Subject: Musical Closed Minds
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, My daughter and I like to go to concerts together - we're concert buddies. Up until this summer, I was also the transportation, financial backer and chaperon (she now drives and has a part-time job), but I wasn't like most parents in these roles. I actually like the music my daughter listens to. In fact, we introduce each other to bands we come across.We've got our tickets to Van's Warped Tour (actually, I get in for free because I'm a parental unit - nice perk) and we're looking forward to an entire day of shows. Fortunately, the list of bands I want to see is pretty much the same as my daughter's list. Additionally, my daughter entered a contest to win tickets to the event - and won. Hmm, two more tickets to invite friends! Here's where things get a little, well, puzzling... She asks a friend if they'd like to go to the show. The reply: "Well, there aren't really any bands playing that I want to see." "Oh, and the music you like sucks." Really? Friendship sure has changed since I was a kid. Heck, I had an acquaintance call me the day of the show for AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock" Tour back in 1981. Tickets? Heck yeah, I'll go! The bonus was these were second row seats! Was I a huge fan of AC/DC? Not really - sure, I owned "Back In Black" like just about every other kid, but I wasn't lined up to get tickets when the show was announced. For me, it was about the show and the experience. Hanging out with a buddy. And yes, it turned out to be a great show. Moreover, I was willing to try something new - put myself out there and take in a show I wouldn't normally go to see. That wasn't the only time I went out in a limb because a friend asked me if I wanted to check out a band. New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Gene Loves Jezebel, Blue Oyster Cult. Heck, even my first concert seeing Journey in August 1981. I really didn't know the band that well, just a few songs. I don't know - maybe things haven't changed all that much. People still make opinions based on very little information or exposure. We take the word of someone else and make a judgment without taking the time to investigate the claim. You guys are musicians. You get it. There is always something we can gain from listening to music of all types. You don't necessarily have to like a genre or make it a regular listening activity, but keeping an open mind for at least opening your ears to something different can create huge benefits in your growth as a musician. If you were to scroll through your favorite rock guitarist's MP3 player, I'll bet the types of music you find there would surprise you, at least in some ways. Interviewers tend to ask an artist what they're currently listening to, and there's always something interesting to take away from the answer. Trying Something New The bottom line is, as musicians we should make it a habit to try music out before making a judgment call. Give it a chance to age a little in your musician mind. I have many examples personally of not liking a particular band when everyone else seemed to think they were the best thing since the Rubik's Cube. Sometimes I have to let a band's music grow on me a bit. KISS is an example of this. In fact, there are a lot of Classic Rock bands that I had to gain an appreciation of over time. There's the difference, though. Some people make a blanket judgment because they didn't like one song from an artist. They won't even give the band another listen. Or they dismiss an entire genre based on a handful of artists. I find that... disappointing. Not from an authoritative perspective, but as a fellow music lover. The thing is, this day and age you can try out music risk-free. There are so many services out there that allow you to stream music and hear styles you would never discover on your own. Most of these services are free to use (supported by ads), and their catalogs of music are huge. Nearly everyone has heard of these online services: Apple Radio is offering free streaming. Amazon Prime now gives subscribers access to entire albums. Then we have great sites (like Noisetrade) that act as a portal for artists to share their music and build a following. You can download an artist's song, EP or full album free of charge. If you really like them and want to support, you can tip them right from the site. Talk about win/win for everyone. Even if no one tipped the artist, they're still building their listener base with the opportunity to invite people to shows later and announce tours and new albums. That is almost priceless to a new artist trying to make it in the music business. The Open Mind Wins As musicians, keeping an open mind will lead in very cool directions. We can hear a beat in one song, think of a guitar sound from another song and come up with our own original riff using the beat we heard as the base for that riff. We can do this all day and come up with tons of ideas, all based on what we're listening to, but changed to fit our personality or particular mood. Our senses and brains are amazing tools, mashing up these external signals. Hey, I get it - you like what you like. But inspiration often comes from somewhere outside of your normal experience. New ideas, original ideas come from new thoughts. We get these new thoughts in a flash from the stirred pot that is our mind. We mix up all the things our senses pull in - things we see, hear, taste, smell and feel, and this jumbled stew of experiences become thoughts. No two people will ever come up with the same thoughts or ideas because each of our lives are different. Go out there and try something new. Listen to some hip-hop folk music (no, I didn't make that up - I heard a lot of it in Ukraine). Or try out some classical pieces. Even a polka (shudder) could spark the next hit song. You never know unless you try! Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. 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