Why Johnny can’t be in the band
A whole generation of kids knew the song: “Your mama don’t dance, and your daddy don’t rock ‘n roll”. After all, parents just don’t, right? Wrong. Most of them were on their feet before those kids were even a dream in the dark. But, after watching Discovery Channel this evening, I now know that a select few had a reason.
Congenital amusia. For every thing, there is a name. This one covers the sins of tone deafness and beat deafness. The person that can’t sing “Happy birthday” and the neighbour with the two right feet (I refuse to blame the sinestral side for everything) are part of a minority, sure. But they have a reason.
The interview with Dr. Phillips-Silver clicked for me. I like to clap my hands and hum along, and when the person next to me just doesn’t get it, I’ve wondered why. The good doctor is working to take the mystery out of the situation, with solid scientific study. I may even read a few cognitive psychology journals, now that I have the label as a starting point. Can’t have too much knowledge…
A personal anecdote. I used to teach percussion, to children with pushy parents. Take it from me, they didn’t want to hear that Johnny can’t drum. After all, with the investment in a set of traps, and the contract with the music school, there was a financial reason. I had to let the parents know, in the gentlest manner possible, that they might want to invest in a good colouring book, or a boomerang or anything else.
