Music simply put is, "The Voice of God" (That statement won me a ticket to a Jazz and Blues? Festival).

It's complexity is limitless, thus allowing for its creation, an infinite palette to work with. Some just 'know' the math and figure it out relatively easy, some are able to learn the math with some effort and some, I guess, just don't or refuse to 'get it'.

There's are certain natural ability we all seem to have to appreciate music. We learn at a young age to figure out a beat and learn to more or less 'dance' by watching and imitating those around us. It obviously is a pleasant experience or we'd abandon the pursuit of it real quick.

Nevertheless, there is something about music that some (I cannot honestly say all) basically can understand naturally. Mostly though, it is infact learned. That would explain the notion about the lack of rhythm in some demographic circles as opposed to a lack of musical comprehension in another. Maybe its what that individual is actually being taught or exposed to.

As a young child I'm sure the ability to anticipate is relevant to understanding anything. In music I can imagine the ability to anticipate an event being very important. In terms of rhythm, how would one figure out where or even what a beat is? In terms of melodic content - anticipation of a correct (in tune, in key) pitch. When the result is what we anticipated, it brings satisfaction. Being satisfied , we are content, etc, etc. It's all math... everything is relevant to a value which is scaled numerically. Different cultures use different formulas to achieve these scales but all are subject to the basic laws of physics which is pure math.

Music is thus a language, spoken in different tongues, with common roots or denominators. That is what makes it , I believe, universally appealing.

Having said all that, I'm really trying to impress upon the new generation of musicians that you're not really a musician unless you put in some time and try to learn how to understand the 'math'. Having done so one will properly speak the 'language' and be understood and appreciated by many.

Bluntly put -- music that is off beat, inconsistent, out of key and out of tune will not 'translate' because it does not 'add' up.

Learn the math if you really want to do this.

Bliss up and have a great weekend.