Well, yeah, and then there is the vanity part of it. Once I achieved a certain level of proficiency I wasn't willing to be satisfied to sound like a hobbyist so I quit all together when I was no longer willing to spend the time necessary to play at the level I was accustomed to.
The Musicians Lounge
- Thread starter elohiym
- Start date
Well, yeah, and then there is the vanity part of it. Once I achieved a certain level of proficiency I wasn't willing to be satisfied to sound like a hobbyist so I quit all together when I was no longer willing to spend the time necessary to play at the level I was accustomed to.
Funny, my three years of doing little else than study the Bible saw stuff come out of me, creatively speaking, that I would have never imagined possible for me when I started. It was almost as if God was rewarding me for finally turning my attention to what really mattered.
My epiphany came when talking to a man who was installing a phone line to my house and he asked me what I did. I told him I played guitar and he told me that was a nice hobby.
A few days later I heard what he said.
PureX
Well-known member
I'm older, now. But I have found to my pleasant surprise that it comes automatically. I set myself to projects that have an interesting purpose, to use as a guide, and then put on some music, and enjoy the creative task of designing and building something that fulfills the purpose. And when it's done, I can see 'myself' in the decisions I made along the way. The object and process reflects my character even when I'm not deliberately trying to make it do that.
As a result, I have come to understand that I'm an artist by nature. And it will be evident in whatever I do, so long as I retain 'creative control' as I'm doing it.
I've done the same thing in remodeling. I use old and found materials and have carved out a niche with a customer base that understands that neither one of us knows for sure where we are going or how, exactly, it's going to turn out. They just know they will like it when I'm done, we'll have fun in the process and it will be one of kind.
Sounds like a meaningful journey you are on. Guitar playing--in my experience--helps me connect with a celebration of God while prayer and Bible study get me hooked up with theologies and historical stuff that deepen my faith as a follower of Jesus.
But to me I take the original meaning of the word "faith" which actually meant "trust" in Jesus' day.
Each of our journeys is meaningful, each in it own way. Oddly, I found great solace in the words of Solomon who, though spending no small amount of time pointing out the vanity of the pursuits of man, went on to say this:
Eccl 10: 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Okay, can we talk about generalities as it concerns musicians? I mean, I know every rule has its exception but; don't you think certain practitioners of certain instruments have certain identifiable characteristics?
Take drummers for instance. In my life I've noticed that, most of the time I could look at an album cover of a band I was not familiar with and pick out the drummer because they were ... well ... different than the rest of the band ... even when they were trying to look the same. Perhaps a participatory experiment would be in order. Let's play "pick out the drummer" and see if there is any merit to this notion, shall we?
Round one:
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2643
http://media.photobucket.com/user/a...=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=22
http://media.photobucket.com/user/a...]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=3
Take drummers for instance. In my life I've noticed that, most of the time I could look at an album cover of a band I was not familiar with and pick out the drummer because they were ... well ... different than the rest of the band ... even when they were trying to look the same. Perhaps a participatory experiment would be in order. Let's play "pick out the drummer" and see if there is any merit to this notion, shall we?
Round one:
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2643
http://media.photobucket.com/user/a...=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=22
http://media.photobucket.com/user/a...]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=3
Last edited:
PureX
Well-known member
Those are pretty obvious if your theory is correct.
Oh yeah? Well, I'll make it a little harder if you correctly guess my third offering.
TIPlatypus
New member
I wonder, would you still enjoy listening to music that was composed by a bad person, e.g. O fortuna. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3VsesSBsw
Carl Orff was a Nazi.
I do not care who wrote it. I enjoy music on its own merits, not on what the composer believes or what wrongs hes done.
Carl Orff was a Nazi.
I do not care who wrote it. I enjoy music on its own merits, not on what the composer believes or what wrongs hes done.
R.I.P.
An old friend. Sweet guy and really funny. You just never know.
http://www.news-journal.com/panola/...cle_c10eec8b-0ab1-54a3-9795-b51f9e5d235d.html
An old friend. Sweet guy and really funny. You just never know.
http://www.news-journal.com/panola/...cle_c10eec8b-0ab1-54a3-9795-b51f9e5d235d.html
PureX
Well-known member
We are all "bad people". And good people, and crazy people and idiots and geniuses. It just depends on the day.
shagster01
New member
I make about a third of my income playing my guitar. I've never had any formal training, but my band mates, which the exception of our front man all have. Two have masters and one is getting his doctorate. We are a 9 piece soul band.
I feel incredibly inadequate in this band like I'm hanging on for dear life. We are recording a live album/DVD in May. I'm practicing like crazy to not be the weak link for it. Yikes.
Anyone else play with musicians that can knock your ego down a few notches with their talents?
I feel incredibly inadequate in this band like I'm hanging on for dear life. We are recording a live album/DVD in May. I'm practicing like crazy to not be the weak link for it. Yikes.
Anyone else play with musicians that can knock your ego down a few notches with their talents?
PureX
Well-known member
Naw, I was always too good. (just kidding) :chuckle:
On a different note, did anyone see the Grammy show honoring Stevie Wonder the other night? I was actually stunned by how good it was! The last few times I saw Stevie Wonder perform he was way overweight, out of breath, off key, and forgot the words. It was embarrassing. I remember thinking he should just retire.
But, wow! Not this time! He looked great, sounded great, and every performer there to honor him stepped their own performances a few notches as well. Every performance was really well done! And it was indeed a testament to the incredible music and talent that Stevie Wonder has shared over the years, and still is.
My only complaint is that for some reason, the Grammy people, or CBS, or both, will not allow any form of reshowing of any of the performances. They did that last year with the Beatles tribute show, too. So that if you didn't see it on Monday night, you ain't ever gong to see it. Which is very unfortunate, for everyone involved.
Yeah, the only band I was ever in as a bass player that I didn't feel like taking the guitar away from the guitar player from time to time found this guitar player making me double his 32nd note claw hammer runs from time to time. I wasn't conversant in the style as a guitar player so it made it doubly hard to do as a bass player. I had to practice it every day to make it even look like I was doing it right. People flipped when we did it but he and I both knew I was fluffing a note or two on those runs.
PureX
Well-known member
It's a craft, as well as an art form. Nothing wrong with selling your skills. Nothing at all.
Various brass, though the smaller mouthpieces gave me fits so not a great embouchure for trumpet or french horn. Percussion but not a full drum kit, piano (my best instrument) and electronic keyboards...noodled on the guitar as a writer, but mostly rhythm and a little bass.
Played piano bar in college and when I was knocking around for extra money. Did the band scene early and didn't like it. Prefer jazz to most anything else and the last time I was writing that's what I stayed in. Like a lot of things, from classical on, but there's nothing like the creative freedom of jazz as a form.
Played piano bar in college and when I was knocking around for extra money. Did the band scene early and didn't like it. Prefer jazz to most anything else and the last time I was writing that's what I stayed in. Like a lot of things, from classical on, but there's nothing like the creative freedom of jazz as a form.