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Instead of that it’s all gone a bit Lesbians at a food bank .
Someone mentioned Thomas McRocklin before, which is a decent enough comparison. He's spoken a bit about not having a normal childhood and having to readjust into adult life. Without getting my pitchfork on, I can see that sort of journey happening to this young chap as well. On the other hand, if he gets to play fantastic guitar in front of thousands of people, that's what I guess most of us dream doing of so who are we to say that's wrong? But there is a risk of depriving the lad of a normal childhood which is not to be done lightly.
But I teach people how to play, sing and enjoy music, and how to understand it from an objective, theoretical point of view. I still wouldn't ever claim that I am qualified to tell anyone that one form of music is objectively better than another, because everyone has their own views on it and who would I be to contradict those? I am of the view that some pieces of music ARE objectively better than others according to my own taste, but I would never use that opinion (for that is what it is) to skew someone else's views on music.
As far as I'm concerned, that is an entirely reasonable approach to take. I don't think it's my place as a teacher to force my own views of which music is better than other types of music, and I would be extremely uneasy with any teacher who does take that view. That's why I can't let this go - there is a world of difference between being an "expert" in music and being able to inform others, and trying to force the idea that some music is objectively brilliant and some should objectively be ignored because it is objectively awful. That, to me, seems like a smokescreen, a way to legitimise having a narrow mind towards music, which I think is always a dangerous road to go down. I don't think any music should be ignored - people should listen to whatever the hell they want and enjoy it without fear of judgement by so-called "experts" who'd rather they sat and listened to Beethoven.
(I'm not big on Beethoven by the way - I far prefer later classical music such as that of Debussy, whose approach to harmony and theory is objectively worse - half the time he's not even paying any attention to key at all, for heaven's sake! He's objectively worse then... oh wait, except for the fact that I can listen to Beethoven for ages and feel barely moved by it, whereas the smallest snippet of Debussy makes my hair stand on end. Am I making myself any clearer?)
The problem is that you're upholding a position which claims that technical skill makes Beethoven's music objectively higher quality than Taylor Swift's, but saying the exact opposite when comparing Robert Johnson with Joe Bonamassa, that technical skill actually lessens its artistic merit.
Now by coincidence I agree with your conclusions, Beethoven and Robert Johnson can give me goosebumps, unlike JB or the cringey kid in the OP, but I'm humble enough to know that if anyone disagrees with MY TASTE they're not "wrong".
It took me until I was about 18 to realise that "good" music and music I really like are not necessarily the same thing. Trashy can be glorious, and highbrow can be fucking tedious, it really is down to personal opinion or even mood.
Darkened room and a good single malt? Give me Beethoven or Robert Johnson. Long car journey? Taylor Swift every time.
Lighten up, really.
If JBs music makes me ‘feel’ something more than Howlin’ Wolf’s does, then the emotional impact is greater. This isn’t science, you can’t boil down the impact of music to an equation or measure it on a scale.
Also originality is something of a cheap shot when you’re comparing people almost from different centuries!
Nick Drake is one of my favourite artists of all time, but it is very rare that I'll listen to him in the car. And I wouldn't listen to the majority of more contemporary pop music when in a chilling-out-and-just-listening kind of mood, but for singing along while driving it's perfect. One form of music is no less valid than the other. If you asked me to choose between the two, I couldn't - because each appeals to me about equally, but in very different ways.
It's almost like you're trolling now.
You've criticised others for shouting you down, but that's all you are doing.
You said people got insulting. Now you're the one who is chucking around insults.
It takes 43 muscles to frown, only 17 to smile. Give yourself a break. Get happy.
Peace.
x
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
it was just a vid of a really talented young boy, playing remarkably well for his age, looking like he's having an absolute ball..
parents and everything else aside...
I wish him absolutely the best of luck and really hope that he grows up to become everything he wants to be
and goes on to have a great career..
This is why we can't have nice things.
There's a great interview somewhere with Paul Gilbert where he talks about counting in your riffs, stomping your foot, moving your body with the beat, y'know - injecting a bit of feel. What he calls "pulling your 'rock' face".
It was so refreshing to see this vid which Rabs posted as a bit of light-hearted entertainment. The kid was playing like he actually enjoyed it and it made such a refreshing change from the usual guy with a custom shop Les Paul and a £3.5k amp turned up to 0.001, staring dead-eyed into his webcam playing the outro solo from Paradise City without twitching a muscle in his face, like he's playing Call of Duty and not rebellious, aggressive hard rock.
This kid has licks the like of which took me a long time to learn, played with an authority that took me longer, if anything. Ask yourselves: could you bend an A to a B at the 10th fret of the B-string with that sort of vibrato at the top of the bend when you were 11?
At least @tachycardia23 is being honest, the kid gets on his or her tits. Fair enough.
Instead it all descends into authoritative judgement of his parents based on 100% guesswork, with a separate ding-dong about how music isn't music because technique or is music because family deaths and rampant drug addiction or isn't music because bloody Picasso.
I'm all for debate and a lot of it has been interesting, but sometimes - despite the fact I make a very good living from it - I wish the Internet with all its obsessive quantification and nitpicking of fun had never been invented.
Give me fucking strength.
I'm not a bully, and I'm genuinely sorry if you feel that way. Not my intention. I've been posting on here for 4 years or so, and MR before. I don't think I've ever fallen out with anyone during that period as it's not really my style. So in a way, you are quite special.
I haven't been nasty. I just don't agree with you. I thought some of the things you wrote were slightly hypocritical, so I picked you up on it.
If you feel wronged, and are really unhappy about it, perhaps you could use the emotion to write a blues. Post it on here and show the kid how it's done
I guess there isn't a lot more to be gained by continuing this discussion. So I'll leave it there.
Tchuss
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to