The music of our lives, and our musicianship

John Watt

Member
Hi! This is intrusive for me, being in the jazz forum, as a jazzy kind of guitar player,
and singer.

For the last week or so, I've been posting in the general and progressive rock forums,
feeling a challenge, sensing some competition, about being the best.
And a big part of that is getting the money.

Jazzers, who can only be called mature or senior, even elder, musicians,
know better than that. More than anything else, they know it takes other musicians to play.
I'm going to add the senior aspect, being over 65, and what it takes to still be playing.

When I typed "the music of our lives", I really meant it, deeply.
That's like saying in court to a judge that you are speaking to the truth of our lives,
yes, music is so deep and fundamental for all human beings and other creatures.
For all of the rough and ready cowboy talk, about horses, guns and ropes,
cowboys spent the night cruising around the herd singing to them,
singing out loud all night,
because that's the only way to keep a large herd calm enough to stay still.
And that includes Texas longhorns.

What does it take to make music, and be able to be playing in your 60's and 70's, even 80's?
What does it take to be in a local band, or be travelling as a gig,
even as a general or progressive rock guitarist?
Ragnarok is not involved in this discussion, let me clarify that.

If you're a jazz musician, you know the answers to these questions,
and probably had to fend off Ragnarok along the way, somewhere.
If there's one thing that the as-yet-untitled Frederik Magle doesn't display,
or have any links to,
it's his rock and hard rock past, without hearing about any psychedelic shows.
Yes, other Danish musicians I've shared font with have played with him in the past,
or knew him when he was starting out.
I can say starting out, because that finding sheet music in a dumpster story,
really told me where Mr. Magle is in a truly business sense, about his studio and location.

Here in the Niagara Peninsula, twice, I've found a Yamaha acoustic with a case,
but I've never come close to even seeing hand-written sheet music.
This is giving me a jazzy art idea, doing a big one that you know is sheet music in there,
but it's floating in waves of colour like it's disappearing down into the depths.
I'd call it "The Page that Salieri Tore Out", having some strange string bends in there,
with a distorted "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" signature, coming at you.

Jazz. You show up and sound the way you sound, and then you play with it,
unless, you've got amplifiers and effects to sound any way you want.
Is that jazz? Using the artificial, even if that also is an art?

yes, yes, just like any sane jazz musician, I'm not about the likes and shopping cart finances.
What is the most inhumane and predatory, even addictive, music growing now?
Using holograms to replace people onstage, and that's not jazz, it's not even human.

What is the music of our lives, and the truth that goes with it?
Every day is different for me, in electric ladyland and our acoustic world.
 

John Watt

Member
It's easy to find out what the music of your life is,
if your life becomes just strife.
You'll find out as soon as you start singing or playing.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I agree ... there are times when I sit down at the organ console and just improvise - whatever comes from my heart and soul. I never seem to have the Zoom H4 recorder going when these times happen though.

Whenever I get into a sour mood I just go practice - music is able to refresh my soul and make me human again.
 

Albert

New member
It's hard to concentrate on my personal troubles when I am trying to play Bach's music.
 

John Watt

Member
I'm trying to concentrate on my personal problems,
thinking that might motivate me to write a song about them,
but so far, no, I'm not that sad or depressed.
 
Top