Re: improving/the sky is crying

[Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry guy but I don't buy your part about no rules I've heard your 
playing and it's pretty obvious you're operating within the set of 
Western Music's rules.  Your influences in terms of your playing have to 
be apparent.  Sure you communicate your emotions but your style is 
influenced by the culture you grew up in.  A babie's cry as language 
doesn't tell you much.  Is he/she hurt, hungry angry?  As the child grows 
and starts to include nuance and expression in their cries they become 
more and more specific to the language of their cultures and more and 
more like real communication.  I wasn't born knowing what an A 440 sounds 
like I learned it.  Just as Indian children grow up learning microtonal 
scales Western cultures influence the music in our heads.  I buy the part 
about being true to your emotions and playing the music in your head.  I 
play the notes I hear in my head just after I hear them.  A lot of times 
it's as if I'm hearing it for the first time along with the audience.  
I'm not a very big fan of learning all the Little Walter licks and 
regurgitating them.  I am a very big fan of listening to lots of other 
peoples music a lot of the time.  Strangely I go through very long 
periods of time where I don't listen to music but I think the reason I do 
this is I'm busy processing and turning and manipulating the stuff I've 
already heard listening to it in my head.  I'm not really disagreeing 
with you.  I truly don't like musicians that are mere copiers of others 
work.  I'd never tell anyone go listen to Big Walter over and over copy 
the licks and you'll be set.  Who am I to know what will strike a chord 
in someone else's heart?  FJM