If you are a sensitive person, a haunting song or a tune will touch your heart and soul and will change the mood you are in at that moment. And it will also provide some sort of basis for a good and comprehensive background to educate a child.
 
That may be the reason why music is introduced in the curriculum for small children. It is said that the only failure faced by the greatest music genius ever produced by Sri Lanka, late W.D.Amaradeva [may he attain Nibbana], in his whole life, was his inability to teach music to certain politicians when they were children.
 
The fact that this was uttered in a lighter vein at the funeral of our beloved musician, may be reckoned to be a reflection on the character of the person who made this unacceptable reference. It also shows how every issue that comes to the fore is being treated lightly by these insensitive, so-called leaders.
 
It is possible that, if Amaradeva had succeeded in establishing some kind of musical sense in the hearts and minds of these political leaders, our lives would have been much happier and more satisfying.
 
After all, former American President Bill Clinton, the most successful in 35 years, had this to say about music: “I don’t think I would have become President if it were not for my school music programme.”
 
President Barack Obama also, unlike our own, self-confessed philistine leaders, appreciated the value of music. He said “A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence, or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, ‘Huh, it works. It makes sense’”
 
Unfortunately, we are saddled with our own current crop of unsophisticated “Royalty”. We can only hope for the best!
 
By ROBOCOP