I've always been that way. I'm not very good at reading music but I'm pretty quick at picking things up.
It wasn't until after private lessons and learning bass lines that I even noticed bass in the music I was listening to at that age. My ears were blown wide open.
No voice teacher can be all things to all people. You have to gain information from whatever sources you can. You have to listen.
It's quite hard to have your mom as a teacher - it's like, she's not necessarily a 'real teacher' for me. But she'd always teach me to really hear the music, and develop my ear, and to try and hear the harmonics of the piano.
I took opera lessons. I can't read music to save my life, but I would just copy and get away with it. I think that they thought I could read music, but I can't. I would just listen.
My folks bought a baby grand piano and that's where I did the majority of figuring out the songs I heard on the stereo.
I really had to think and learn about musical intervals.
I learned to tune a guitar by ear. That method has served me pretty well.
My mother knew how to read music and everything. But I just kinda learned off of records. And so, I was listening to records and I'd play 'em over and over.
