Music of Language

Language and music share intriguing parallels, particularly in their rhythmic structures. English, as the official language of aviation, showcases how language serves as a global communication tool, albeit with potential for misunderstanding among non-native speakers. Over time, languages evolve, showcasing a linguistic game of telephone, while retaining internal consistency.

Those who have always been interested in language are perhaps more likely to have innate musical skills. For the author, it started with rhyming words and phrases, which led to a fascination with rhythm. Barry looks at music primarily bottom-up from the rhythms of language, while others may see it as primarily melodic in nature. But melodies don't exist without rhythms. While prose is not inherently musical, musical ideas can be abstracted from prose as a form of poetry, then winnowed down to something singable or playable as instrumentals. It becomes the "seed" of the music, as classical composers would often do as a building block.