A few years ago an older musician told me something to the effect of "the better the musician someone is, the weirder they are."
I must say that knowing many great musicians, this seems to be a very true statement. It's hard for me to say anything about my playing ability without sounding pompous, but let's just say that I am unanimously considered one of the weirdest dudes around. And I turn a few heads when I pick up the guitar as well.
At least 90% of the great musicians that I know are very weird people. Maybe it has something to do with finding music inside yourself makes you a bit introverted, or maybe to make unique music you must be a unique person. Or maybe to spend the time it takes to become a great musician you must isolate yourself from the world for long periods of time. Or maybe touring around and meeting so many people gives you a weird perspective on life that people aren't accustomed to. Or maybe we've all done too many drugs. Or maybe we are super intelligent and misunderstood. Or maybe we can't turn the muses of creativity off when the time to be "normal" arises. Or maybe the loud volume of our instruments has shaken our brains loose. Or maybe something in the guitar finishes has made us crazy(note, they must use the same chemical in the processing of nearly ALL musical instruments. We all know there is something they put in drumsticks that makes people loopy.) Or maybe music appeals to people who have trouble communicating verbally in a straight forward manner. Or maybe EVERYONE is weird, and I just happen to know mostly musicians. Or maybe social exile forces the weird into music. Or maybe great musicians talk to God and people can't get what they're saying. Or maybe we are listening to our inner soundtrack too loud to carry on a coherent normal conversation. Or maybe we're all some sort of savants. Or aliens. Or maybe your all a figure of my imagination. Or maybe I've done too many drugs and I hallucinated the dude who said that to justify my own weirdness to myself, and this whole thread is a manifestation of that. Or maybe you are all part of that manifestation as well. Or maybe I am dreaming all of this and I will wake up tomorrow morning seven years old again.
I see it, and I try to understand. Then I stop trying and I do.
I must say that knowing many great musicians, this seems to be a very true statement. It's hard for me to say anything about my playing ability without sounding pompous, but let's just say that I am unanimously considered one of the weirdest dudes around. And I turn a few heads when I pick up the guitar as well.
At least 90% of the great musicians that I know are very weird people. Maybe it has something to do with finding music inside yourself makes you a bit introverted, or maybe to make unique music you must be a unique person. Or maybe to spend the time it takes to become a great musician you must isolate yourself from the world for long periods of time. Or maybe touring around and meeting so many people gives you a weird perspective on life that people aren't accustomed to. Or maybe we've all done too many drugs. Or maybe we are super intelligent and misunderstood. Or maybe we can't turn the muses of creativity off when the time to be "normal" arises. Or maybe the loud volume of our instruments has shaken our brains loose. Or maybe something in the guitar finishes has made us crazy(note, they must use the same chemical in the processing of nearly ALL musical instruments. We all know there is something they put in drumsticks that makes people loopy.) Or maybe music appeals to people who have trouble communicating verbally in a straight forward manner. Or maybe EVERYONE is weird, and I just happen to know mostly musicians. Or maybe social exile forces the weird into music. Or maybe great musicians talk to God and people can't get what they're saying. Or maybe we are listening to our inner soundtrack too loud to carry on a coherent normal conversation. Or maybe we're all some sort of savants. Or aliens. Or maybe your all a figure of my imagination. Or maybe I've done too many drugs and I hallucinated the dude who said that to justify my own weirdness to myself, and this whole thread is a manifestation of that. Or maybe you are all part of that manifestation as well. Or maybe I am dreaming all of this and I will wake up tomorrow morning seven years old again.
I see it, and I try to understand. Then I stop trying and I do.
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