I think that the melodic piece of the puzzle in music is the most esoteric and difficult to quantify.
Pat MethenyAvant-garde, jazz, pop, classical, country and western, rock, free, straight-ahead, etc. are ultimately meaningless terms in the face of the music being discussed at best - at worst, those terms often serve as code words for what is in fact a cultural / political discussion more than a musical one.
Pat MethenyI just have never seen anyone build anything significant in any field without having a deep and detailed sense of what they are building on.
Pat Metheny