Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- Music Is The Real Teacher.

~ Check it out... music is the REAL teacher. Ya got to love it, that's the long and the short of it. For one reason or another there has to exist enough desire to maintain a practice for the long term. It's true in any field. Of course it's not all a bed or roses, but the returns have been satisfying for me - -and continue to be. Actually, as I get older, there is more of a feeling of appreciation for the skills and talent which I've developed. Perhaps and expansion of your practice into some more enjoyable areas would spice things up for you. Concentrate for a while on things you enjoy--also, some type of physical exercise is sometimes necessary to balance and complement your musical practice since music can tend to be like a desk job at times. The saxophone is not really a solo instrument in the same way that a piano is-so the rewards of playing the sax only really come in performance......recording and things like that. Then of course, there is the money issue. How to make a living playing music---always an interesting subject. So there is another interesting aspect of music--competition. It exists. Whether or not you get caught up in it depends on many things. Let's first assume that everyone is independently wealthy--no money problems. It's difficult to separate out this "pure" love of music from the other. But, what is really the alternative. A practice offers psychological benefits which, in the long run, greatly enhance ones ' quality of life". My philosophy about personal musical growth is that musicians should learn how to think, listen and talk about music. Likewise, I pass this on to my students of all ages. IT'S WORKING! If your in 5th grade or a Doctor studying jazz clarinet with me for fun. There's something we all have. It's this criteria: brain, ears, and voice. Naturally, these three are interrelated. If you think about music, then it follows that you can easily talk about it. Listening is the most important part. Without ears, music would not exist. If I had to pick the most valuable musical tool for shaping musical growth, it would be personal taste. Always visualize only favorable and beneficial situations.Music helps with this.Try to use positive words in your inner dialogues or when talking with others.

Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it and endeavor to replace it with a constructive one.Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts.It does not matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they do. A student once asked me if a particular note "worked" in a particular setting; my response was, "only if you like it".

Take it a step further Bob Dylan plays thesame C7 chord that Pat Martino does. Same 4 notes, likewise when Sonny Rollins hits a D minor 7th, it's the same chord that Jeff Beck might play or Charles Lloyd.Or how Ernie Krivda....one of the real original voices in saxophone today might approach something...in the same essence as a great orchestra does. It's how YOU deliver it. Lots of cooks use tomatoes and basil you dig? Same deal.Keeping a open mind can create a path for a student. There's a big difference between Bud Powell and Duke Ellington. But they both have a message. Think about it.Personal musical taste expands infinitely. This allows for musical evolution. Just live it. Go for it. Play it. Write it. Above all, use your own personal, ever growing, musical taste. Hence, music is the real teacher.

39 years ago today, Wake Of The Flood made its way into our universe. Wake of the Flood is the sixth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August 4 and September 1, 1973, and originally released on October 15, 1973. It was the first release under the band's own label, Grateful Dead Records, after fulfilling their contract with Warner Bros. Records. It was their first full-length studio album in nearly three years, since 1970's American Beauty. It was also the first studio album without Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, who had recently died. His absence and new piano player Keith Godchaux's tendency towards jazz changed the band's sound.

To arrive at a personal destination you have to invest in yourself. Study, practice and live life. Facebook- and spending 19 hours a day on line don'tdo it- you need toget away from the four walls. Think about this great quote as well ; The characteristics of a good musician can be summarized as follows: 1. A well-trained ear 2. A well-trained intelligence 3. A well-trained heart 4. A well-trained hand. Seems like the most practical, right? Let me go further in the essence of jazz, there must be a constant equilibrium. As soon as one lags behind or rushes ahead, there is something wrong. Check out the music of the of the 20th century, from twelve tone Schoenbergian music to Broadway; from “Mac the Knife” to operas; from Brecht to Lotte Lenya;Hendrix, Satie, Debussy, Cecil Taylor, composers, arrangers, anyone and anything prolific and interesting to you. By accepting that challenge with an individualistc, interpretive approach,you will broaden and deepened YOUR artistic core as an improvisational musician. Study, listen well to the association of how rather than what. In other words don’t let a musical idea,vision or concept get borne out of the fingers rather than the music itself, and the try to keep the highest musical value or useful when searching for oneself.Be the best YOU that is available at the moment. After all,our goal is creativity and the use of the imagination. HERE...Is where listening to THE GRATEFUL DEAD....BOB WEIR....JERRY GARCIA and people in that genre was a big help to my ears and musical forward motion. PLUS- It's fun!!

Thanks to all those musicians for creating an astonishing body of art that will stay forever. Ditto Bob Weir who has become not only a friend but someone who I really enjoy sharing all kinds of music with. THAT...is what it's about no matter what you play!!!

MUSIC IS....THE REAL TEACHER....See ya next week- be well- Tim Price