Music is highly subjective and, though there are several technical ways that music has been defined, individual experience affects what we perceive as music. One might classify the sounds of a copy machine as music because it has a consistent beat, for example. Culture plays a big role in what individuals classify as music; the harmonious recitation of the Quran sounded like music to me, but, in Islam, music has no place in religious rituals. Music can create empathetic bonds between people, which, along with the act of doing, is the main purpose of participatory performance like dances and drum circles. As we get older, however, we stop making music as our focus shifts from interpersonal relationships to career advancement, making it harder to form connections with other people (Sydney Abdella)