C[omp]ute

From: andrew cooke <andrew@...>

Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2012 13:11:58 -0400

I spend some time yesterday doing this apparently-serious experiment at the
BBC - https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/musicality/

I tried as hard as I could, and answered the questions truthfully.

I think that music plays an important part in my life - I listen to music most
of the time, and I invest a fair amount of time in following trends and in
learning about new music.

But I never played a musical instrument (well, 10 years ago I tried to learn
the bass, but soon got disheartened) and feel pretty incompetent about my
musical abilities - I am too embarassed to sing, can't dance, and have a poor
sense of rhythm.

I also don't get "shivers down my spine" (a phrase that cropped ups everal
times in the experiment) when I listen to music (although it has made my eyes
water at times - often because tracks are associated with particular
memories).

Anyway, in the test, I was rated at about 10% in all things measured.  The
summary said that music was unimportant to me and played no important role in
my life (I can't remember the exact terms, but it was pretty damning).

I did poorly in all the tests except the pitch one (where I was wrong twice,
which I hope isn't so bad).

It was weird being told that I was no good at something that is important to
me.

Andrew