My two cents

[Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There's a difference between reading music and the written word.  There 
are people that don't read music for whom the music that they don't read 
exists in their heads as real and absolutely as if it were being played 
at that moment.  All they have to do is hear it once.  I've met no one 
that has this ability with written words spoken aloud.  The point of 
written words is not to capture spoken words so that they be spoken again 
and again.  It's a form of communication unto its own.  This is also 
true of musical notation but to a much lesser degree. I can read music, 
but not for harmonica.  That's not how I learned to play it.  I think 
there is tremendous value in having good ear ability.  The interesting 
thing about all this ear notation fuss.  If you don't have a good ear you 
can practise for the rest of your life and not get it.  If you can't read 
music you can learn.  Larry Adler didn't learn to read music until the 
middle of his very long career.  (this tidbit courtesy of HH&HB and Kim 
Field)  FJM