Hi David,
Loved your post.

I did say in the second part of my original message - wanting to clarify, lest I be taken wrong - that is the format of some ways of being classically trained that is the problem (and not music theory itself).

My experience has proven that.

Not disputing any of what you said - except you are misidentifying Paul having acknowledged that 'Blackbird' was inspired by 'Bouree' as that somehow being in support of Western Classical Music training.

Sure, we might not have that amazing song without Bach having existed - but we also probably would not have had the greatest canon of popular song and the incredible innovations The Beatles made if they had been trained - McCartney has been crystal clear throughout his life that learning theory is not for him, and might inhibit his creativity.

Bach - obviously hugely influential, but I find him too 'mathematical'; gets in the way of me enjoying his music.

Learning various aspects of theory has been helpful to me, but has not been the basis of me being able to perform and jam with people; whereas, as I pointed out previously, it clearly has inhibited some of the people with whom I have jammed (not all of them, though).

And they were all far better musicians, technically, than I am.

So, we will have to agree to differ.

And as I have also said previously, I think that people on this forum, by their very nature, are able to transcend the kinds of limits that I describe having encountered.

Looking forward to more songs from you.

"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon