What does music represent?

Music in the novel symbolizes intimacy. When visiting his father at the hospital, Mateo asks for a moment alone with his dad. At a loss for words and sad to be leaving his father, Mateo begins to sing to him “Take This Waltz” (118). Unable to communicate his feelings, Mateo substitutes music for an intimate conversation with his father. Similarly, when Mateo and Rufus sing “American Pie” together at Clint’s Graveyard, music brings them a moment of intimacy, culminating in Mateo kissing Rufus after the song. Finally, taking Rufus home, Mateo tells him that he is going to sing something for him. He tells Rufus to “feel special,” as his dad used to sing the same song for his mother (339). Thus, music serves to communicate feelings between the characters, representing a sense of closeness and symbolizing intimacy.