Re: Why you should learn to read

Steve Freides wrote:
Jim Carr wrote:
js wrote:
Yes Jim. They should create charts so that on the off chance YOU
want to come and play, so it will be easy for YOU.
It's a joke, son, dontcha get it? I have said from Day One that if you
want to be a working pro, you need to learn to sight-read music.

Then again, there's a germ of truth to what I said.

Nah, I don't think there is. Arguing that anyone doesn't need to learn how to read music is like arguing it's OK only to speak English but not read and write it.

Sure, plenty of people get by knowing only how to speak English and not read and write it, but why on earth would anyone want to be one of them, or somehow be proud of that fact? Proud of achieving something even though one can't read, sure, but that's about as far as the argument ought to go.

That literacy in the language of music can be rare does not give credibility or support to illiteracy.

What a bunch of bullshit. I mean, it *sounds* good, but it's a bunch of bullshit nonetheless. The ability to sight read music and play a piece cold is a business skill more so than a musical skill. In fact, I see no reason whatsoever to develop the skill of *sight* reading and performing a piece cold except for the purpose of getting paid.

There are countless "illiterate" musicians who are quite talented at their instruments and who, and here's the most important thing, greatly enjoy themselves. They don't need this business skill. Most of them could sit down and stumble through standard notation, so they can actually *read* music. The musical information conveyed is still there whether they can sight read and simultaneously perform or not.

As for your analogy, it's just stupid. It's virtually impossible to avoid situations where one has the opportunity to read English. Signs, signs, everywhere there's sign blocking up the scenery. By contrast you have to work at trying to find situations where you have a chance to read music. Most people go their entire lives without ever seeing any, and that includes plenty of non-pro musicians.

Furthermore, most people who can read and speak would *fail* at an audition to read aloud a passage for use in a performance. The ability to do that is a business skill as well.

And like I have said from day one, if you want to be a pro, learn to sight read music.


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Write a wise saying and your name will live forever.
- Anonymous
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