Levitin also points out in "This Is Your Brain on Music" that Only relatively recently in our culture [...] did a distinction arise that cut society in two, fo

Levitin also points out in "This Is Your Brain on Music" that Only relatively recently in our culture [...] did a distinction arise that cut society in two, forming separate classes of music performers and music listeners. Throughout most of the world and for most of human history, music making was as natural an activity as breathing and walking, and everyone participated. [...] A couple of generations ago, before television, many families would sit around and play music together for entertainment. Nowadays there is a great emphasis on technique and skill, and whether a musician is "good enough" to play for others. Music making has become a somewhat reserved activity in our culture, and the rest of us listen. I didn't really realize this until reading this passage. I am lucky enough to have learned piano at an early age, and have picked up other instruments along the way. Even so, I was hesitant to sing around others until I took a leap and joined a choir in college, and got in enough practice to gain the confidence to sing more. Music is an incredibly important part of my life, and it makes me a little sad to see how often people are too embarrassed of their own ability to participate.