Music is not the universal language. Forget that misguided trope.
I have known enough brilliant musicians who couldn’t speak another related musical language – like brilliant classical musicians who don’t understand jazz vernacular. And we all have languages we don’t speak well, or even at all. I can barely understand Indian raga or Balinese gamelan, someone else might not understand the language of a Tool or the layers of meaning in contemporary R&B.
What’s universal is the way that music makes us feel. In our native musical traditions, music has a unique touch on our emotions, our very humanity. That is universal, or as nearly so as any human trait.
Music’s universality gives it a particular power to connect us, and to give us purpose and meaning. I worry a lot about the vast number of people who don’t make active music-making part of their lives. While listening to music is a powerful experience on its own, being a part of a choir or a band, or just singing with friends, is one of the things that makes me feel the most connected to other humans.