Therearetwoimportantkindsofmusicintheworld--oneiswrittendownandtheotherisnot.Manypeopleearntheirlivingbywritingmusic.TheywritesongsforpopstarsandmusicforfilmsandTVplays.Theyusuallywriteexactinstructionshowthemusicistobeplayed.

　　Folkmusichasbeenpasseddownfromonegonerationtoanother.Atfirstitwasneverwrittendown.Peplelearntthesongsfromtheirfamilies,relatives,neighboursandfriendsinthesamevillage.Thesesongswereaboutcountrylife,theseasons,animalsandplants,andaboutloveandsadnessinpeople'slives.

　　Earlyperformersofmusicwerepopularandrespected.Theyusedtolearnhundredsofsongsbyheart.Onfestivalstheyusedtoactandsinginpraiseofheroeswholivedlongago.Thiswasatatimewhentherewasnoradio,TVorcinema.Manyofthecountrypeoplecouldneitherreadnorwrite.Inthiswaystorieswerepassedonfromonepersontoanother.Thiscontinuesinsomecountrieseventoday.Insomepartsoftheworldnowadays,youoftenseemusiciansperforminginthestreetstopassers-by.Theyputacaponthegroundinfrontofthem,sothatpeoplewholikethemusiccandropcoinsintoit.