Tone Deaf and All Thumbs?: An Invitation to Music-Making

Quite impressed with the author's comprehensive explanations of relationships of the human and music, from early learning and the way our brains and sensory organs perceive sound to the sensory receptors and motor controls in producing music. Also, found quite valuable the discussions of esthetics of music and our psychological reactions to music and teaching and to the processes of "learning music" from both the listening and production aspects. He walks the reader easily through very complex anatomical and neurological processes in a very understandable manner and treats his readers with subtle humor along the way. He includes a candid discussion of selection of music teachers and student-teacher compatibility. An enjoyable book highly recommended for all adults wishing to learn about music and a "must" for any music teacher. - HHJ

Let me start with what this book is not: this is not a book containing music instruction and this book does not deal with specific techniques. This book does intend to quell anxiety of adult learners and to dispel rumours about what the adult learner needs to bring to the table, in order to fruitfully attempt to learn music-making. To that end, the author, more or less, succeeds. The author approaches music performance as the physical activity it is. He deals with the various aspects of music performance, such as dexterity, sight-reading, rhythm, as neurophysiological skills. He explores auditory perception of music, dealing with the issues of being 'tone-deaf' and 'time-deaf'(unable to keep rhythm) and shows that the actual incidence of these debilitating conditions is quite rare. He also shows that stage-fright and anxiety is quite pervasive among professional musicians as well, as evidenced by the spread of the use of beta-blocker drugs like Propranolol. The biggest anxiety-quelling advice he gives is that learning music-making need not be focused on performing pieces from the established repertoire. In other words, don't learn music just so you can, one day, play Beethoven's 21st Piano Sonata, although that is fine as a secondary goal. Learn music-making, so you can explore the magic of music on your own and free yourself from thinking of music performance as a competitive goal where pressures of accuracy overwhelm the primary purpose of enjoyment.

Let me start with what this book is not: this is not a book containing music instruction and this book does not deal with specific techniques. This book does intend to quell anxiety of adult learners and to dispel rumours about what the adult learner needs to bring to the table, in order to fruitfully attempt to learn music-making. To that end, the author, more or less, succeeds. The author approaches music performance as the physical activity it is. He deals with the various aspects of music performance, such as dexterity, sight-reading, rhythm, as neurophysiological skills. He explores auditory perception of music, dealing with the issues of being 'tone-deaf' and 'time-deaf'(unable to keep rhythm) and shows that the actual incidence of these debilitating conditions is quite rare. He also shows that stage-fright and anxiety is quite pervasive among professional musicians as well, as evidenced by the spread of the use of beta-blockers like Propranolol. The, to my mind, biggest anxiety-quelling advice he gives is that learning music-making need not be focused on performing pieces from the established repertoire. In other words, don't learn music just so you can, one day, play Beethoven's 21st Piano Sonata, although that is fine as a secondary goal. Learn music-making, so you can explore the magic of music on your own and free yourself from thinking of music performance as a competitive goal where pressures of accuracy overwhelm the primary purpose of enjoyment.

...I really enjoyed the author's take on music and performing. Heemphasizes the joy that the study and performance of music can bringto anyone's life, once the pressure of "I'm not professionalmaterial" is stripped away. END