>>Both Plato and Aristotle insisted that the modes to which a person listened molded the person's character
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>Sounds like astrology...
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>>The poor man couldn't have had a clue as to which church mode matched, e.g. Aristotle's Mixolydian mode. That sort of detail was lost centuries before.
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>Ok, so, the modes are exactly the same tonal wise, but simply named differently?

Right. The same names were used but represent a different tonal scale.
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>>There are many modes and scales from other cultures that are not a part of the western world. However, we "get more press"! :)
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>:-) I actually am glad it worked out as such. It gives more more room to be creative instead of regurgitating rock and roll. Lately I've been playing with the modes of a Harmonic Minor scale.

I play classical, blues, jazz and flamenco. Within flamenco we use Major, minor, harmonic minor, and phrygian (Greek) or dorian (Church)modes. Additionally, jazz elements are found within "new flamenco". Addition of modes opens many interesting sounds to your music.

Tom