Why Learn Music and Play an Instrument?
In earlier posts (for example, "Why Is It Good to Learn the Ukulele?", "On Listening to Music") I have written a lot about how it is never too late to start learning music or to pick up any musical instrument. When I hear someone say, "I'm too old for that" or "I never got top marks in music at school," I know they are probably saying it because they never had the teacher, book, film, concert or other experience that opened the particular door into the wonderful world of Alice - by which I mean music. With the Ukulele Blog and a few encouraging words, I try to make up for some of those missing experiences, or at least awaken the interest that is dormant in everyone.
I recently found a very interesting list on Facebook called "Why Music?" It consisted of short headings and explanations. I had tried to render that concise English phrase somewhat more freely as the title of this post in Hungarian, since a literal translation would have sounded closer to "Why music in particular?" I read the photographed sheet twice and liked it so much that I decided to share it with you:
Why Music?
1. Music is science.
2. Music is mathematical.
3. Music is a foreign language.
4. Music is history.
5. Music is physical education.
Music is all of these things, but above all, music is art.
So this is why we teach music:
Not because we want you to become the world's most highly trained musician.
And not because we want you to spend your entire life doing nothing but
singing and playing an instrument.
But because through music you become more fully human,
you learn to recognize true beauty,
and you come closer to the infinity of the world.
You will always have something to hold on to,
there will be more love and compassion within you,
more sensitivity, kindness and goodness,
in short: there will be more life in you.
With these lines as well, I would like to encourage any dear reader who has not yet picked up an instrument to do so. We are not trying to turn anyone into Mozart or Chuck Berry. We simply want to introduce you to a side of life that will make you MORE, and that NOTHING ELSE can replace. This is not a secret society. Anyone can join at any time - and once you are a "member", you have an important mission to spread the message above.
