Dragaera

A different Track

Tue Nov 26 18:53:54 PST 2002

On Tue, Nov 26, 2002 at 02:25:52PM -0600, Mia McDavid wrote:
> Like (I suspect) every other member of this list, I read fluently.  I 
> can't, in fact *not read*.  I can't look at a word without knowing what 
> it says.

Ever glanced at a sign that has a large collection of stuff on it, and had
your brain pick out the one thing of interest to you without you actually
reading any of the sign first? 


> I can look at a musical staff and have *no idea* what I'm supposed to be 
> hearing.  I can, with a piano and *a lot* of effort, painfully sound out 
> the notes, but that's not reading.  For all practical purposes, I learn 
> music the way a blind woman does, and I'm really sad about that.  I keep 
> working, but all that good early-childhood learning stuff stopped 
> happening for me *long* time ago.

Yeah, I know how you feel. I became quite proficient at snare and timpani,
such that I could read that kind of music as easily as language. I learned
keyboard music in exactly the manner you describe - sound out the notes (the
rythm was effortless, given the rest of my percussion background). Do it
again and again until I'd memorized it. Add in the musical stuff as I go
along.

Let me know if you ever do become proficient... it might give me some hope
and a reason to buy a marimba at some point in the future.

Anon,
Kat