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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kid Rock who wrote (84930)	8/5/2000 8:29:27 AM
From: Frederick Smart	Respond to of 108807

Music & Ego.... >>and not just to be a contrarian (you seem to need a lot of support on the thread)but when i perform music to an audience my ego skyrockets from its already elevated state to one of olympic proportion! good luck on the east side but be careful>> I'm not going to get too deep here, but when music is performed the artist has a choice. There's always this line: -------------------- On the one side is the audience. On the other side is YOU. I'm not a collector of music, nor do I claim to be an accomplished critic. Most of the music I listen to comes from songs I have sung from which these free form melodies and new words simply come out of left field. I can make up a song right on the fly with words and melody and share it immediately with an audience of kids. Period. Done. It's here, now, shared!! Kids love this spontaneity. I even do this thing where I ask any kid to come up with a word and then I start a completely new song from the word they come up with. At points in the song I will stop completely and ask them to come up with another word, the meaning of which can completely change the nature of the entire song. It's like surfing a wave. The kids love it and I feel I am just sharing a gift of joy and song with them that comes from within. But the only way I can tap into this energy is if my focus is on THEM - not "ME." So EGO can't be involved. And it's facinating for when I even sense "me" coming into this my energy drops to ZERO. I lose my ability to creatively come up with the rhythm, words and melody. This is all very hard to explain for this is all pretty much free-form experimentation. Unfortunately, with the way much of what we call "music" has ben presented to us over the years, it's all pretty much a ONE-WAY street. You have fans/spectators/listeners.............over here. AND Musicians over here. There has to be a stage, time, appointment, money, etc. Very little for what passes as music in this country is really, truly spontaneous and focused OUTWARD. Ok, ok, the Grateful Dead had their "community" and all bands have their "jam sessions." But most bands are scavenging to be "discovered" by someone/something/somewhere OUTSIDE of themselves. I personally think "discovery" must always begin inside oneself. Once a talented singer/musician discovers this unique key/gift which is inside he then must freely and creatively share this "key" this gift, this energy and light with others. Then a lasting audience "connection" is made. Ok, so there are "stars" etc., but there are also thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands - if not millions -of folks who have played in the past but who simply lack a free form ad hoc venue to participate and share in this more "outward" side of the music world. Where music becomes a personal and community portal through which people can meet, network, empower and grow. But I will take your advice. I will watch it on the "east side" of East St. Louis. I will be focused "outward" on what I can do to share this energy and create some trust while playing a more personal form of music. Peace. .