1 00:00:19,906 --> 00:00:22,138 Music is a language. 2 00:00:22,893 --> 00:00:26,601 Both music and verbal languages serve the same purpose. 3 00:00:26,601 --> 00:00:29,857 They are both forms of expression. 4 00:00:29,857 --> 00:00:33,615 They can be used as a way to communicate with others. 5 00:00:33,615 --> 00:00:36,819 They can be read or written. 6 00:00:36,819 --> 00:00:38,667 They can make you laugh or cry, 7 00:00:38,667 --> 00:00:39,923 think or question, 8 00:00:39,923 --> 00:00:43,333 and can speak to one or many. 9 00:00:43,333 --> 00:00:47,917 And both can definitely make you move. 10 00:00:50,241 --> 00:00:53,572 In some instances music works better than the spoken word, 11 00:00:53,572 --> 00:00:55,491 because it doesn't have to be understood 12 00:00:55,491 --> 00:00:57,908 to be effective. 13 00:00:59,386 --> 00:01:02,449 Although many musicians agree that music is a language, 14 00:01:02,449 --> 00:01:05,524 it is rarely treated as such. 15 00:01:05,524 --> 00:01:07,149 Many of us treat it as something 16 00:01:07,149 --> 00:01:09,018 that can only be learned by following 17 00:01:09,018 --> 00:01:11,051 a strict regimen, under the tutelage 18 00:01:11,051 --> 00:01:13,455 of a skilled teacher. 19 00:01:13,455 --> 00:01:16,102 This approach has been followed for hundreds of years 20 00:01:16,102 --> 00:01:21,150 with proven success, but it takes a long time. 21 00:01:21,150 --> 00:01:23,225 Too long. 22 00:01:30,657 --> 00:01:34,256 Think about the first language you learn as a child. 23 00:01:34,256 --> 00:01:39,038 More importantly, think about how you learned it. 24 00:01:39,038 --> 00:01:41,119 You were a baby when you first started speaking, 25 00:01:41,119 --> 00:01:43,718 and even tough you spoke the language incorrectly 26 00:01:43,718 --> 00:01:45,424 you were allowed to make mistakes. 27 00:01:45,424 --> 00:01:47,678 And the more mistakes you made 28 00:01:47,678 --> 00:01:50,830 the more your parents smiled. 29 00:01:54,676 --> 00:01:57,700 Learning to speak was not something you were sent somewhere to do 30 00:01:57,700 --> 00:01:59,650 only a few times a week. 31 00:01:59,650 --> 00:02:01,622 And the majority of the people you spoke to 32 00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:03,074 were not beginners. 33 00:02:03,074 --> 00:02:06,626 They were already proficient speakers. 34 00:02:07,473 --> 00:02:10,622 Imagine your parents forcing you to only speak to other babies 35 00:02:10,622 --> 00:02:14,966 until you were good enough to speak to them. 36 00:02:14,966 --> 00:02:16,741 You would probably be an adult before 37 00:02:16,741 --> 00:02:21,447 you could properly carry on a proper conversation. 38 00:02:21,955 --> 00:02:25,509 To use a musical term, as a baby you were allowed 39 00:02:25,509 --> 00:02:28,858 to jam with professionals. 40 00:02:36,366 --> 00:02:39,220 If we approach music in the same natural way 41 00:02:39,220 --> 00:02:41,121 we aproached our first language 42 00:02:41,121 --> 00:02:43,128 we will learn to speak it in the same short time 43 00:02:43,128 --> 00:02:45,844 it took to speak our first language. 44 00:02:45,844 --> 00:02:48,379 Proof of this could be seen in almost any family 45 00:02:48,379 --> 00:02:53,798 where a child grows up with other musicians in the family. 46 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,205 Here are a few keys to follow in learning or teaching music: 47 00:03:30,205 --> 00:03:36,245 in the beginning embrace mistakes, instead of correcting them. 48 00:03:36,245 --> 00:03:42,172 Like a child playing air guitar, there are no wrong notes. 49 00:03:42,172 --> 00:03:44,045 Allow young musicians to play 50 00:03:44,045 --> 00:03:46,096 and perform with accomplished musicians 51 00:03:46,096 --> 00:03:48,533 on a daily basis. 52 00:03:48,533 --> 00:03:52,648 Encourage young musicians to play more than they practice. 53 00:03:52,648 --> 00:03:56,315 The more they play the more they will practice on their own. 54 00:03:56,315 --> 00:04:00,707 Music comes from the musician, not the instrument. 55 00:04:01,752 --> 00:04:04,203 And most importantly, remember that 56 00:04:04,203 --> 00:04:07,061 a language works best when we have 57 00:04:07,061 --> 00:04:09,759 something interesting to say. 58 00:04:09,759 --> 00:04:11,474 Many music teachers never find out 59 00:04:11,474 --> 00:04:13,009 what the students have to say. 60 00:04:13,009 --> 00:04:17,856 We only tell them what they are supposed to say. 61 00:04:21,088 --> 00:04:23,630 A child speaks a language for years, 62 00:04:23,630 --> 00:04:26,229 before they even learn the alphabet. 63 00:04:26,229 --> 00:04:27,948 Too many rules at the onset, 64 00:04:27,948 --> 00:04:31,261 will actually slow them down. 65 00:04:31,261 --> 00:04:33,695 In my eyes, the approach to music 66 00:04:33,695 --> 00:04:36,480 should be the same. 67 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,861 After all, music is a language too.