The article in question can be found at the link above. There are a few points I would like each student to address in their initial post.

According to the author, in what ways can music serve as a tool for cross cultural communication?
Going beyond the article, consider this broader musical and artistic implications here: there are certain features in music that the author points to as being universally understandable. What do you consider to be the difference (if any) between understanding and appreciation?
Besides what the author said, what features of music do you consider to be universal?
How does any of this shape or reshape the way in which your approach music analysis?
Having considered all this, what do the analysis methods that we are learning illuminate about music? what do they fail to illuminate?