Klarinet Archive - Posting 000452.txt from 2000/06

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Notes and Jazz
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 10:11:58 -0400

<><> Sam Burrows wrote:
I've got a reasonably good ear but find it very difficult to learn
sight-reading. Does the group think that ability to read music is
necessary or worthwhile for my style of music?

For the sake of complete discussion, we should mention world class
blind musicians, of which there have been a few, including in jazz and
pop. Stevie Wonder. I think that Jose Feliciano was blind from birth
also, wasn't he? By definition, these people cannot sight read.
The popular myth is that being blind enhances the other senses and
emotions and intuitions. I have no idea whether this is true or not.
Perhaps you could argue that having to translate from print to
music is a distraction; but thinking again about "Descartes' Error", the
author's contention was that you can't think effectively without full
cross-talk between the neural structures that process the various
senses. Thus mathematicians 'see' numerical relationships, ideas 'make
sense', and so forth.
Under this theory, reading printed music may actually help you
'hear' it in your mind and help you think ahead just half a beat and
plan your next lick.
Is there a conflict between reading and improvising, or do they
support each other?

Something to think about.....
Bill

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