Music may be the single element in human culture which can truly transcend race, religion, nationality, and ethnic origin. As such it is really magical and profound. I don't have to like or enjoy all forms of musical expression, but I should have some respect for all of it - excluding, perhaps, some hateful lyrics.

Recently scientists obtained DNA samples form over 250,000 folks worldwide in as much of a diverse spread as possible. They found [ no surprise ] that humans share about 99.9% of their DNA...we are all a single race, and very much alike. It's our various cultures and sub-cultures which set us apart, not race.

My wife doesn't like hip-hop music at all -- she maintains that it's just noise. I don't care for it myself, but I certainly recognize that it is music, and as such has an emotional message, verbal or not, that all music has. I've heard some free-flowing jazz that sounds like a flock of seagulls being sucked into a shop vac, but it's still music, whether I like it or not. I've been told that I lack the musical sophistication needed to appreciate that kind of avant garde performance, and that may be true, but I certainly won't deny that it's music.

It has always amazed me that people are compelled to make music. Whistles have been found in Cro Magnon digs that were made from a bone and showed a series of holes which suggested a diatonic scale...30,000 years ago.

I like some forms of music and dislike others, but I do admire those that invent, compose and play it. Music is the one really magical thing that we humans do. If some software can do it also, that's great, as some humans somewhere had to program that software in any event.

No music is 'owned' by a certain race or nationality, nor is there a race which is inherently 'better' at some forms of music than some other races. The attributes all come from the various cultural differences. We can see all races, religions, and ethnic peoples playing 'classical' music with great feeling and expertise, for example. I don't think we should call this music 'dead European white-guy music'.

Perhaps I can understand the feeling that wants to protect cultural aspects which have come under unrelenting attack in times past, but that desire can be misplaced in today's world. Instead we should rejoice in the playing of music, regardless of the racial origins of those performing it.

Fire, the wheel, and the I IV V -- foundations of civilization.