Are the English one of the least musical nations?

I ask this question simply because when i look at musicians from other countries, on the whole their standard of musicianship is a lot higher than that of the English. I asked myself why this may be and the best answer i seem to be able to come up with is 'lifestyle'. Take a look at Africa for instance, a great example of a highly musical culture. But then take a look at African descendants living in the UK. It seems that they too lack that sense of musicality so important to good musicianship. So perhaps its not simply that African people are innately good at music but their lifestyle which makes them so musical.

So this raises the question in my mind: 'Do all people have the potential to be highly musical given the right cultural background?' Here in the UK everything is about formality and this seems to leak through into the way we learn music, people here seem to be obsessed with learning about dots on a page (written music) but this simply distracts you from developing your musical mind. For example if you are teaching a child music wouldn't it be better to let that child make its mistakes and find his/her own voice in music before prejudicing them with lots of ideas about time signatures and middle C. I know from my own experience of working with children that they learn best when you leave it to them. My own nephew is only 4 years old but his father, grandfather, uncle and just about all his family are musical in someway. No one has ever told him how to play drums but give him some drum sticks and he will play in time with you as you play your guitar. How does he know that!? How does he know that somewhere in that rhythm is a basic beat that he can outline on the drum? Perhaps because music is an innate knowledge that exists within everyone, i would dare to say everything! I refrain from trying to explain music to him because i believe this will only confuse him at an age where it is still hard for him to use his intellectual and rational mind, he just acts and i accept that.

So perhaps it is wrong to say that the English are not musical but better to say our lifestyle doesn't bring out our most musical side. After all there are many great British musicians but the standard among young musicians seems to be quite worrying at times. I am a student at Leeds College of Music and some of the performances i see there are embarrassingly out of tune and lacking soul or feeling. This again leads me to the question of lifestyle: 'Have we got it too easy?' Our lives are practically dished out too us on plates now, we never learn the meaning of striving to reach a goal. If a child here wants a guitar he/she only has to say so and his parents can buy him one the next day but what about children in poor countries where their families may have to work hard for years to buy a musical instrument, who will appreciate it more? Suffering and striving develops the soul it makes us better people, because we never really suffer materially here in England we compensate for it by suffering spiritually. 'What we have in possessions we lack in soul'

So if you want your child to learn music, immerse them in music. Don't send them off to some pretentious, Beethoven worshipping piano teacher, he may rip the music right out of them. Instead make their life a musical experience, sing around them to make it clear that singing is a normal and acceptable thing to do and when they make their noises don't silence them, let them play with their voice and enjoy being noisy, don't punish them when they are being inquisitive, the English are great at saying 'Don't do that!' or 'be quiet!' Basically don't restrain them, let them discover the world and be happy open hearted individuals!

I hope you have found some inspiration in reading my Blog please post your replies whether you agree, disagree or think I'm a mad man your comments are appreciated. Thanks.