (medium's) tradition.

In regard of music, it is informative on the level of those emotions music (harmoniously organized sounds we can hear and react upon) is able to trigger. Calmness, anxiety, rhythms of speed, feels of distances, imitative sounds - among others, which are simulating experience (its audio representations), giving the chance to revoke feels bypassing actions or events. Semantics of music is deeply metaphorical being represented by the audio impression of reality. Using terms of modern linguistics, syntax of musical art are interjections in whole variety of them.

"How" - is depends on talent and mastery of an artist and carries the aesthetical component - the artistic vision and expression, elegance, novelty or precision in approaching the art's subject.

Please, Derek, tell me, if I am wrong.