@ Larsman,
I don't agree that arranged or improvised sounds that contain only one element of music, e.g. rhythm, qualifiies as music. Is spoken word with rhythmic accompaniment "music'? Then what is the difference between poetry, which has rhythm, and music? It's like Justice Stewart's definition of pornography; it may be difficult to define, but "I know it when I see it." Is John Cage's "4:33" music? I personally do not think so. It is interesting, philosophically, ONCE, but that's about all. It pretty clearly established the limits of human patience with bs and the dividing line between "music" and "not music", imo.
There appeared to be a bass player and musicians at the Super Bowl, which implies a modicum of tonality. It was inaudible, and seemed to be just for show.
Some percussion pieces can be considered "music"; in addition to rhythm, they can contain tonality, melody and harmony. .Are drums used for signaling "music"? They could convey emotion, they are communicative, but they lack harmony and melody and so on that we associate with "music". Is a drum solo "music"? Usually not; it is an interlude between musical sections. Gives the musicians a chance to rest and everyone else a chance to get a drink..
Even most Mid-20th century 12-tone, Schoenberg, for example, barely qualifies as "music" (but it does; it has multiple elements of "music" one would include in any reasonable definition.) They tried, it pushed boundaries. It can be interesting. It was a reasonable experiment. Like 4:33, it was an interesting intellectual exercise. But it was a dead end that didn't pan out, and hardly anyone wants to listen to it now. (I'd sell my lp collection of 12-tone stuff cheap!)
I'd concede that rap, hiphop etc. can be poetic, tribal, danceable, whatever. Imho, regardless whether people like or enjoy it, it is not music.
Look, up in the sky, is it a bird? is it a plane? is randomized sound without rhythm or melody, "music"? No, it is Yoko Ono.
