Good points, Skip, and I don't disagree. What I'm stressing--and I can see
now where some clarification is in order--is that if a musician spends a
period of time immersed in the study of musical elements, which are common
to all musics, isolated from the dictates of styles and traditions, then he
or she can apply the skills gained from that study in whatever musical
sphere he or she intends to deal. One can then choose traditions and
styles, but not be hamstrung by them. One can allow the musical
circumstances of his environment (time, place) to inform his sound, but the
expression comes from within (one's own sound) and frees the player from
lickocentrism. It frees the player from resorting to what Roscoe Mitchell
calls "pushing your groove buttons" or what Leo Smith calls "frozen
information."
Bob
--On Wednesday, July 02, 2003 9:37 AM -0700 skip Heller
<velaires(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
> on 7/2/03 6:55 AM, bsweet(a)umich.edu at bsweet(a)umich.edu wrote:
>
> > Karl Berger, who, along with Ornette Coleman, founded the Creative Music
> > Studio, sought to convey to musicians that they can--and must--develop a
> > connection with, a mastery over, an intimacy with, or--if you can stand
> > it--a relationship with the elements of music that have nothing to do
> > with traditions or styles.
>
> I've always disagreed with this practice in art, because, in my heart of
> heart, I've always thought history is one of the essential and most
> beautiful elements of craft.
>
>
> > Live and breath rhythm and tuning. Develop the skills
> > that put you in command of those elements. Disregard jazz, rock,
> > classical, avant garde, blues, etc. What do you as a musician have left?
>
> No background that shaped my world view, no association via music to the
> world in which I grew up and hopefully continue to grow.
>
>
> > The music of
> > you.
>
> The music of me is as much a product of the external forces as it is
> whatever is inside me. I believe in social music and expression as
> communication. My creativity would be less rich without everything good I
> ever heard to inform my intuition and lead my judgement about what to
> include and what to discard.
>
>
> > You can then take your mastery over the elements common to all music
> > and do what you want with them; play jazz if you want to, don't play
> > jazz if you don't want to; be whoever you are. Be John Zorn, or be Joe
> > Blow. You can call what you play "the music of me," or you can call it
> > creative music.
>
> Whoever I am has everything to do with the world that has shaped me -- and
> music is the hugest part of that world.
>
> best --
> sh
>
