You don't have to have a musical education to appreciate music, but it does often change the way in which you listen to it, hopefully enhancing your enjoyment.

Most of us have experienced some degree of music education in our lives, and, perhaps surprisingly, it was not all at school, or with a music teacher. Some of it could have been at home (what radio stations did your parents listen to?); some at the cinema or at concerts; some, and often quite a lot, listening to music your friends play or like; some because you play an instrument and are hooked on music in a big way so keep on wanting to learn.

Many people are not aware of their own music education and if you asked them they would very possibly deny having any at all. Well they have, but they are just not aware of it.

If you come from a background whose family is into Rock Music you are likely to know more about that type of music than someone brought up in a family of classical musicians, or whose normal radio channels or hi-fi music is mainly classical, and of course vice versa. Whether you actually like the music is another matter, but having it surrounding you every day will allow you to at least have an opinion of your own. That is just as valuable education in its way as formal lessons in a formative way.

Once you decide whether you like it or not, you may be one of those many people who wish to take it a bit further and actually play an instrument. Will it be the lead electric guitar or the classical one? Will it be the drums or the timpani? The electric organ or the piano, the bass guitar or the double bass, clarinet or saxophone (all four) or perhaps the flute or trumpet? Nowadays they can all be used for an enormous number of what are now termed ?genres? of music, so you could just as easily play jazz and classical trombone as Baroque harpsichord and synthesizer.

This may well, but certainly not always, depend upon the music you have been "exposed" to during your life. It really does not matter how old you are, which of course is the great thing about Music. You're never too old to learn and enjoy. Music education nowadays varies enormously amongst schools, families and friends. Many parents? favourites are still popular with the younger generation. Classical favourites tend to last an extra Century or two, though varying in popularity.

Formal music education comes in many guises. Schools throughout the world teach music to greater or lesser degrees. Most countries, of course, tend to their own country's music, but many now have more open minds, resulting in superb philharmonic and symphonic orchestras, along with the chamber music groups from such diverse places as China, Japan, Chile, USA, Russia, South Africa, Poland and many other countries, most of which have equally good modern popular bands too.

As well as having a basic music education at school, which can be very variable, both due to the school and the country, many children, and adults, take advantage of a private music teacher, usually to teach them the instrument of their choice. If you are lucky your formative music education will lead to a much better understanding of the music you listen to, and should certainly expand your musical horizons.

Local music appreciation classes abound and there are plenty of music teachers around. It would be nice to think that this article may encourage someone to listen more carefully to their own choice of music and try to pick out the violin/bass or whatever. It makes it much more interesting.