By RAW, how can Prestidigitation create sound?

Question

As an example of the uses of Prestidigitation, the 3.5e PHB lists "Common tricks with prestidigitations include producing tinklings of ethereal music". However, the rules text for Prestidigitation, as duplicated in the SRD, does not appear to make any references to sound or the means to create it. So, by RAW, how can Prestidigitation create sound?

Answer 1

Prestidigitation can perform any minor effect except as explicitly limited by its constraints.

The effect of prestidigitation is as follows:

Once cast, a prestidigitation spell enables you to perform simple magical effects for 1 hour. The effects are minor and have severe limitations.

Everything after this in the first paragraph of the spell description is a limitation, not an exhaustive list of what the spell can do. You can do anything with this spell, as long as it's a minor effect and doesn't exceed one of the listed limitations.

The second paragraph, which only appears in the Player's Handbook, describes only examples and shows the intent of the rules. Most of the examples given are not explicitly listed in the first paragraph, but are possible uses of prestidigitation because they are minor magical effects and do not exceed any of the first-paragraph limitations.

The second paragraph does not appear in the SRD because the SRD includes only rules text, and omits examples. Examples are not rules, but are text used to explain or clarify the rules. This supports the interpretation that prestidigitation can create ethereal music because it's a minor effect. The entire second paragraph is a series of examples for the purpose of rules clarification or flavor text, and this is the sole reason that paragraph is omitted from the SRD.

Put another way, the question arises from the assumption that paragraph 1 provides an exhaustive list of effects the spell is capable of, which is impossible to reconcile with the examples given in paragraph 2. If we assume that the examples are correct, the only valid interpretation of paragraph 1 is that it is not exhaustive, but defines limitations on an otherwise unbounded and largely freeform spell.

Answer 2

The examples are part of the spell's description

While the SRD you've linked does copy the majority of the spell description, the description as it appears in the PHB also includes the very section you reference:

Characters typically use prestidigitation spells to impress common folk, amuse children, and brighten dreary lives. Common tricks with prestidigitations include producing tinklings of ethereal music, brightening faded flowers, creating glowing balls that float over your hand, generating puffs of wind to flicker candles, spicing up aromas and flavors of bland food, and making little whirlwinds to sweep dust under rugs.

-- PHB v3.5, p 264

While the technical explanation of the spell's capabilities does indeed fail to mention making noise, the examples do include that ability. If an example included in the rules text for the spell suggests the spell is capable of doing something, that's the "RAW" explanation. The examples are part of the rules text for the spell and do not contain illegal uses of the spell unless explicitly stating them as such.

The SRD is meant to be the parts of the rules text that other companies can use for their own purposes, and often doesn't go into additional details.

Answer 3

As stated in the SRD that you linked:

Prestidigitations are minor tricks that novice spellcasters use for practice. Once cast, a prestidigitation spell enables you to perform simple magical effects for 1 hour.

The cantrip allows you to perform any simple magical effect that you can think of, provided that it is not specifically prevented by the limitations listed.

"tinklings of ethereal music" are a simple magical effect.