Interview with Paul Harris: Inspiring a Love for Music

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Harris, a renowned educator, musician, and author of over 600 books. For homeschooling parents looking to encourage their children in music, Paul’s words are filled with wisdom and inspiration.

Watch the full interview below, or read the text transcript which summarises the key points:

Please introduce yourself!

"Well, great to see you all, although I can't actually see you. But it's great to know that you're there! I write music, and I write books, and I play the piano like I think a lot of you do—most of you. I also play other instruments.

I love music. My life is all about music.

I had wonderful teachers when I was a lad, and what I want to do is just recreate the lovely experiences I had as a learner, as a pupil, and introduce this idea to everyone that music is wonderful. It’s something that we share together, and by doing music we make the world a better place. You know, what better thing can that be?

So that's what I do: I write music, teach music, play music, and hopefully, in a tiny little way, make the world a better place, as all of you can do as well."

What is sight-reading and why is it important?

"I think it's very important.

First of all, let's deal with the expression 'sight-reading.' We probably think about it as reading a piece of music for the first time, or maybe as the sight-reading bit in an exam, if you happen to do exams.

But really, whenever we read music, we're always sight-reading, because we're using our sight to read the music.

In my opinion—and I’ve written loads of books on sight-reading, including the one you showed, Will—if you can read music, you're just a better musician overall. You’re more complete. I want all my pupils, and really anyone who does music, to be able to look at a piece of music and read it.

One thing I suggest is to sit in a comfortable chair with some music and just read it, like you would a book. Get used to looking at it and hearing it in your head.

If you can do that, it will have a huge impact on everything you do musically."

I meet so many adults who say they wish they had learned to read music as children...

"Absolutely. Being able to sight-read well also helps in practical ways—you can do better in exams, for one. But more than that, it allows you to play with others. If you're a pianist, you can play duets with someone sitting next to you. You can accompany your friends, maybe someone who plays the clarinet or violin, and you don’t have to be an expert.

If you can read music, you can join in. And that’s the beauty of music—it’s something we can do together. By sight-reading, we help keep the great art of music alive."

Summary...

Paul Harris emphasized the importance of sight-reading as a way for young musicians to deepen their understanding and connection to music.

I loved his practical tip of simply sitting down to read music in a relaxed setting, not with an instrument in front of you. This way, music becomes more than just practice; it becomes a language they can fluently "read" and share with others.

By fostering this skill early on, parents can help their children become more confident, complete musicians who are ready to collaborate, explore, and enjoy the journey music takes them on.

Check out Paul's books here.