Before I enrolled in theory and musicianship classes, I thought I was a talented singer. I really truly thought I had what it took to make it as it stood as a talented youngster. Taking classes with musicianship and harmony opened my eyes to what it means to be a real “Musician”. I think that term is thrown around so loosely these days. Playing 4 chords and singing a melody is NOT being a “Musician”, in fact it’s a major step backwards. Think of all the music from the past, all the mozarts all the motown artists. There has been development there across the board in some way or another. We feel like we are running out of ideas and it’s pushing us more and more toward a “Sounds cool” generation.
We are the only ones who can educate ourselves and build on the fundamentals of music. After I went to school and became a scholar of music, I thought my talent would somehow be tainted. It has made me a smarter singer, a legit musician who can read and wrote and do session work, and has expanded my musical horizons exponentially. There are always times when a producer or even a label person will want to talk “Music” with you, and you need to be able to know what you’re talking about.
A music education will give you the tools to converse intelligently and will expand your writing horizons as well. Especially if you’re trying to find innovative ways to use G C D and Emin. Learn about your passions. You couldn’t be a doctor and know about the complexities of human anatomy without learning it, what makes us think we can master the complexity of all that is music without learning. We as a people have come so far, let’s not take a step backwards.
http://www.myspace.com/timturnermusic
