Re: improving/the sky is crying

[Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chris' metaphor to dialects being well chosen I believe I differ with him 
in terms of the conclusion.  While likening music to a language and 
urging others to hear their inner voice in seeking the expression of the 
language is certainly a worthy goal the only way to acquire the language 
is by listening to others.  No child is born speaking any language, yet 
by the time most of us are little more than 2 we utter words and
sometimes sentences.  We've built a context by listening to others speak 
the language.  The same can hold true for music.  The broader the context 
of our experiences the more able we may be to communicate the music in 
our hearts and minds.  Copying Big Walter Horton note for note is 
certainly not the road to musical success but, if we can listen to his 
music and grasp the subtleties of the messages he tries to communicate 
how can our musical repitoire not grow by the experience.  Like a 3 year 
old not grasping the meaning and power of the words she/he utters I've 
seen many a band playing the music of T-Bone Walker or Elmore James by 
way of Stevie Ray Vaughn or the Allman Brothers not having a clue as to 
the actual meaning of the notes they play.  Idiomatic speach is an 
interesting concept musically.  While it is often easy to grasp the 
basics of the idiom 1-4-5 it's often difficult or impossible to use that 
basic understanding to communicate in a complex subtle fluid way.  Slow 
blues being the hardest to play because it's not the notes it's how you 
play them.  No other way to learn that but from listening to the others 
that came before you.  It'd be like speaking english with no dictionary 
or people around you to listen to.  You'd be robbed of all that synergy 
and leaps of understanding.  fjm