Re: Formal musicians

[violet@slip.net]

Bryan said:
>I'm not saying that those with a formal training cannot be as innovative
>as those without, and it is true a formal training does mean that you
>do not have to "reinvent the wheel". I just believe that without having
>those long hours being drummed into you on what is "right", a gifted
>person will not be tied down to conventions. OK, a non gifted person will
>probably produce "bumpy" music.

This reminds me of something that one of my friends told me.  He has been
studying music for years.  I mean STUDYING, all big letters.  So has my
boyfriend.  Me, I was kicked out of lessons when I was 6 after it was
discovered that I was not, in fact, reading the music, but imitating the
teachers, also known as "playing by ear."  The teachers told my parents not
to waste their money, that I would never be able to learn to read.  Now,
years later, I know that it's not impossible.  I have studied on my own,
trying to make up for lost time and lack of knowledge at this late date.  I
still struggle greatly to read music.  I can also play any instrument I
pick up.

When my boyfriend and this other friend, Neal, get together to talk about
music, I'm lost.  For heaven's sake, my b/f designs instruments and
effects!  And Neal is in several bands.  They both are brilliant.  One day,
when we were playing music together (we have a little combo that we play
around with sometimes -- I am the singing one), I was listening to the two
of them talk, and I commented about how lost I was and how bad I felt that
I didn't know much about music.  Neal turned to look at me and said,
"Violet, you may not understand all of the language, but you think and feel
in musical terms more instinctively and completely than we ever will, even
after years of study!  You automatically add the most intricate nuances
that it's taken us years to learn.  We're the ones who should feel bad
having to constantly translate everything into a written language WE can
understand.  You just FEEL it."  Ever since then, I haven't felt bad at
all.  This was a very high compliment from a wonderful musician who is
known for being extremely critical and analytical.  And I know several
musicians who HAVE studied and are wonderfully precise when it comes to
playing Mozart or Chopin, but when it comes to expressing themselves, they
can't do it.  They also can't write their own music to save their lives.
Creativity has been "taught out of them."

But learning about theory these past few years has opened more doors to me
at this point in time.  I think I would have been stifled if I had been
forced to learn piece after piece when I was younger, though.  I remember
that when I had learned to play something before getting booted out of
piano lessons, I could never play it any other way than the way I'd
learned.  That, my friends, is what it means to be dead.

Violet
xoxox

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