Latch Music Blog

Music Should Be Fun!
By Dave Latchaw 

Music should be fun! Players, educators, and students very often forget this fact about music. It is easy to be distracted by many things that have nothing to do with playing music. We all have a variety of circumstances or situations that may cause frustration, angst or anything else that gets in the way of having good time with music.

Some players are wrapped up with the “it’s a job” aspect of making music, either as a freelance musician or in a band. We all cannot be Sting or Madonna or play in their bands. Unfortunately, many musicians feel they will be successful only if they achieve something of a similar magnitude. We can all strive for that level of expertise, but there is just not enough demand to allow every artist to achieve that kind of success. Nothing wrong with attempting to have that kind of success, and very cool if one achieves it, but it is important that we have a good time doing it, and dig the fact that we can make music. Sharon Osbourne once said to me, “Ozzy would be Ozzy regardless of whether he was famous or not.” I am sure he prefers being famous, the money, and all that, but if he were not famous, he would still be out there somewhere rocking out, the way only Ozzy can. This is a cool space to be in for any artist, it’s liberating. Making music because you dig it is the only way to go. If you can make a living with music that can even be better fun for you.

Musicians have to deal with an immense level of competition. The competition that goes with making music can bring fragile egos and insecurities to forefront. Many times this can bring a dark vibe to the music making. The musicians who do not have their ego and insecurities in check play as if they have to prove something to the other musicians in the band and their audience. They are wrapped up more with themselves than the music, and this gets in the way of a band sounding cohesive and allowing the listener to truly have a meaningful experience. When a musician can be in control of their ego and insecurities it allows them to be selfless and submit to the music. Being selfless can lead to a higher level of music making, which makes for a better experience for player and the listener. Making the music experience more fun for everyone involved is a wonderful goal.

Some music educators are fed up with the tediousness of teaching. It does take an amazing amount of energy, focus and drive to do it well. The amount of training an educator has to have to know their subject matter is often not obvious to most, which leads to educators not fully appreciated. In addition, the pressures from some school administrations and parents to have a competitive music program can lead to potential burnout for both educators and students. When burnout happens, music educators and students end up preferring to do anything else but music, which will lead to a great deal of frustration for all involved. Convincing parents and administrations to be more concerned about having a positive enlightening musical experience is not the easiest thing to do. They try to make music into a sport; sports are more tangible to them. Winning competitions becomes more important than an enriching musical experience for the student. The more an educator can enlighten all parties involved with the school music program that it is about learning to love and appreciate the music, the more fun they and their students will have with the musical experience. 

When teaching music, one has to be aware of their own abilities, limitations, and neuroses, especially in private teaching situations. A lot of personal teaching style is from one’s own teachers, which potentially means passing on both excellent musical knowledge and hang-ups from generation to generation. Sometimes private teachers are players that only teach to add to their income. Players who are frustrated about teaching should remember that it is not the student’s fault that one cannot make a living fully from performing alone. The time a teacher spends with the student is to help them to get further down their own musical path. Thinking that the student should only follow the teacher’s musical path is just the teacher being self-absorbed. The more confidence a private educator has about themselves, the easier it will be to help the student improve, which is more rewarding and fun for student and teacher alike.

Sometimes students of music forget that improving musical skills takes time and effort. If it were easy, everyone would do it! A student that is not willing to put in the time is not going to have as much fun, simple as that. Music students also need to learn not to be sensitive. The very nature of taking lessons involves learning to try things differently than the way you are currently doing it. If you are defensive rather than open to new ideas, you may miss a wide area of musical possibilities. Remember, if you make the appropriate commitment to music you will be a student of music all of your life. If you embrace being a life-long student of music, you can reach greater heights of musical satisfaction and fun. Have a good time all the time! 

Creativity
by Dave Latchaw

What is “Creativity”? Some might say it is looking at something familiar in a different way. The process of being Creative is a positive experience for an artist. I think that most people would like to consider themselves creative. As an educator and a student of music, I look at creativity on five different levels.

The first level is innate or basic. This is how the untrained individual creates, just for the sheer joy of it. This art has a simple, direct approach in its expression. Folk and primitive art would be an example of this level.

The second level of creativity is developed through academic study, which leads to a degree of technical skill. This allows the artist to be expressive within what is correct for a particular style.

The third level would be invention. This is where the artist has a strong enough command of their artistic language that they can explore it in a nontraditional direction. Level three creators come across as adventurous and experimental.

The fourth level is that of the innovator. This is where the artist works “out of the box” of traditional ideas to break the boundaries and rules of a given idiom. They have such complete control of the academic side of their art they create with inspired effortlessness. The innovator creates a whole new direction out of the ordinary.

The last level would be the genius. This is where the artist’s creations are unexplainable. Bach, Mozart, Hendrix and Miles would be a few that come to mind. I would say that this is something that one is born with. All of us who create should explore all of these levels of creativity. If you commit to be an artist, you are agreeing to be a lifetime student of developing your creative voice.

There are several reasons that get in the way of an artist developing their creativity. First, the fear of ridicule keeps some artists from exploring even level one of creativity. This hassle usually comes from other artists or colleagues who are lofty with their academic skills and narrow perspective. They have spent so much time learning the skills the academic world says are important, they have lost touch with the basic joy of expression and creation. Fear of failure is a reason many artists don’t explore creativity past level two. Our society measures success according to commercial potential. Yes, buckets of money would be cool, but don’t let that be your only motivation. Remember, the person who is first at developing the next new thing is the creative one. Many artists will copy something successful just to cash in. That’s what the entire commercial record business is all about. If one is going to create in a more commercial area, they need to focus on the second and third levels of creativity. The second level will let the artist have a good connection to the commercial genres, and the third will let them bring something new to the table. Many artists are insecure, which makes it hard for them to explore the third level. Society’s need for conformity doesn’t help the artist to have the confidence they need to be adventurous and experimental.

The fourth level is the hardest and the loneliest. Society looks for familiarity, and being an innovator, you have to try to break the traditions that would keep you from fully developing your creative voice. To create at the fourth level, I believe one has to bring an aspect from level one, the sheer joy of it. The fourth level has the least commercial possibilities, art and economics battle with each other here. If you have the luck to develop the next new thing, and it brings you a better economic situation, enjoy it, it is a rare in the creative world.

Everyone who has chosen an artistic path should spend some time reflecting on their creative efforts. While you reflect objectively analyze your creative procedure. Make a note to yourself about those moments of creative bliss, or what I like to call “The Zone”. How did you get there? You might find there is a consistent pattern that takes place. The idea then would be to let those patterns naturally happen to strengthen your creative efforts. Don’t try to force it, just be aware of what works for you. “The Zone” is a place where you detach from conscious thought and you are just creating. If you try to force it, you are too attached to the moment. When analyzing how you reach “The Zone”, think of that process as a map for you to reach it again. Good luck and be creative!

Music Snobs
by Dave Latchaw

You may know one or be one. I may be one. Musicians and fans of music are passionate about their own particular idiom, which is great. What has always surprised me though, is how some people can be so self-righteous and dismiss or give no credibility to music other than they like. I think it is natural for people to like or not like certain pieces or types of music, and that is is cool but quite wrong to dismiss it altogether. I think one should separate their personal opinion of an artistic work from whether the work is credible or not. My observations have led me to believe that when someone is degrading the credibility of an art form outside their own limited area of knowledge, it is usually because of arrogance or ignorance. Either way the music snob looks pathetic. What a bore it would be if everyone liked the same music. The more successful and interesting artists and music is a fusion of several styles.

How many of us have met that jazz player or fan who thinks that music has not changed since the 40’s? It is cool if that player wants to keep expanding on one time period of music. They are a pain in the axe if their attitude is dismissive toward all jazz that is different than their focus. It is suprising to me that so many people have such strong opinions about what jazz is, and yet have such a narrow perspective. For instance, when I heard musicians and music fans talk and write about the Ken Burns “Jazz” documentary, I was surprised at the number of people who had something to gripe about. They would dismiss the whole effort of the documentary. Yes, there were plenty of areas under the broad jazz umbrella that did not get covered. If you think about it, there is no way one could make an all-encompassing presentation on the topic of “Jazz”. Just covering the history of the known national jazz figures would not even make a dent on the surface of what jazz is about. To be complete you would also have to look internationally and regionally and cover the jazz warriors their contributions to jazz. Many Jazz Warriors have never gotten any recognition for their efforts. Jazz just has too many angles to satisfy everyone with an opinion. The areas that Ken Burns covered were informative, interesting and cool to look at. When hearing Ken Burns discuss his thoughts on the “Jazz” documentary, he made it clear that his effort was just a snapshot of this thing called jazz.

It is a waste of your time to make a big deal about trashing something you don’t dig. I don’t know how many times I have met a classical, jazz or rock musician who acts as though their music is “it”. When I hear these people play, I miss a certain completeness about their playing. A classical chamber musician does not have to like Metallica, but if they’ve never listened to metal, they are missing a whole direction of energy that they could bring to the music they play. The jazz or rock musician that does not explore classical music is missing a whole piece of the musical puzzle which teaches a discipline that will aid them in being a complete musician. Being open and not judgmental can create a unique and special interpretation of a piece of music. I think if you are going to be a great musician, you have to be open to other areas of music to expand your musical growth. Complacency and a narrow perspective with a righteous attitude is just silly! Being a musician and a fan of music is a lifetime commitment of study, work and evolution. Take it all in and have opinions, but don’t be a music snob!