Is Cultural or civilizational exchange, diffusion, or contact a requirement for the formation and evolution of music?

Eastern music, often characterized by its use of microtones, complex rhythms, and unique melodic systems, contrasts with the Western tradition, which emphasizes harmonic structures, tonality, and fixed pitches. Despite these differences, the historical encounters between Eastern and Western musical cultures have produced intriguing crossovers. Notable examples include the integration of Indian and Persian musical ideas in the early 20th century through the works of composers like Claude Debussy and Ravi Shankar’s collaboration with George Harrison of The Beatles. This raises the critical question of whether cultural exchange is a prerequisite for these musical fusions, or if similar principles of music could have naturally emerged in both cultures.. The use of tools such as mathematical analysis, including cosine similarity and Fourier transform, can offer new perspectives on the similarities and differences between musical traditions, providing insight into whether these shared traits arise naturally and/or independently or are the result of long-term cultural contact.