So, what is it about performing? It's undeniably a powerful experience to play something you wrote for others. Will they applaud you or laugh you off the stage? Will you capture their attention or will they drift off? These thoughts definitely raced through my mind before I performed for a group of people for the first time. Performing is very rewarding. I think it's just human nature to need praise. Which kind of begs the question: When we create art or a medium do we do it for others or for ourselves? Are we creating while keeping in mind the end result (who will appreciate it), or keeping in mind our own reciprocity with the medium? I recently found an article in the Pioneer Press about Leo Kottke who has been performing with the guitar for over 40 years! He started playing the violin at age 5, shortly after--the trombone, but when he was 11 he found the guitar and every other instrument took a back seat. While reminiscing over his last 40 years on stage Kottke says, "So, yes, it is a privilege to still play. There is something very humbling in that for me." Leo Kottke played at the State Theater on November 28th. To read the rest of the article, Click Here.
A very intriguing juxtaposition from Kottke is the band, Total Babe, a Minneapolis group compromised of 16 and 17 year-old's who are just in the early stages of their performance career. They are taking the stage at 7th St. Entry Saturday, Dec. 4. Also performing alongside Total Babe are the Red Pens, Communist Daughter, and Porcupine. Lucky for us, somehow they've managed to squeeze all that musical power into a trivial $6!!!
What is it about guitar that has let it stand the test of time? Why has guitar been the go-to instrument for centuries? Will rock and roll ever see its demise? Guitar and America go together like peanut butter and jelly---you can have one without the other, but it's just not as good. Guitar has that familiarity to it that has let it prevail in American culture for quite some time now. Even though we may become bored of its ubiquity, we still can't help but be enraptured by the rifts of Hendrix, or the solos of Jack White. As long as there's America, there will be rock and roll. Why do we love rock and roll so much? I'm not so sure. But I do know one thing, guitar is tried and true and there's no stopping it. However, that doesn't mean that artists haven't tried to deviate from guitar-driven music! There are many artists who have taken the experimental route, or have even adapted the guitar in their own unique ways. Nevertheless, I'm sure the guitar will remain packed full of nostalgia and longevity. No matter how much our culture changes, the guitar can and will adapt. But why is guitar so good? Want some examples? Well, luckily I've discovered RollingStone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time So, here's the top 3:
1. Chuck Berry with Johnny B. Goode
2. Jimi Hendrix with Purple Haze:
3. Cream with Crossroads:
To look at the rest of RollingStone's list: Click Here
There's no doubt about it. Everyone hears music differently, or shall I say listens to. Hence, the ever-expanding list of emerging and lasting genres. I find that there are all types of music listeners: the apathetic, the dispassionate, the music junkie, the know-it-all, the "I like everything," which actually means "I don't know what I like,"the experimenter, and of course the musician. Everyone approaches music in a different way--how you listen (through headphones, live at a venue, in your car), why you listen (to relax, to fall asleep, for entertainment), and what it means to you. So, what attracts us to music? Why do we all have unique tastes? These questions regarding the basic psychology of music have always spurred my curiosity and kept me listening. But no matter how hard I listened I couldn't find the answers in the music, so I decided to look elsewhere. That's when I stumbled upon the book, This Is Your Brain On Music, written by neuroscientist and former record producer Daniel Levitin.
I've only began to dig into the mysteries explained in Levitin's novel, but so far I'm dumbstruck by Levitin's depth of music knowledge. Sometimes, I find myself lost in the book's more esoteric qualities, but Levitin's aptitude for relating complex musical concepts to a landscape of liberal arts knowledge redirects my understanding. The main theme that Levitin righteously returns to several times is that all of us are equipped with the abilities to engage with music. Whether it's having the ability to say what we like or explain it in more technical terms, being able to process music is something that every human being can do. We all might hear it differently, but that just depends on how you choose to listen.
So, really, no one can say that one listening style is better than the rest. We all perceive music in our own unique way. No one's perception is faulty, rather some of us are better capable of explaining our perceptions more succinctly in a vast array of technical terms. Levitin explains that listening to music is something that is innate to humans and we use our entire brain to process music! "Great music affects the same part of our brain that helps us interpret shattering grief or overwhelming joy." -Observer. Therefore, those who choose to avoid music listening altogether are missing out on a very natural and emotionally moving process.
Now that I've examined the guitar in many modern forms of media, I wanted to learn a little more about its history. I scoured the internet for the best article on the history of guitar. Here's the most interesting one I could find: http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/handbook/BriefHistory.html
One of the most interesting facts that I gathered from this article is that the origin of the guitar is still completely unknown, but it is guessed that it dates back almost 4,000 years! They even recovered a 3,500 year-old guitar, which was buried with the Egyptian singer Har-Mose. The guitar was most likely fashioned after the lute, which is slightly different in appearance.
The Renaissance is really where we begin to see the four string guitar evolve. The number of strings, as well as the number of frets on the guitar began to multiply into what we now recognize as the six string 12 fret guitar played today.
Interested in what the evolution of guitars looked like? Click Here
I was really interested in how guitars are advertised, so instead of looking at magazine ads, or catalogs, I decided to take a different route and look at some commercials. I cannot recall ever seeing a commercial on TV for a guitar, so I was surprised at what I was able to find. The first commercial is for Gibson:
Here's the commercial:
What I found to be most strikingly obvious is that the guitar is clearly advertised to males only. This was not unexpected. However, it got me thinking about social roles in the music industry. Do women have even greater odds to face in the music industry? Can a woman be taken seriously as a musician, or are women only looked at a sex symbols--a brand, rather than real talent? This advertisement definitely says a lot about the different roles of women and men. The woman is trying to please the man in every way possible by offering him a bunch of material items. Is the guitar meant to represent a status symbol, or is it advertised for its discerning significance? Clearly, the former. Does it simplify its complexity of depth and the aptitude one must possess in order to understand such a musical instrument? Does the commercial reduce the guitar to merely a material possession? I would argue so. I think that many people own guitars that have never even plucked a string. They buy a guitar in order to exemplify who they are rather than to play it. With so little prominent commercials I really wonder how this phenomenon came to be.
I definitely wanted to talk about Guitar Hero and how it has monopolized on the idolization of being a rock star. It's a very strange concept that people would rather learn to play this fake instrument than learn the real thing, which obviously takes less dedication, but not much. For example, take a look at this commercial: Click Here. It's almost laughable how they depict this game. They draw people in on the concept of being a rock star and the realistic instruments, but the message is almost insulting in its delivery.
The next commercial I chose for its pure ridiculousness. This commercial is with the model Heidi Klum. I'm not really sure how this commercial has anything to do with Guitar Hero, but that's America for you.
Here's my guitar, which unfortunately hasn't been getting much use lately. I took this image with an old school Pentax manual camera. I really dig the simplicity of this photo; it's somewhat ironic considering the complexity of the instrument.
Speaking of complexity, there's WAY too much to learn about guitar. I'm feeling daunted by trying to teach myself. Recently, I've been exploring the plethora of YouTube guitar lesson videos. Some are helpful, but most are not. There's really nothing like hands on learning. However, there's something to be said about free guitar lessons, too. I think in this regard, though, I'm willing to lay down the cash for quality teaching. Maybe free online guitar lessons will not be the death of the music lesson career path after all. I'm hoping to take lessons at school. I really want to get my hands dirty and start strumming away. However, until I get some real expert knowledge on this, I'll have to continue plucking the 4 or 5 chords I know.
Here's a video I found helpful in learning some chords (from YouTube of course):
If you're a visual learner, here's a great way to learn notes: Click Here
Typically, I'm no fan of documentaries; due to their tendency to have a cumbersome amount of new information, which leave me wondering why I didn't just go to a comedy. Luckily, director, Davis Guggenheim does not disappoint. Instead he masterfully immerses us into the minds of three musical geniuses, who've all followed considerably different musical paths, but represent something quite similar.
Jack White from The White Stripes, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and lastly guitarist of U2, The Edge bring together three disparate generations of music. Guggenheim impels us through each musician's journey of finding a love for guitar through enchanting cinematography and intriguing dialogue. Not only do we delve into the ingenuity of these artists, but also experience the creativity of three very influential musicians with staggeringly different approaches, come together to talk, but more importantly do what they love to do---play guitar.
It really got me thinking about the paradox most musicians face in our society just to follow their passions. Not only are wannabe musicians scoffed at for their ambitions, but they also face a dispiriting road less traveled by--one with numerous stories of failure, and minimal hope for guarantees of any kind. There's no doubt that media played a huge role in shaping and altering this career path. For instance, the internet has basically deteriorated any chance for lesser known artists to make a living. With free music accessible at the click of a button and little threat of retribution, most artists are forced to find success through touring. I think that the media has really stunted the musical creativity of the world.
Internets crippling of the music industry entwines with another media that also threatens those artists who do not have commercial appeal--TV. Unfortunately, advertising plays a hand in what we are hearing now, too. For that very reason, the most publicized music has lost its depth and originality.
With odds like these, how are lesser known artists supposed to follow their career choice when the path to success looks anything but favorable? Luckily, musicians have one last safe avenue to go down--the word of mouth of those who really care.
On that note, I would like to share some lesser known music that I've been digging lately. Here's a sample of two bands that I like: Bowerbirds: "Northern Lights"
