Really, ever think about it? I mean why do we play music? not just guitar, or Bass, or whatever, but even the radio, or sing or whatever you call music, even Rap. I recently started to ask myself this question, or more truthfully, why was I not playing. Here is what I came up with. Please do give your opinions, or philosophy or whatever you want to call it.
We are all musical in a sense. We start life next to a big bass drum called our mother's heart, and we hear it beating the whole time we are in the womb. Most of us have tapped a toe, or beat a rhythm on the dashboard of a car. But why? Because we desire to be part of something and share our emotions with another. That is my belief, music is a way of transferring emotional content to another. By this statement I mean that we sing the blues, not only to because we feel bad, but to share that feeling, and thus release and lighten our own load. Yup, the idea behind the blues is to actually feel better by playing them out. Emotional content is what makes Bach, or Mozart of the Beatles so moving. And that is what makes the difference between a great composer or performer and a bed or even just a good one. A great musician makes an emotional connection with the audience. Think about songs like Louie Louie, or What I like about You? neither are very complex, in fact most beginners can play either one. But the song is fun, and full of energy, which is hard to ignore. The Sex Pistols or the Irish group the Pogues are not the greatest musicians, but they sing out their hearts, and we as an audience are moved with them. Why is Willie Nelson's Whiskey River such a favorite? Because once you hear it, you identify with it, even if you have never tasted Whiskey. Kenny Chesney's Young speaks to all of us, we all remember being young, and so does Roy Clark's Yesterday when I was young, or McCartney's Yesterday. These musician's impart an emotion, we can identify with it and we enjoy it and the message is timeless. So whether it is Appalachian bluegrass, or Zydeco that fires you up, pick up an instrument, and learn to play it. You don't have to be the best, just play it, and practice so you can play it more. Me I play the guitar, and the bass, and the harmonica. None of them spectacularly, but enough that I enjoy it. And that is reason enough for me.
Gotta go, my baby is waiting. Baby Taylor guitar that is...
