"The vast majority never attempt to learn an instrument, even fewer how read musical notation"

On the latest episode of The Piano, a series in which all manner of "unknown" people are invited to strut their stuff on an upright piano in a railway station (the latest venue being Liverpool Lime Street), hosted by Claudia Winkleman and commentated on by Lang Lang and the pop star Mika, the "winner" was a young scouser who can't read music and who's never had a piano lesson in his life who performed a piece he'd made up himself. A beautiful, life-affirming programme.

I can play the diatonic harmonica and I learned hundreds of traditional Irish, English, Scottish and Northumbrian tunes by ear so that I could play in sessions. I couldn't read notation (though by now I've taught myself to at least be able follow a score as I listen). I made a CD in 2004. I've never had any tuition.