I think I can offer one reason for our not learning much music. Religious instruction for the public school kids was changed from Sundays to weekdays two days a week. Something had to be eliminated for us, so we could get out early those two days and still get our own religious instruction in. Thus that cute little gadget with the 5 pieces of chalk, used to make a staff on the chalkboard was retired. We sang the National Anthem, and a hymn in the morning, and that used to be it most of the time. I wished they would have knocked out gym instead- I wasn’t any good....
Our parish has a children's choir although it's not very well attended. I would like to see it mandatory. :-) Really. Music is an extremely valuable part not only of worship but of life in general.
I have thanked my parents in my heart over and over again for (1) making me take piano lessons and (2) making me participate in children's choir. I continued both on my own once I hit high school, and I have never really stopped. It is such a blessing to be able to pick up a piece of music and read it off or play it on the piano, I can learn so much music in much less time than folks who are learning by ear.
psst . . . you know, it's never too late to learn . . .