« The 15-Minute Myth | Main | The Continuum – Part 2 »
August 03, 2009
The Continuum
No, this post is not about the native habitat of the delightfully sardonic character “Q” from “Star Trek: The Next Generation" (although he would be fun to write about).
The continuum to which I refer is the one upon which all musicians are placed.
Sometimes a musician of modest attainments will be confronted with the substantial accomplishments and seemingly supernatural abilities of another musician, and find himself or herself becoming discouraged.
“I’m not very good, and this other guy is better,” becomes the dominant thought.
The problem is that we tend to think “vertically” in terms of “how good” a musician is. Supposedly, there are those perched on the highest levels that have the most talent, and those on the lower levels who are destined to toil in mediocrity.
It’s akin to the way we view differing levels of financial means. The rich are obviously on a “higher level” than the middle class and the outright poor.
I do not believe it works this way with musicians. I would encourage you to learn to think “horizontally”. We are all on a continuum. There is a “starting point” to the far left, where all musicians begin.
That’s the first thing keep in mind: ALL musicians start at that point.
No one is born automatically knowing how to sing, write songs, or play an instrument. There was a time for every musician when they picked up their instrument for the first time (or sat down at it if it was a piano!), or sang a song for the first time, or made their first attempt to create something musical.
More on this tomorrow.
Posted by leonolguin at August 3, 2009 10:17 AM