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So many times people musically are concerned about harsh reviews that serve no purpose and just thrash the artist. The common sense of communication, respect and review are lost forever in this kind of situation.
The great teacher Charlie Banacos once shared the below quote with me of Theodore Roosevelt which sums it all up nicely.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
And...to take it a step even further...some words from Rico artist Jerry Bergonzi ;
"It's none of your business what other people think of your playing" - Jerry Bergonzi
Here's a helpful hint to gain new dimension ;
Replace the same old videos you watch on youtube with classic jazz recordings.Start listening more to masters and study the real history of what your playing! Youtube can be a great starting point- but keep on searching. Listen to more String Quartets, more Woodwind Quintets, read more about composers.Do you know about the books on Ellington? Open a book, listen to Red Garland, Bartok,Blue Mitchell read Boulez. Stop to think...do you need to listen to the same stuff? Why. Are you aware of Bud Powell and his music? The world is out there go find it.Live music needs your support! I continue to explore and learn all I can about all music in the quest to develop a voice.The more I know about what’s behind the music the more profound the effect is on my musical psyche. Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes- much more than that. I’m grateful for the era that I came up in, and the teachers, musicians that made me aware of these values. Balance! I hope my words on this issue, in the process inspire people to do the right thing.Go hear some live music, support the people playing NOW, be part of it.
Till next week be in the moment and make every moment the best it can be.
~ Tim Price
- - What it is...Is hard work and commitment.Commitment to your chosen art form, and desire to do just that.Creativity and responsibility are twins in art. One cannot claim to be truly creative without being responsible. However, the commitment of an artist to a cause should never be blind commitment. The artist should always retain the right to question motives. In that way the artist will remain faithful to both creativity and social responsibility.If all art is a form of communication, all art is produced with an audience in mind. The process of artistic creation is an exercise in communication and as all communication must be able to communicate, it therefore follows that the process of artistic creation entails the responsibility to communicate. It can therefore be argued that there is no necessary contradiction between creativity and responsibility in art. I know that there are philosophies like art for art’s sake, which can be contrasted to say the literature of commitment. But I say you cannot be truly creative without being responsible. The moment you stop being responsible you stop being truly creative.IT DON'T JUST HAPPEN. You got to work.< all art is produced with an audience in mind >
~ These last few days...have strengthened that idea. I taught a workshop Sunday for JazzEd at Berks Jazz. Beautiful energy, students and commitment. From there, I drove from my Reading, Pa home to outside Philly.To my vibes player Randy Sutins home to rehearse for Thursdays gig. I ran into my old friend Harold Smith there. ( pictured above in first picture, to my right.) Harold is a force of nature and inspiring. It was great to see him. Randy and I have been playing jazz over 30 years together. Long drives at night home,late hours going into the next days work. AND SO IT GOES. To do this is responsible and shares a responsibility to the music. We've played decades of jazz clubs, strange rooms that wanted jazz and nice clubs from Cape May New Jersey to Wilmington Delaware and NYC.There creativity and social responsibility join. You got to get to the audience and be on time too. Done deal. Randy and I have played with players like Cedric Jensen-drums, Cecil Payne the bop baritone sax legend, Richie Cole, organist Tommy Pass, Junior Cook- the great tenor saxophonist and more. The joy and fun are memory's and we're still doing it. It is our life.
- You do it, and keep doing it. That is.....what it is.
- THURSDAY....
Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic....
Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m....
Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base....
case his Jazz-A-Delic project, featuring vibraphonist/percussionist Randy Sutin, who has been creating music with Tim for over 26 years; drummer/composer/educator Sean Kennedy; and superstar bassist Mark Amentt. Pefect committed jazz players to be on the set with. Till next week....stay true to YOUR muse and keep on- TIM PRICE
PS- THANK YOU.... Jeff Kirschenbaum & Andrew Lepley for the great pictures. You guys are the best.
.... Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes.It involves more than just getting a degree, playing your instrument, and those aspects. More so, it includes, the day to day life of travel, prep before you travel, making sure your ducks are in a row on the daily agenda.Gas for the car, bus ticket, clothes and schedule. Anything short of that in todays environment is a loss on the player-performers game card. Yes, it's past the mouthpieces, or a five digit Selmer and the demo CD that your uncle Ralph paid for. It's called- day to day life. Here is a day in my life- as of May 13th. I thought I'd share this with you all dear readers, hope you enjoy it. I continue to explore and learn all I can in the quest to develop my own musical voice. This is an account of a day in my life, and what’s behind the music via a profound the effect on my musical psyche.As I said, being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes. I’m grateful for that......As you read, Putting life together- and dealing with it. I'm glad I'm doing things I enjoy.
To come up to date,Sunday April 7, I will present my Sax Workshop 11 am in Reading, Pa for Berks Jazz festival at the Goggle Works. Check www.berksjazzfest.com for directions etc. Stop by please if your at the Jazz Festival this weekend.
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 the same 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 Keith Jarrett. 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. Share the music and propagate it as much as you can. As always,strive for tone and help your school music programs, in every way you can.
- Also within Berks Jazz Festival...my Jazz Festival gig is April 11TH. NOW-Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic,Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m.Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base / Crowne Plaza Reading / Tickets: $15
Berks native Tim Price is no stranger to the Berks Jazz Fest.For the upcoming fest, I will showcase my Jazz-A-Delic project, featuring out of this world vibraphonist/percussionist Randy Sutin, who has been creating music with me for over 26 years; drummer/composer/educator, the great Sean Kennedy; and the great bassist Mark Amentt.If your within distance, stop by and listen.
I'm a lucky guy! As I said before... being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes. Check this-When I was a student in high school I wore out a James Moody record with " Last Train From Overbrook" on it. He became one of my favorites.Years later he gave me a saxophone lesson ( in 1973! ) in the Taft Hotel in NYC.I was fascinated by a tri-tone technique he was using, he showed me a lot of other things in that lesson too. I went to pay him and he told me to just remember him when I became well known. At that time,I was living in the Bronx,and was flattered by his humanity. Years later he spoke to me at an IAJE and I reminded him of this story and he kissed me on the cheek.His musicianship and his aspect of being a good person left a deep inspiration on me for life.There was also a point he lived in Reading, Pa where I am from. This was in his childhood years. His mother operated the elevator at Pomeroy's department store here in Reading Pa at 6th & Penn St. He told me that story on a break at the Jazz Workshop in Boston when he was playing with Dizzy ' round 1970.Music is a beyond words experience.Someone as great as James Moody- is a huge benchmark to me. As well as many others I mention.Keep on your path and do something good for somebody.
Be well and remember compassion is essential with each other. See you next week. - Tim Price
~ Friday I drove to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC to hear Charles Lloyd. Every time I hear Charles it's
an experience I'm glad I heard. The journey has many rewards,and inspirations.This was very special,with one of the greatest saxophonists in the history of jazz, Charles Lloyd, celebrating his 75th birthday with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos , at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on Friday, March 22.
His live playing is a real treasure trove.The ECM Cd's are worth their weight in gold.The recordings have that very rare quality of becoming better each time you listen to them. Each time I put on a Charles Lloyd CD on, I get lost in it.
These types of experiences, in which one can enjoy him live, is a wonder, a synthesis of cerebral and virtually telepathic musical intuition and communication between the musicians, as if suddenly they unite in their new found discovery and take a voyage down a never explored avenue, only to emerge in triumphant glory. I have to mention the interplay, the improvisation, the way each band member can feel each other like putting on an old glove.Not to mention the benediction from the legendary genius Dick Gregory! A bright moment and something very beautiful in the 75th birthday concert for Master Lloyd.
In a very clear way,a Charles Lloyd live concert is the pivot point between the main phases of this masters career: the acoustic jazz idiom he inhabited , and revolutionized,and the beyond category music he is creating on a day to day basis. This makes for a one of a kind team, equally at home with groove and feverish exotic forward motion. Charles takes the ensemble through a series of atomized improvisations.I loved what everyone brought to the bandstand, the knowledge, soul, passion and imagination.They shimmer like stars in the night sky when they create together.Charles Lloyd,Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos - were phenomenal! The ensemble inventiveness here is among the most masterful, the most intricate, the most engaging in the history of jazz and modern music. Indeed, it is Charles Lloyd's playing on tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute and taragato that is immersed in the brilliance of universal invention.
~ This was of the highest historical importance.
Jazz is ephemeral, everything has to be right for the best performances, and everything was perfect on this date. The players were all at the absolute top of their games, the tunes were great, the mood was right, it's a great concert in every respect.Thank you all- Charles Lloyd, the masterful Dick Gregory,Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos.I'll never forget this night- I can't recall a more sheerly beautiful gathering of spirits and simpaticos.
~ Charles Lloyd is a blessing to this music, and all within and around it. - Tim Price
“Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener”.....Arnold Schoenberg
"I believe what I do and do only what I believe; and woe to anybody who lays hands on my faith. Such a man I regard as an enemy, and no quarter given!"
-Schoenberg on his peculiar style of music.
-- -Schoenberg's music can be difficult for the first time listener - that I admit. If you give it some time, though, it begins to make much more sense, and the passion and expression written into the score begin to come out. It may not happen the first or second time you listen, but if you put forth an effort, it will happen.
Let's start with - Peripetie - Arnold Schoenberg. Take a week, listen to it once a day. Watch how what YOU hear in the music develops.
The music is utterly seamless,The sound is rich and full-bodied.Arnold Schoenberg has become my "go to" choice for inspiration. Urgently recommended.He wrote for the muse of music. My kinda hero.
Do not forget as well...Berks Jazz Festival.Sunday, April 7
Workshop: Tim Price's Jazz in the Classroom
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Admission: FREE (donations accepted)
The Jazz in the Classroom workshop is part of Tim Price's popular "Adventures in Jazz Series."
In performance-oriented settings, Tim Price works with young artists to improve both musical awareness and technical skills. When circumstances allow, it is informative and interesting for directors and teachers to help their students prepare materials to play in a master class setting. Students and faculty benefit from both the performance itself and Tim's expansion of musical ideas along with a fresh, creative perspective.
FACTS...And answers learned from the masters and real life experience on the bandstand- come by and hang, study and have fun with Tim !In the clinic forum, Tim encourages students to participate by presenting relevant subjects and compositions by the masters , asking questions and sharing musical and, sometimes, personal concerns. Tim will then respond through discussion and demonstration. Tim will also urge participating faculty and students to express their thoughts and share their experiences and feelings on matters under discussion.
These ideas provide a great point of departure and inspiration for students of all ages and musical levels.
AND....Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic
Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m.
Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base
Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $15 ORDER TICKETS
Berks native Tim Price is no stranger to the Berks Jazz Fest.
Price has appeared at the festival for over two decades and counting!
For the upcoming fest, Price will showcase his Jazz-A-Delic project, featuring vibraphonist/percussionist Randy Sutin, who has been creating music with Tim for over 26 years; drummer/composer/educator Sean Kennedy; and superstar bassist Mark Amentt.
- -- TAKE IT EASY...Catch you next week- Tim Price
The word is ~ imagination !!
Using your intuition and feelings when improvising is most important be it at the most advanced level or just a basic beginner. To thoroughly approach this as an art form and something that has deep meaning is most important. The masters when they played, be it Johnny Dodds or Sidney Bechet or Bud Powell on through the greats like Wayne Shorter or Charlie Mariano all came from a very deep place. At times, this place is something that you must go to in a natural way. Nothing cosmic about it, it's almost like a trance. It's almost like when your telling someone a story and you close your eyes and you're taking them somewhere with you. Art Pepper wrote a song about this called "The Trip." Stan Getz called this frame of mind the "alpha state."
Whether its experienced in dreams, altered states, or simply sitting in solitude, the artist must be aware of the visionary realm. In Buddhist culture and other forms of spiritual thought, this is called the "third eye." It is the sixth in the series of energy centers in the body known as Charka. The sixth Charka contains and controls knowledge, intuition, and perception. Inherent to any of these philosophies of the "third eye" is recognition and attention paid to the source of human creativity. This human creativity can be one of the deepest subconscious forms of communication in the world. Opening your thoughts to the unknown realms of your own imagination. Many times musicians inquest to unlock the force behind this theory of the eye has shadowed their colleagues throughout ancient history. In my humble opinion, the subconscious travel that one can take studying Buddhism or any of those particular forms runs a very strong parallel to the stunning body of work of many jazz saxophone players.
~ ~ The music chose me. When somebody has a situation where they're playing music at an age like I was in 8th grade. At that particular time there were only 3 TV stations. I had no distractions, I had already gotten the sports bug out of my system due to a bout with scarlet fever I had as a kid. So for a few weeks I was restricted from sports, at that same time I had started saxophone lessons in 8th grade. A woman who worked with my mother at the telephone company was a Gerry Mulligan fan, she had given my mom a Gerry Mulligan record for me with Chet Baker and Chico Hamilton. My attention span was captured by that music. A few days later I found a radio station in Philly that was on all the time. I heard Lee Morgan play the " Sidewinder" . I had no idea who Lee Morgan was and no idea that I was listening to Joe Henderson until I saw his name. Something in the music, whether it was the freshness of how Mulligan or Lee Morgan played or something else that I couldn't put my finger on drew me in. From then on I was listening to the radio, taking my saxophone lessons, and playing in school bands in Junior High. I saw an ad for Berklee in a Downbeat. I realized that at that particular point in time I had to go there. From then on I realized where my path was.
What is your experience when you feel connected into the music?
This question could be answered a number of ways. I'll be blunt-THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD! There's a euphoria and a feeling of deep interaction with what you're creating. You're inside something. I'm not standing there trying to be someone else by playing someone else's style or licks. My goal is to start from zero and try to add something to the music. This is something I've learned and been influenced by studying with masters such as Charlie Mariano, who has a great internalization of not only saxophone command but commitment to creativity. You have to understand even if you're playing simple triadic rock n' roll or the most harmonically ad vanced stuff. You're going for a groove. I have an unreleased CD that's called " Bombay Bar Walking" , and the vibe is no matter if you're at a corner bar in Philly and you're playing tenor in the pocket or you're sitting crossed legged with a tabla player to your right-no matter what you're going for that zone. I also stay neutral to all musical appetites.It's a personal thing.Personal is of supreme importance to me. That means to be oneself in any given setting.I am an unabashed eclectic, meaning interested in many different musical idioms.This goes back to my formative years, when I was exposed to all styles of music which I was involved in. Great rock & roll bands, playing creative jazz everyday at Berklee where I graduated from,playing organ group funky jazz in the " Combat Zone",backing "soul" acts and big bands. Also sitting in the same room with my mentor Charlie Mariano playing, studying and getting life lessons from that master innovative genius. I was always attracted to many diverse areas of music and when I began to construct my own musical landscape I found a "zone" within' the path I was seeking. That's where its at. That zone that everyone looks for is as important as anything. That is my spring board.
I'm pretty sure that many times, a person sitting cross-legged in deep meditation is in the same spiritual space as a tenor sax player behind a bar with a screaming organ trio and his eyes closed...playing from the deepest spot in his soul. What I'm getting at here is nothing cosmic or nothing too whacked out...what I'm trying to bring your attention is music needs all the imagination from an individual it can get. When unconscious-unspoken communication, traveling at the speed of thought, becomes the only or at least the truest form of communication, you just know everything is clicking just like it should ... the energy is like a ball and bounces around through glances and body comunication.It is awesome, it's the inner spirit of your mind in it's highest form.
At this point in time in jazz, everything seems to be published and everything seems to almost be written down. We are in a great educational state. But where are the people who are really reaching within and trusting themselves to their own creative muse? This is the element that I am addressing here. As a student of music, take some time to think about using your intuition. As Bird said, "First you master the music, then you master your horn, then you forget all that shit and just play!"
We need to keep that in the front part of our minds and make that a slogan similar to the many people who look to their "third eye." As you see, I'm trying to point out a parallel in creative paths. It's not easy. But it is easy when you bring it into your own consciousness and try to practice these aspects. Sure, licks, lines, inversions, and all that good stuff is of paramount importance. But let us not forget to keep the magic in the music.
Give all that you have and you shall receive more than you can imagine experiencing when playing jazz!
Lively Up Yourself !
Only 31 days...till Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic @ Berks Jazz Festival.
Sean J. Kennedy....Mark Amentt...Randy Sutin & I will be "Steppin
Out"...because... " Love Has No Pride".
We talkin'...Jazz-A-delic shuffle "SK" grooves with jah Natty Dread mixed with stritch, vibes, bass-ooga-boo-galoo & nipple gongs , straight tenor...Datta tenor...electro-bassoon whammy and Libby Titus meets Pee Wee Russell & straight up fun. Mark your calendar's and....Lively Up Yourself with the Jazz-A-Delic. IMAGINATION...on the set. Come get some.
Your gratitude empowers others to play even better. Remember fear destroys the souls ability to create. So start now and use the power of love to encompass all your decisions so fear has no room to exist in your life. Remove fear from your thoughts and you remove and limitations. All is illusion and all illusion is yours to control. So be connected. Everything happens for a reason. Chance is limited to a coin. Decision is limited to free will. We are limited to our decisions.
So decide to burn and get down with the music you love. Decide to bring something to the music.
The word is ~ imagination ! Jazz-A-delic...and more! ~ TIM PRICE
If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in music, you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label "Artist" to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of saxophones, bassoon, flute, clarinet, and the many forms of jazz I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students. SO..... I believe "Self Expression" is the pinnacle of all art. Anything less, "is less" in my opinion. I'm not going to debate that view or try to persuade any of you to also believe it. Instead I am going to assume you already hold that view and discuss ways in which I may be able to offer you both philosophical and practical advice. Street sense, if you will.
The first step is to stop thinking of yourself as merely a musician. I'll take this one step further and recommend against thinking of yourself as a musician! You are, or are at least learning to become, an artist. Music just happens to be your medium and oboe just happens to be your instrument, but YOU are the artist. From this day forward when someone asks you what you do or who you are, don't reply by saying you are a saxophonist, clarinetist or musician. Tell them (in a non-arrogant way) you are an artist. If they want more details than that, go ahead and tell them music is your medium. I guarantee you will put an entirely different impression in other people's minds than if you were to. But beyond the impressions of others, you will begin to put stronger impressions in your own mind that you are in fact an artist (even if you are still in the learning stage of fully becoming one). The way you view yourself (as an artist and not merely someone who owns a guitar and plays it sometimes) is very important to the way you will think about what you are doing musically. The way you see yourself will also effect the results you will get as you are expressing yourself.
To be truly self expressive one must actually know what one is trying to express!
Did you ever look back on a conversation you had and fantasize about talking to that person in a more authentic way than you did? Perhaps it was someone who mistreated you and instead of telling them how you felt about it, you walked away feeling dis-empowered and wishing you had stood up for yourself. For some of us, speaking our truth, in the moment, may be difficult because of fear of confrontation and lack of confidence, but not speaking our truth can have damaging effects on self-esteem and even health. “People often say that this person or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds.When we think about ourselves, we tend to think in a certain way about our skills, strengths and talents. We narrowly define ourselves, meaning we live life from a certain way of thinking and being, which limits our experiences. We can re-create ourselves at anytime and choose to define ourselves in other ways. Explore new ways of thinking and being, and you may discover that you have talents and passions you never knew existed. THINK ABOUT IT. We can help birth ideas and create new possibilities for our life with creative techniques. Some creative techniques to try include: writing daily about anything that’s on your mind,( HOW DO YOU THINK I DO THESE BLOGS? ha ha ) keeping an idea book that you can carry with you, using mind maps for creative problem-solving, brainstorming, and creating vision boards.
Many of us rarely, if ever, take time out from our harried schedules to become an observer of our own life and who we are being. We get so bogged down in daily activities and obligations that days, months, and years fly by. Take time to step back from your life and see whether you are truly happy, fulfilled, using your talents, and pursuing your passions. You can even hire a life coach to help you with self-exploration to gain knowledge that can open up new possibilities for you.
~ These are things that are on my mind. Thinks like self expression, finding better ways to open the channel and so on. As well as this amazing _Straight tenor saxophone_made by Sax Dakota. The avenue of self-expression and fun abound here. Why? Because the sound inspires me. It's very unique, it's organized via the straight tube of the tenor. I'm really knocked out by how it inspires me. But more on this as you hear me play it live too.
Till next week...be well and stay on your path. ~ Tim Price
............The thing always happens...That you really believe in;And the belief in the thing...Makes it happen
Don't bunt, aim out of the ball park....Aim for the company of the immortals....Shifting our misbeliefs is our assignment....Carlos Santana - 2013
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So many times people musically are concerned about harsh reviews that serve no purpose and just thrash the artist. The common sense of communication, respect and review are lost forever in this kind of situation.
The great teacher Charlie Banacos once shared the below quote with me of Theodore Roosevelt which sums it all up nicely.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
And...to take it a step even further...some words from Rico artist Jerry Bergonzi ;
"It's none of your business what other people think of your playing" - Jerry Bergonzi
Here's a helpful hint to gain new dimension ;
Replace the same old videos you watch on youtube with classic jazz recordings.Start listening more to masters and study the real history of what your playing! Youtube can be a great starting point- but keep on searching. Listen to more String Quartets, more Woodwind Quintets, read more about composers.Do you know about the books on Ellington? Open a book, listen to Red Garland, Bartok,Blue Mitchell read Boulez. Stop to think...do you need to listen to the same stuff? Why. Are you aware of Bud Powell and his music? The world is out there go find it.Live music needs your support! I continue to explore and learn all I can about all music in the quest to develop a voice.The more I know about what’s behind the music the more profound the effect is on my musical psyche. Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes- much more than that. I’m grateful for the era that I came up in, and the teachers, musicians that made me aware of these values. Balance! I hope my words on this issue, in the process inspire people to do the right thing.Go hear some live music, support the people playing NOW, be part of it.
Till next week be in the moment and make every moment the best it can be.
~ Tim Price
