[originaltext] Music Music is the abstra

Music
    Music is the abstract art of arranging vocal or instrumental sounds/in a manner that produces a flowing,/unified and thoughtful composition that has melody, harmony, rhythm./In contrast to the other arts, music is not a readily tangible form of expression./Music may be called both the most mathematical and the most abstract of the arts./Unlike words, images, or dance, however,/musical tones in themselves have no concrete associations,/and only gain meaning when they are combined into patterns./Through the cen turies various philosophers have attempted to integrate theories/on the essence of music with their particular world views./Many non-Western cultures and some Western writers as well have perceived it as an inherently mystical force,/able to unlock elemental truths or principles/that cannot be translated into written or graphic form./Music is an important part of our lives,/and has been an important part of every civilization known to man./