Music

Sadly being able to play any kind of musical instrument  was never on my page either at school or subsequently. Possibly sheer awkwardness if not  clumsiness  is the cause, as that trait also manifested itself in attempts to ice skate (I could never  learn to skim around the ice gracefully like most people) or skiing.

Indeed on the one occasion  I  skied which was  as a school governor upon being included in a group from the school to test for  few days an Italian ski resort at the resort's expense I only just avoided falling off-piste down a steep slope. Nonethelss the rush of the wind and snow when I did manage to ski was exhilarating.

One might write off the skiing awkwardness as arising through foolishly attempting to learn in one's fifties rather than childhood but I well recall as a 10 year old child suffering  a similar though exhilarating fate, whilst attempting to water ski at Pila sur Mer SW France at the then summer home of a late French prep school school friend.

But reverting to music, perhaps one of the great privileges of being too awkward and clumsy to play any musical instrument is the ability it gives to enjoy the broad spectrum of music.

For example this blog page is being written whilst listening to the attractively folksy music of Seattle Wave Radio Seattle Music but often after an early morning run over Wimbledon Common, the radio is tuned to BBC Radio Three at Classical Music.

Equally a broad taste in live music  is arguably more fulfilling to the listener than say a narrower taste might facilitate as music might more easily be varied with mood although it could also  be argued that specialising in  a particular musical aspect results in a deeper appreciation of a that musical area.

Yet the broad taste does mean for example, that  live opera whilst enjoying supper with family and friends  is very pleasurable about which see an earlier blog post at Operatic Music. Some popular music also makes one feel exuberant  when attending open air concerts with a group of  friends thus a few years ago the Hollies were fantastic out of doors despite the weather at the time The Hollies live

Perhaps a melange of all types of music which many appreciate, covering both sophisticated, down to earth, popular and at least quasi classical, is to be heard at the last night of the Proms which these days takes place not only in London's Royal Albert Hall but also in parks and concert halls around the UK. I speculate that the Last Night is enjoyed more by those with  a broad musical taste than those with a deep but narrow one.

As sometimes occurs in life,  having a broad  appreciation as regards taste or experience can mean that one does not achieve the heights and depths in a  less broad or even single area, that others who enjoy a narrower appreciation may  achieve.

However I join with the  French in saying as regards this aspect of human  life:  "Vive la difference".