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[The song played at the beginning of this Quick Tip is Sunshine of Your Love by Eric Clapton. Listen to it here.]
Oh, hi! Vi Wickam here, for myTalentForge.com.
This tip is a tip that will help all of us. It helps me to keep this in mind as I practice, as I learn.
It’s really easy, as a musician, to get wrapped up in a particular ideology, or a particular style of music, and to become a “purist” about that style. To think that that style is the best style, or that style is the only style.
But it’s just not true!
All styles have value if you give them a chance. You may or may not end up liking that style, but musical dogma is not of any value.
Musical dogma- the idea that this is the right type of music and yours is the wrong type of music is total bologna. It is crap! It is not useful in the world of music.
Yes, I mostly play fiddle music, but I also play swing music and I can even play a little bit of rock n’ roll.
And if somebody comes to me with another style of music, I’m going to approach that music, if they ask me to play it with them, with an open mind and an open heart.
I’m asking you to do the same to make this world of music a better, happier, more open, inviting place.
Have an open mind to other styles of music that you may or may not have experienced before.
So that’s your Quick Tip of the Week… Enjoy music! And be open to music for music’s sake!
Have a great week, I’ll see you next time.
Interesting post. If you are ever a member of an orchestra, you are going to be playing music you don’t necessarily like. For instance, I don’t much care for (most) Jazz, but the music director (and conductor) of the New Texas Symphony Orchestra is a big Jazz fan, so when I was a member, I ended up playing a lot of Jazz. You just have to suck it up and play to the best of your ability.
Even if you are a member of a smaller group, you will occasionally perform stuff you don’t particularly care for. It’s just part of performing.
That’s a true fact, Howard. There are definitely times when we have to play to other people’s tastes. AND, it is much less painful when we can let go of our judgments about those styles, and just let the music happen. 🙂
Thanks for being a part of the conversation!
Vi