In my work as a workshop facilitator with people from differing walks of life, the most common comment I hear is ” Don’t expect too much from me because I have no rhythm or musical ability.” I am always saddened when I hear that. For 1) I know it is not true. ( I would say less than 1 percent of the human population has “no” rhythm). And 2) It makes me wonder who told this person such an awful thing. Making music is one of life’s great joys! Sure as many people get older and into serious schooling, or start to have demanding careers, they may not have the time to focus on practicing an instrument daily to achieve maximum potential, but it does not mean they cannot still find some joy in music making.
The Western European teaching system (which was embraced by North America and other regions) focuses on creating concert musicians. People who are good enough to be on stage as performers. We have storied examination systems for weeding out the best (and worst) players. Teachers who’s reputations are built on creating “the best” players. Teachers who’s opinions can totally make a student walk away from playing and never go near it again. Perhaps what is missing is an attitude from teachers is that music (and Art in general) is a long term life skill no matter what your level. It is a skill that can provide years of enjoyment no matter what your level and it can act as an enabler for a myriad of experiences. How many of you play tennis even though you never turned pro? Do you still benefit from playing? Of course! Somehow we have created a culture of people who are fearful of music making. Music is all around most people, but it is being played on ipods, computers, radios and televisions. It is finely polished and produced. So we have high expectations when we hear music, even our own.
In my work with amateur musicians as a workshop leader/facilitator, I see them in two arenas, either as students from a general school population or class, or as corporate folks from a wide variety of functions. An interesting observation is that students (especially the young ones) are beaming from the moment the enter the room and see my instruments. They can’t wait to play – even if it sounds bad. Smiles erupt upon their first few notes. My adult groups have a different way about them. Many enter with reluctance and dare I say “fear”. Some keep their comments to themselves, but some can’t help but provide me with an excuse as to why they won’t be good at this, or even worse let me know what we are about to do is just not a good idea. I can’t help but think what happened along their path to make them so fearful of something that has the possibility of bringing such great joy. Interestingly, they too begin to smile after the first few awkward notes. Tensions relax and they begin to see that it is not so hard to make music with others once you know the way, once you are given the chance. Is it great music? That does not really matter. They are not trying to sell recordings or embark on a new career. The key is that they are just trying to do the best they can to create music ( Art) with a group of people, and from that you can learn many things. So next time you get a chance to play a little, take the risk no matter how awkward you feel. You are not alone and that is the point!
If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It’s a movie about taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone.