"to play an instrument without knowing what you're doing can be damaging'

Absolutely right. I got away with it for years and then one morning I woke up, reached for my kazoo and my bum turned green and my legs dropped off.

Naturally I was rushed to hospital where surgeons laboured mightily for hours to re-attach the legs and reduce the deep lovett green of my posterior to a more socially acceptable iceberg lettuce hue.

this whole episode has been a lesson for me, and i determined to learn to read music. As time went on, I began to realise that losing my legs and my bottom turning green had been an important part of my journey.

Josepp is just SO right about this. Every time I play a 16th flattened third on my kazoo, its something special nowadays. And knowing how to write it down makes it nore special.