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“If you will it, it is not a fable.” My neighbor, Frank, is at it again. It's the third night this week that he's invited people over for a jam session. Let's see, who is it this time ... There's George, the custodian, with his recorder again and Marge, the new receptionist on percussion, and Who's that new guy on the banjo? Why - It's Bill, our mailman! I know he's always singing, but ... Oh, there's the telephone. Hi, boss. Huh? Sure I can bring my guitar to the Shareholders meeting." Imagine a society where everyone, young and old, regardless of ethnic, cultural, economic or social orientation, feels musically empowered. People from all walks of life, from dentist to auto mechanic to professor, know they are innately musical, and everyone has the sense that being musical is part of being human. Now imagine that all these people are involved with music in different ways: either singing, dancing, composing, conducting, orchestrating, improvising, analyzing or any of these in combination. Among the members of this society there is mutual respect and an understanding that all ways to be involved with music are valid. For those of us who have come to accept the distinction between “musicians” and “non-musicians” the above seems to be a pipe dream. It is not. Creating a society where everyone has a degree of musical competence and comfort and is musically involved requires nothing more than changing some of our perceptions about musicality and our approach to music learning. A musical society will be created, not by imposing learning from the outside, but by releasing the inner musician in each of us. |
© Meryl Danziger 2004