A writer tries to fight off his tone deafness and learn to sing. For what it’s worth, I definitely think I’m part of the 4%, but I’m probably part of the 17%.

Studies indicate that, while 17 percent of us believe we’re tone deaf, only 4 percent of people actually have amusia, the oddly inappropriate technical term for a condition that only the mean-spirited would consider amusing. Perhaps the Zimbabweans have it right with the proverb, “If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can sing.”