Music was the key to our evolutionary progress

Music may, in other words, tap into a brain mechanism that was key to our evolutionary progress. 

The ability to recognize patterns and generalize from experience to predict what's likely to happen in the future. In short, the ability to imagine is something humans do far better than any other animal. It allowed us (aided by a far less glamorous opposable thumb) to take over the world.

Melody and rhythm can:

• Trigger feelings from sadness to serenity to joy to awe;
• Bring memories from childhood vividly back to life.