W. Edwards Deming commented repeatedly on the prominent example provided by professional music organizations with regard to quality. They provide an example that is without parallel in the modern world. For approximately two centuries, professional symphony orchestras have held on to the old while embracing the new. They provide the backdrop for the most futuristic of entertainment forms and ancient musical presentations. Professional musicians can provide any and all forms of music with the same notational system.

 

Whether performing to classical or easy listening crowds, country or jazz, musicians make use of the same system. Though we take this common music language for granted, its adoption was by no means automatic. The solution was negotiated over centuries, allowing for a variety of musical types and including all sound-generating instruments. Though tastes vary widely, there are no barriers in music, though there used to be.

 

This common language provides the backdrop for a stunning level of artistry and variety among musicians. The result is uniformly pleasing to consumers as well as the performers of music. Composers, a third party to the music performance cycle, can exercise their imaginations with confidence that their works can be understood by conductors and interpreted by performers as long as they follow the rules of music theory. The musical notation system is a flexible, yet demanding taskmaster. For one thing, it virtually eliminates ambiguity. Whether performing on the piccolo or tuba, piano or cello, musical performers' jobs requirements are clear, the notes being laid out clearly in black and white. Even extemporaneous musical genres have demanding rules based on the principal structure of sound production. Were jazz musicians or rock stars to fail to assiduously follow chord progressions and key changes, they would not have followers for long.

 

This clarity provides for creativity as well as artistry. Given the notational system and related norms and practices, composers, conductors, and musicians can all function with confidence and vigor. The system has been shown to work over extended periods, in all parts of the world, and in all societies. Valuable content has been allowed to persist. Satisfaction and harmony can be counted on by the listener. The result transcends music's component parts, resulting in a product, an experience, that transcends perfection as it appeals to our minds, our bodies, and to our hearts.