Dear Jeyamohan,
I feel that even a basic understanding of Western music gives us a fundamental understanding of the structure, proportion, and symmetry that shape Western art. This understanding extends far beyond music itself. It forms, in many ways, the underlying grammar of cinema, drama, and even the short novel.
Western music, particularly its ideas of harmony, rhythm, development, and resolution, teaches us to perceive how different elements are arranged and related to one another within an artistic whole. A basic familiarity with these principles can therefore help us appreciate the structural foundations of other Western art forms as well.
In that sense, learning the basics of Western music is not merely about understanding music. It can also provide an important key to understanding the aesthetic structure of Western cinema, theatre, and literature.
Regards,
Rajasing
