Musicality: nature or nurture?
A while ago, I learned about the discussion by the same title at one of the online music communities. As I wrote before, I’m kind of tired of explaining my reasoning about something, so I didn’t want to get involved. On the second thought, this is a quite intriguing subject.
When it comes to creative areas, I believe in force and power of talent above anything else. However, we’re living in times when it seems that every person can simply learn just about anything on the Internet. Indeed, while watching various tutorials on YouTube, things look just like that. But the talent is something that only certain individuals have; something that should make the difference between average and above-average. And this is the problem of nowadays. The most of what we hear and see is really average at best, albeit frequently wrapped in a shiny and polished package that captures attention of a typical Internet visitor.
For ages, there were countless debates and discussions about formal vs informal music education. Those who belong to the first club are often arrogant and superior-thinking, posing themselves as the keepers of tradition and those who know the secrets. But the true miracle is really the ones who are simply born for music. I like to illustrate this through two examples from popular culture, although both of these are pure fiction. The first one is an unforgettable scene from the 1972 film “Deliverance”, in which a mute and mentally challenged boy plays the banjo with an incredible virtuosity. In 1958, Chuck Berry wrote a song “Johnny B. Goode”, singing about a country boy who “never really learned to read or write so well, but he could play the guitar just like ringing the bell”.
Many find stories about people who are “born for something” like SF or some magic hocus-pocus. Those who spend many years formally educating themselves find it particularly difficult to accept that someone “uneducated” can have the same or bigger potential than themselves. Some compare music with professional sport where success demands hard work, rigorous practice and discipline. But with gifted people, this is not often the case. If you got the “knack”, you don’t have to put in so much effort. I know this from an experience.
I believe in saying that “you cannot learn an old dog new tricks”. But it’s also true that you can always expand your knowledge or music vocabulary. If you are musical by nature, you will spontaneously discover many things by simply practicing music. I have used many technical concepts in practice long before I knew what they were in theory.
Music has certain rules and laws that you can learn or develop with time. However, musicality is something you need to have inside. I remember seeing a documentary about the preparations for a concert called “Hell Freezes Over” by an American country rock band “Eagles”. One of their members, Don Henley, recalled their experience of working with a string ensemble made of classically trained musicians. Henley and his bandmates ended up feeling somewhat frustrated because “academics simply do not understand and feel the blues”.
People tend to mix musicality and technique. The latter is the thing that most often impresses an average listener or viewer. YouTube videos where someone is “kicking ass on the instrument” typically have the most views. But technique isn’t everything. It can be developed with effort and time, unlike the musicality that you simply have or do not have. Personally, although I started rather young, my ambition was never to become a concert pianist or a first violin of some famous orchestra. Is not that I don’t appreciate someone’s effort and hardship while trying to achieve a certain goal or a result. However, the true meaning of music and art is experience rather than competition. I could compare those relying primarily on technique with a racing horses that are born and bread to win races. But wild horses are just as noble, and frequently even faster. ;)