Walt Kelly on learning to write and play music

Kelly maintained that his early interest in drawing was based on the conviction that it was an easier language to learn than English. When his parents convinced him to take violin lessons in the belief that music was a more profitable career than art, he panicked.

"The English language was bad enough in print, but a sheet of music was as formidable as the Chinese Wall. Therefore, I never learned to read music well enough to play a piece at sight, but would listen to the instructor as he ran through a classic a couple of times, enough to get it down and play by ear. To convince my parents that I was practicing, I made up brand new compositions for the exercises. The instructor was a little against this. He said rather soberly that if I could remember the classics, I should remember the exercises. I pointed out that the things I was making up were better, and after hearing me try the real exercises he agreed."