There are different aspects of our lives, and among them, there is music. Music is an inextricable part of life. It can be traced back to the most primitive times. Wherever there are humans, there is a form of music that varies from culture to culture. Languages, belief systems, and many other variables within a nation have a great influence on what is considered music and what is not. This is why it is very important when listening to music to consider the context in which it was created. This will allow you to appreciate different sounds and musical constructions such as rhythm, melody, harmony as well as their absence. American music is fundamentally diverse due to the many ethnicities and subcultures. These attributes of society are also found in other countries around the world. The Middle East, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa are nations made up of diverse ethnic groups who have expressed their beliefs, culture, and other extra-musical influences in their music. Through the study of many ethnomusicologists from these regions, we can recognize and/or understand the different sounds of music outside of our ethnocentric understanding of music. Europe is one of the world's seven continents and is home to twenty-seven countries with many languages ​​spoken. Language is a complex part of music and that is why there is a wide representation of music throughout Europe. According to authors Terry E. Miller and Andrew Shahriari in "World Music A Global Journey", European music is classified into three categories: classical, folk and popular music. Classical music in Europe refers to artistic music created during the era of aristocrats. It is learned and studied in a formal setting which is the opposite of how folk music is taught. Folk music ...... middle of paper ...... and sharing something extraordinary that unites us all. Music is truly an indicator of success because the expression of emotion is a redemptive experience that not only a person feels, but others as well. Traditional music as well as international music is an art form that colors our world.Works Cited1. Cato, Marguerite. “Performance Practice in Iran: Radīf and Improvisation”. Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Vol. 6: The Middle East. Ed. Danielson, Virginia; Marcus, Scott and Reynolds, Dwight. Routledge, 2001. 129-145. Web.2. Collins, John. “African popular music: a historical review of sub-Saharan Africa”. African art, traditional and popular music.com. 2002. Internet. May 6, 2014. http://aatpm.com/AfricanPopularMusicCollins.htm3. Miller, Terry E., Sharhriari, Andrew. World music: a global journey. 3rd ed. New York and London: Routledge, 2012. Print.