Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 62

‘I
f music be the food of love, play on’. Do you know who said
that? William Shakespeare. Of course.
And do you know who couldn’t play a musical instrument to
save his life? William Shakespeare. So what was he on about
then?
It doesn’t matter if you’re eight or 80, music probably features
in your life, whether you’re reluctantly dragged along to piano
lessons or finding new and innovative ways to drown out your
sister’s awful violin practice. You probably have your favourite
songs, or bands that speak to you about who you are and how
you’re feeling; even deaf and hearing-impaired people can
enjoy music by feeling vibrations (if the conditions are right).
Getting on your headphones or popping in your earbuds
provides you with an escape from the madness of school and
home, and allows you time and space to disappear into a world
of sound (and drown out that terrible violin screech).
If (like every adult you know) you secretly perform epic air
guitar solos, or picture yourself on stage singing to thousands
of adoring fans, chances are you’re going to need to learn
some sort of instrument. Do you need lessons, or do you think
you might be able to teach yourself?
Can any brain pick up and learn an instrument, or do you
have to have hardwired musical ability? Are musicians
born, or made? That’s what we’re here to find out.
Ask yourself this: who’s the better musician:
or
Dave Grohl
(Nirvana and Foo Fighters)
Lady Gaga
(singer and pianist)?
It’s tough, right? Certainly, much will depend on your personal
tastes, but the biggest difference between these two isn’t the
beard, it’s that Grohl is a self-taught axe slayer (or, if you’re not
familiar with rock lingo – guitarist) and Gaga was taught music
from an early age. Grohl can’t read a note. Gaga, on the other
hand, can sight-read a musical score without missing a beat.