All of this calls into question what music is and what it does. Music is many things to many people, particularly in this day and age. It may or may not have organized rhythm, pitch, dynamics, or any of the usual parameters we associate with it. People with similar backgrounds of culture and experience may even have a similar emotional or intellectual reaction when they hear the same performance. This affect is why music is present at our most important occasions, from weddings and funerals, to state dinners and the celebrations in life.
Space plays a critical part in the play, so to speak.
It sets the mood, the ambience, and the framework for music-making, both for the audience and the performer. When the space is badly chosen, the setting can destroy an otherwise well-prepared musical event. Ford-Crawford Hall provides a more intimate setting for more intimate music. The Musical Arts Center is for blowout concerts and operas. The IU Auditorium has an organ, and relies on amplification of other ensembles to fill its broad space.