Music

Music: Practical lessons in music vis-à-vis reading about music
There has always been a perennial question lingering perpetually in the minds of music enthusiasts, the contentious issue about whether listening to music and learning a musical instrument is a greater educator in music than obtaining knowledge about music by reading books. In this essay I will try to resolve this controversial subject. There has always been an inherent tension and conflict between proponents of one school of thought and those of the other. Adherence to one school has invariably resulted in taking a hostile and negative stance to the other school. However, I will argue that practical lessons in music can never be a substitute to gaining theoretical knowledge about music or vice-versa. Both are necessary and important for the creation and advance of musical abilities although their relative significance varies.
Being a good exponent of music whether as a singer, composer, songwriter, or player of an instrument requires hands-on-learning. This is as true in singing pop music as in writing rap songs or strumming the guitar or composing riveting music. The analogy that practice, training and hands on learning in music is indispensable for becoming adept at music is akin to taking driving lessons to drive a car well or trial-and-error experimentation in cookery before becoming an expert cook. In order to become a great singer a person must sing as frequently as he can and take lessons in vocal training. Similarly one must learn how to play the piano or the violin before becoming a great pianist or violinist. All the great composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Bach composed music in their minds before acquiring fame in their lifetime and posthumously as unparalled geniuses. In the same vein, Eminem wouldn’t have become a great rapper if he had not immersed himself neck-deep in writing rap songs from the time he was a kid. However, practice, training and learning by doing does not inevitably lead to stardom as innate talents and luck are also other essential ingredients for making a mark in the world of music. Nevertheless, persistent hands-on-learning will lead to proficiency in music. Notwithstanding the emphasis on practical learning it is important to remember that in order to enhance your abilities and have an edge over others in such a competitive industry it is vital to read more about music theory, rhythms, beats, tunes, voice types, instruments, genres in music and other topics in music. It is also important to remember that both practical learning as well as reading about music are not abstracted from each other and both share a symbiotic relationship. Each of them reinforces the other although I would veer in attaching greater importance to hands-on-learning than sterile knowledge about music.