Nowhere is this clearer than in the Americas, where waves of migrants have settled. Bringing their musical skills and heritage to be handed down through generations, where they are still played and developed, long after their native tongues have been forgotten.
One of the joys of music is that we do not need to understand it.
Unlike language, music demands no training or knowledge in order to be enjoyed. Anyone can be moved by a passage of music without knowing the first thing about crotchets and quavers. Yet without substantial knowledge of a language we remain hapless bystanders when it is spoken around us.
There are those who are fascinated solely with the intricacies of music theory, but for most of us, the need is to learn to play an instrument. And while playing music may seem like an insurmountable challenge, it is usually a far less difficult skill to master than it is to speak a second language.
This is because our language skills start to develop at a very early age and continually progress for many years. Yet anyone starting to learn a second language after their teen ages will almost never be truly fluent, no matter how much time and effort they devote, whereas someone starting to play their first instrument at that age can become proficient remarkably quickly, given the same dedication and practice.
One of the biggest barriers to reading music is simply the way it's written, which is so alien to most of us that we are immediately put off.
Yet the rules are fairly simple and it really isn't that difficult to understand what's going on. With a desire to learn and a patient teacher the principles can be grasped in no time at all, so that we usually learn to read music much quicker than we can physically master playing an instrument. It is really achieving the manual dexterity required to play an instrument that takes time, and learning to read music can be a welcome break from these physical exertions.
This doesn't mean that you will quickly be able to pick up a random sheet of music and play it to perfection, but you will soon be able to slowly pick your way through a tune and know what notes play. This may not be what a purist would term playing an instrument, but it places you well on the path to mastering the required techniques and realizing just what is possible for you.
In this digital era, there are many ways to learn to play an instrument, with self-help guides and interactive DVD's and myriads of on-line training and resources. Yet still, the best way to begin is with a human helper.
This does not mean committing to the expense of a one to one tutor or signing up for a high level music degree. There are always local evening classes or even friends and acquaintances who can help get you started, because music is different to our normal experiences and can be difficult for the complete novice.
And bad habits are the hardest to shake off.
It is therefore important to get started on the right track so that, as you gain more Independence and spend more time learning and practising alone, you will be building a musical foundation that will stay with you and continue to enhance your quality of life.
Good luck and remember the three simple secrets to playing music: practise, practise, practise.