[acid-jazz] declaration of independence!!!

From: Steve (scatanzaro4_at_cox.net)
Date: 2004-07-04 18:56:42

  • Next message: Mark Turner: "RE: [acid-jazz] declaration of independence!!!"

    sorry, I couldn't help myself!!! (july 4th and all...)
     
    matt;
     
    i don't want to get off on a rant about castro; (although I do find it
    funny that u say teofilo stevens *is* a national treasure, meanwhile
    fidel *has* a national treasure. u ask "what kid should have any respect
    for george foreman" and his millions; I ask, what kid should have any
    respect for fidel and *his* millions; I mean, fidel's been listed among
    the world's wealthiest men for a lot longer than george foreman. foreman
    earned his the old-fashioned way...thru sales. but castro earned his the
    really old fashioned way... thru pillaging.
     
    and further, by criticizing arturo for leaving cuba, are u thereby
    criticizing all the musicians who have left? What about gonzalo, who
    also lives in fla., and said he just wanted to leave cuba 'cuz he was
    missing work opportunities? Is it really "greed" to want to provide hot
    running water, toothpaste, and 2 ply toilet paper to your kids?
    Something like 3 million people have left cuba under castro, and about
    60,000 have died making the attempt to get away from the worker's
    paradise. are they all traitors? even fidel's own daughter left.)
     
    but ENOUGH about castro! i want to get back to the main point of the
    thread; does capitalism hold back the art of music.
     
    now, u have spoken of cuba's advanced music education. but i ask this
    simple question; what great, creative musician ever really had first
    rate music education? there are some, but they are in the minority.
     
    think about it. when chopin went to vienna (1829 or so, I believe) he
    was hit up by the main piano teacher in the world at that time, who
    offered to give him free piano lessons. chopin demurred, preferring to
    go his own way, and in doing so, changed the face of music.
     
    that's the point. u can't really *teach* creativity. in fact, in a
    certain sense, music education might actually "stifle" creativity.
     
    the greatest musicians didn't have formal music education; the 2
    greatest american composers, duke ellington and george gershwin, were
    mostly self-taught. arguably the greatest songwriters in the last half
    of the 20th century, lennon and mccartney, were self-taught and couldn't
    even read music! do u say, "yes, well think how great they would've been
    if they had music education?" but, when people asked duke ellington if
    he shouldn't go study at juilliard, he said he was afraid if he went
    he'd lose everything that made him unique.
     
    gershwin went to paris to study w. ravel. when ravel found out how much
    money gershwin was making, he declined giving him the lessons, saying
    "maybe I should come to new york and study with you!"
     
    In america, we have very prestigious music schools; juilliard, new
    england conservatory, berklee, north texas, curtis institute, peabody,
    indiana u, usc, etc... but most of the greatest, most creative musicians
    have a record of either avoiding these schools or just going for a year
    or two.
     
    miles davis dropped out of juilliard, citing its overall whackness.
    charlie parker never had formalized training. ditto monk, horace silver,
    etc. and whoever else u want to name. in fact, it is said of berklee in
    boston, that if u *do* graduate, u must not be very good, otherwise
    you'd have gotten a gig and left b4 your time was up!! this is the case
    with daniello perez, keith jarrett, mark de clive lowe, etc. etc.
     
    so, i on this july 4 hereby declare that "independence" and "school" are
    oxymorons.
     
    there are things musicians need more than a teacher or teachers leaning
    over and showing them the "correct" way to do things. they need good
    equipment, and a place to *market* their music.
     
    and isn't it funny, that even in a rank capitalist society, the cream
    will often rise to the top? with all the new music constantly being
    pimped out there, with all the new 12" and cd and mp3 assaulting us all
    the time. u can still pick out a nu jazzanova track within a few
    seconds. they, amon tobin, roni size, and whoever else, have done what
    no school can teach u. they've come up with a high quality, recognizable
    sound that stands out from the pack. and they did it all without any
    music training whatsoever!!!
     
    and now they're getting PAID! that's freedom! that's ingenuity. that's
    capitalism!!! take that, fidel. happy 4 of july!