Studying music at the University level has provided me with friends that have no problem voicing their opinions regarding the definition of music.  The interactions I’ve had with these people have given me the opportunity to evaluate ideas that I otherwise would not have considered.  I know that this post will be, to some people, extremely pretentious and mind-numbingly boring, which is why those little x’s on the left hand corner are such beautiful things. :)  My question to you is: What is music?

Is this music?  Sure, it’s not pretty.  But what distinguishes it from more traditional music? It has rhythm, pitch and form just like any other piece of music and somebody even figured out how to dance to it.

Is this music?  Again, not a “pretty” piece by traditional standards, but again we find that it has rhythm, pitch and form just like any other piece of music.

Is this music?  Not a pretty piece by any standard, but why should music have to be pretty?  Is the global AIDS crisis pretty? Was the tragedy at Hiroshima pretty?  Is genocide pretty?

Let me know what you think.  I’m very interested in what others have to say on this subject.