For The Sake Of Music: Message to young players

I was working out in the gym the other day, when I saw a young dude staring at me. I actually noticed that he was looking at my shirt. I was wearing my Hendrix 9 to the universe shirt, and it has Jimi in a side silhouette. You have to look very hard to see that it's him, but once you do, you can see how the whole picture makes sense. I said "Hiya doin' man" to break the ice a little. He smiled and asked if that was Jimi Hendrix. I told him yes, and he responded with a nodding head, and saying "Cool". I was surprised because he was a young kid very early 20's and most young kids his age don't know who the hell Hendrix is. I asked if he liked Hendrix, and he said yes. I then asked if he was a musician, and he stated that he was just starting out, and had been playing bass for about 3 months. I told him I am a bass player, and he wanted to know if I gave lessons. I stated that I am not really qualified as a teacher to give proper Bass lessons, and I recommended a friend that does. We started to talk music, and I asked him who he liked. He rattled off some contemporary artists that I really fought rolling my eyes when I heard them. But in some of his choices, there was hope. I asked about one of those, and questioned why he liked them. He kind of shrugged and said that they were cool. I was really curious, and pressed him a little further, and asked what in their music makes them cool. He stated that he wasn't sure, but the music in his words "Felt powerful". Exactly what I was hoping he would say. I asked if he liked The Blues. He said, "You mean like Stevie Ray Vaughn right?" I smirked a little, and said "Yeah but further back than that..Where Stevie Ray got his ideas". He had no idea, so I rattled off some names myself. We talked for another 10 minutes about Blues and music in general, and I gave him a disc of my band and thanked him for talking to me,and wished him luck. I thought about our conversation, and was hoping that I made an impact on a young player. I started to think about just what I would say to all young players if I had the opportunity to talk to them. In my opinion, there are 5 starting point rules that a young musician should follow. So these are the 5 things I would say if I was to make up a manifesto for young players to follow:

1) Play music for the love and reward of music itself. Do not venture into music to get laid, or to become famous or rich. If none of that stuff happens, you still have to have to have the pure desire and love of music to sustain you. Whether it be onstage or in your room, the absolute love of music has to be total, and consuming in order for you to learn, and execute honestly. If you approach it this way, practice will not be a chore..It will be a challenge that you willingly take on daily.

2) Don't just listen to something and like it without knowing the reason. ask yourself why do you like it?..What is in it that makes you desire to hear it? What is in it that fills your soul? As you create a library of music that you like, figure out the common denominator of just why you like different pieces of music or songs, or artists. Figure these aspects out, and that knowledge will help you gravitate towards more inspiration like that, and help you become the musician you see yourself as.

3) Get your ears on everything you can get them on. There is so much music, and so little time in life, but one thing is certain..There is great music from every era, every genre, and every time in history, and you as a musician should want to hear it all.  Why? because it adds to the library of your reference points. When you approach playing, writing, or listening and learning, if you listen to different music you have great ideas that you can pull from, and put in your own arsenal of yourself. Originality is nothing except a conglomerate of ideas gathered from the past, and forged towards the future. It's so much easier now with Youtube, and computers to look up yur favorite legends. I had to listen to a record 33's or 45's and move the needle back to the spot I was listening to figure out what was going on. Tedious but worth it. There is no excuse for a young musician now to not be able to at least set the foundation for the fundamentals of playing.

4) Play like you mean it. Don't dick around. Play like it will be the last time you ever get to do so. It very well could be. Don't be some stupid poser, or someone who is more concerned with looks than with skill. Keep time, play, and play with passion. If you are just going through the motions, it will show big time. The best musicians in history played with a passion and desire that not even recordings could contain. Whatever you do, and whatever you play, make that a part of yourself, and your persona. Do it, or not. It's that simple. People will call you obsessed, and consumed, but I prefer the term "dedicated." For you are not only dedicated to what you do, but who you are, and how you want to leave your mark. Let nothing  or no one stand in the way of that. If someone thinks that you are nuts for wanting to play music, then just smile, and keep on. The true reward the music within you. Attitude over aptitude. Write your own stuff..You will eventually write something good for its own sake.

5) Have fun. Take your music seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously. Music is your escape, and the thing that makes you feel good. Don't let that experience be a miserable one. If you are in a band or playing with musicians that you don't want to play with, then don't. Period. Make your musical experiences joyous, and pleasurable. Life itself has enough bad crap in it. Why make the thing you love most something bad too.  Playing music for me is the most spiritual thing that I have ever experienced. Communicating without words to other people with the sounds and feelings each of you make to make a greater conversation. Priceless. You should come away from that experience completely drained, because you have given yourself, and taken parts of others. But the drain should be invigorating, like a jogger's high.

Those are the things I would say to a young musician today. There are a million other nuanced things, but the 5 that I would start off with are those. I love being a musician and playing music is who I am. I am opinionated beyond a lot of people's belief because I know what I like and what I don't like, instantly, and I can tell you exactly why. But a new musician at least has to find their way..I hope for this young man that I talked to, I gave him something to ponder, and if he sticks with it 20 years from now, he can take pieces of it, and tell someone his story..Music is the bridge..Always. Just glad that I could connect.