What exactly is a note? The dictionary gives three definitions of note (in the musical sense):

"1. Written sign representing pitch & duration of a musical sound; key of a pianoforte etc.; single tone of definite pitch made by musical instrument, voice, etc."

The Oxford Companion adds to this definition explaining that the second sense is often not used and further that American musical terminology rejects the third meaning as well - in this argument I think I side with the Americans. A note is only the written representation of a musical sound, not the sound itself or the listener's perception or comprehension of the sound.