Most of us see music as something reserved for a talented few and choose to be music-watchers rather than music-makers. In reality, we are all born with the raw materials to sing and dance, just as we are wired to learn to speak and run. Here’s what happens in our brains as we develop musically: Our receptive system, which allows us to “think” music, and our expressive system, which enables us to create music, develop independently. As these two systems evolve and begin to link up, we naturally learn to sing in tune and move in rhythm (i.e., develop basic music competence). Early exposure to music-making with important caregivers (parents, teachers, and so on,) and to a rich variety of music provides key input for the receptive system, without which the expressive system cannot develop as fully.