In many ways it transcends even thought itself. The history of music is the history of humankind told using a more abstract language than words. It is a language people have used for centuries as a more personal and intense means of communication. This language has constantly transformed itself through time to various needs involved with human interaction. We are the direct inheritors of musical ideas which have gone before and we are called upon to relearn and reinvent the musical concepts for our own time.
Music is for everyone.
Each and every one of us can learn a great deal from all forms of musical expression. I am an ardent believer in community-based musical leadership. Any musician not in touch with the background and needs of his or her own community cannot be fully effective therein. As artists we are not pitted against society but rather are an integral and vital part of it. We should constantly be seeking ways to support and reinforce both professional and amateur music-making in our respective communities.