11/28/24 In Your Own Voice

The whole point of music is to share something which is inherently meaningful. That meaning could take a lot of forms—some very physical because of an emphasis on grooves, and some more cerebral, because of an emphasis on texture or harmony.

Whatever form it takes, music is intended to literally and figuratively move the listener.

It follows that the producer of that music will be most effective when they are most completely into the music they are playing. The power of that commitment equals the power of being moved by that music.

To have that commitment, you have to know that you’ve made that music your own. You own it.

You absorbed it, you lived with it, you danced to it, you sang to it, you might have made up little extra bits that you add just cause you like the way it sounds there, or because you ended up playing it in the wrong key and it made for some happy accidents.

That process is what makes it your own. That’s your own voice you’re creating, when you do that.

And that process is not a matter of following all the rules all the time. It’s a deliberate exploration of breaking the rules for fun. Willful misconduct, from the perspective of many teachers, anyway, because it’s generally their job to try to get you to play it right.

And here’s why that’s important to understand.

For you young players who might be thinking about going to music school--music schools aren’t looking for students.

They’re looking for professionals. There are plenty of kids who have technique. They’re looking for people who can also connect with an audience. Someone who’s no longer trying to get it right—but who has something to say and a voice of their own.

This is generally supposed to be the school’s job—to turn students into professionals. So, naturally, they’re looking for the people who will make their job easiest—who are already professionals and bring all that with them.

So, don’t focus on getting it right. Do the work so you can assume you can get it right.

And then bring your own voice to it, the part of you that sang to it, danced to it, played it “wrong” in a way you like better, the way you personalize that’s different from the way everyone else plays it.

That difference is what makes you you. That difference, assuming there is enough technical mastery involved to meet the standards, ends up being exactly what they’re looking for.

Players who have done that creative exploration—who have played with it, not just learned it.
Players who have lived with those tunes and have made it their own.

And the key to being creative is very simple and fun. And that’s what I’m going to talk about in the next story: the key to being creative.