Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
The word 'versus' in the title of the thread implies an 'or' function.


I get what you are saying Scott but I don't know how else he could have worded that in the thread title. The body of the message kind of smooths it out some.

The point I tried to make and someone took offense to was that if you can read more types of work become available. If you live in an area where there is no studio work, no recording studios, and you have to drive 4 hours to buy milk and bread I understand that all you do is live gig, and possibly also all you do it copy from CDs. In that case, yes, learn by ear. In a different situation, where you get a call to go do a session for 1 minute of music that will play behind a commercial, or 20 minutes of music that will play behind a travel show, you will have to read charts. If you can't read, you can't apply for that job.

My analogy is that if someone grows up speaking Spanish but never goes to school and learns how to read and write, would that person be a candidate for a job teaching Spanish in school? They may speak flawless Spanish, but at some point they would have to write out tests and be able to read those tests to grade them. If they can't read or write, they don't get the job. In no way is that saying they are less of a Spanish speaker, just that they can't read or write it.