[Dixielandjazz] What they teach in college these days...

[Bill Gunter]

Hi all,

I posted a thing about the music of John Cage and others of his ilk. 
Generally I pooh poohed the concept and explained why I felt that way.

Mike C. responded:

>What's wrong with exploring new ideas and sounds? I mean, in order for 
>music to progress and go forward new sounds and ideas have to be explored 
>and anaylzed.

Mike is absolutely right and in no way did I say anything negative about 
advancing new ideas in music. The key word here is "music."

I see music as a discipline and until one masters the basics then one is not 
a "musician."

When people (especially young enthusiastic music wannabees) decide that, 
with no musical training, they can compose sounds into profound and 
evocative patterns (which I usually interpret as 'noise') and then call it 
"music" and claim they are "expanding the envelope" in the realm of music . 
. . that's when I get the giggles and tend to look at such activities with 
amusement rather than serious consideration.

Music must speak to the heart, it must speak to awe, and it must speak to 
God.

You may present the most intricate chart of organized sounds . . . diagram 
it on a chalk board . . . display the clever and complicated connections 
between various pitches, phrases and aural qualities, but if it doesn't 
speak to the heart, to awe and to God it ain't worth squat!

Problem with a lot of young people is that they skip step one.

In music, step one is becoming a musician. Step two is composing and step 
three is performing.

If you skip step one and go directly to steps two and three you can forget 
step four.

Step four is transporting your listener. If you don't move an audience what 
have you created?

Answer me that.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com