During my Computer Music class in college, the professor asked what we thought of an especially unorthodox piece. I responded that it was "just noise", barely

During my Computer Music class in college, the professor asked what we thought of an especially unorthodox piece. I responded that it was "just noise", barely music. He challenged me to get precise about what I meant; all music is "just noise" and I should strive to articulate what I meant by it. A lot of the stuff we listened to was bizarre - e.g., someone slowly lowering a metal chain onto a cymbal and running that through an effects chain. But it was clear that that's really some people's jam, and while I'm allowed to hate it, it's good to have a clear picture of why I do.