▁a ▁community ▁experience ▁and ▁is ▁used ▁for ▁social ▁and ▁religious ▁occasions . ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁children ▁show ▁some ▁sign ▁of ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁handle ▁music ▁or ▁a ▁musical ▁instrument ▁they ▁are ▁allowed ▁to ▁particip ate ▁with ▁the ▁adult s ▁of ▁the ▁community ▁in ▁musical ▁events . ▁Trad itional ▁songs ▁are ▁more ▁important ▁to ▁many ▁people ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁stories ▁about ▁the ▁histor ies ▁of ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les . ▁ ▁South ▁America ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁Az te cs , ▁May ans , ▁and ▁Inc as , ▁music ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁cer emon ies ▁and ▁rit uals ▁to ▁teach ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁their ▁civil izations ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁worship . ▁The ▁Az te c ▁people ▁were ▁mainly ▁educated ▁by ▁their ▁pri ests . ▁Music ▁remained ▁an ▁important ▁way ▁to ▁teach ▁religion ▁and ▁history ▁and ▁was ▁taught ▁by ▁pri ests ▁for ▁many ▁centuries . ▁ ▁When ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal ▁colon ized ▁parts ▁of ▁South ▁America , ▁music ▁started ▁to ▁be ▁influenced ▁by ▁European ▁ideas ▁and ▁qual ities . ▁Several ▁pri ests ▁of ▁European ▁descent , ▁such ▁as ▁Antonio ▁Se pp , ▁taught ▁European ▁systems ▁of ▁music ▁notation ▁and ▁theory ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁knowledge ▁of ▁playing ▁instruments ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 0 - 1 8 0 0 s . ▁Since ▁music ▁was ▁taught ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁by ▁ro te , ▁very ▁few ▁knew ▁how ▁to ▁read ▁music ▁other ▁than ▁those ▁who ▁played ▁instruments ▁until ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁and ▁tw enti eth ▁centuries . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of