I think the math angle has legitimacy - frations anyone? And the logical structures of chord theory are essentially set-theory. Then there is they underlying physics of the wave interactions, the tempered scale...a lot of science going on when you play any instrument.
Personally I was an engineer, now I'm a computer programmer, and I see little difference between writing a musical piece or a bit of computer code. Designing septic fields? Well maybe that wasn't as creative...
Aside from playing several instruments (guitar, bass, trumpet, piano) and loving several genres of music (good pop, jazz, classical) one of my big joys is sports...
Baseball appeals to me for a few reasons - the math aspect is undeniable, but there is a logical part that has to be respected: strategies can change without a pitch being thrown, the long season creates ebbs and flows similar to a good piece of music.
But the physical aspects of sports vs music is where I find the biggest connections: There are aspects of sports that require an enormous amount of strength - in music think of an operatic singer filling a concert hall with the sheer power of his/her diaphragm, lungs and vocal cords. And then there is the minute manual dexterity required for many musical pursuits - then compare it to the minute manipulations a baseball pitcher needs to apply to a pitched ball to rip off a great curve ball or slider.
And another aspect is the need to practice. Few athletes can get by on only their natural gifts. Few musicians can, too!
13th June, 2017