Patterns, Traditions, and All That Jazz

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I recently visited a university during its homecoming weekend. Per its website, this university features traditions that tell the story of the university's heritage, honors its past, and binds generations of students together in a shared experience that transcends time, culture, and trends. Its homecoming festivities go back to 1909 as the first homecoming celebration in the nation.

This. made me wonder, why do colleges have traditions?

Per Merriam-Webster.com, tradition is defined as "an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behaivor (such as a religious practice or a social custom)."

Life is full of patterns. Some patterns start with childhood routines. Consistency and repetition lead to a pathway of connections in the brain. A world that is nurturing, consistent, and predictable develops emotional security.

Some brains are more pattern-oriented and appreciate subjects like math and music.

Per Vocabulary.com, mathematics is "the science of numbers and shapes and what they mean." According to Tennessee Tech University, "mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions." Finding patterns offers predictions and theoretical probability.

Music involves math in several different areas. Rhythm is based on patterns and intervals in time signatures and beats. Scales and modes are a mathematical arrangement of tones. Composition and form in music involves patterns and structures.

Let's look at jazz music. Jazz arranges chords, melodies, and rhythms into songs. The chords are note clusters, melodies are note sequences, and rhythms are repeating patterns. One of the common jazz forms is the twelve bar blues. It has a standard chord progression - I, IV, and V. The blues almost never deviate from this standard which is why jazz musicians can perform together without practicing a single note because they know the pattern.

There is comfort in patterns. Humans are all about predictability and stability. Traditions enforce this by providing structure.

College traditions provide a sense of belonging by bringing a campus community together and cultivating friendships across the years and even decades. That's why alumni keep coming back to homecoming festivities year after year.

So when it comes time for college and if math and/or music is your jam, maybe a college steeped in traditions should be considered.