Music and Driving

I had a brief thought today about something they used to tell us in music class at school: that learning an instrument made you more likely to pass your driving test.

Random right? I think there was something in the news at the time about some link they’d discovered between the two. I think it was because performing and taking exams (it doesn’t have to be music really does it?) supposedly gets you used to performing well on the spot in practical exams and interviews. From an early age you’re used to the build up of tension, adrenaline, and the highs and lows of passing and failing. That makes sense to me.

Now that lockdown is easing here and roadtrips are looking like making a return (although no overnight stays yet) I was thinking while watching guys drive (read: race!) with some personality around the car park today, that there’s another connection, although this is as true of certain sports as well I think. When you play an instrument, that instrument becomes part of you, an extension of you - and that’s what driving is like too, isn’t it? Your vehicle becomes an extension of who you are, where you want to go, and often what you feel too. You can pretty much tell when drivers are angry or spot those who manoeuvre with particular finesse. I’d see a connection there too.