Without getting too philosophical about things, because God knows there’s already WAY too many people being WAY too serious with their blogs, I think there could be something to the statement that (I’ve made up) knowledge can confine the mind. Of course I’m limiting my bs-thesis (thes-bs? Pronounced thees-bee-iss) to the realm of music knowledge.
We all know that there are countless trained musicians, or at least people who study music and music theory, who go on to logically make really incredible music. I mean, of course there are in turn trained musicians who boggle the mind in their ability to make really crappy music as well, but these people aren’t worth the breath, or typing-energy, to talk about. That would make for boring reading… “Hey, you know that one guy with the degree in music theory from the Berklee School of Music? Ya? Aren’t his songs good? Ya. They are aren’t they.” Booooring.
What baffles the mind, and makes for more interesting reading, are those who with NO musical training or anything defy the odds and make some pretty cool music. Crazy stuff. There are even some out there that have SOMEhow seemingly redefined the art of their instrument. The best example of this would have to be Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers who is arguably (as in I’m sure there’s an argument for it…but I don’t know what it is) one of the best alternative-rock/funk bass players ever. And the guy has taken like, zero lessons. THAT is pretty damn impressive.
Metal has its own heroes as well. The guitar players in Norma Jean, one of the founding hardcore staples, are probably one of the bigger hardcore bands to have come from absolutely nil musical background. The two founding guitar players picked up the guitar and basically tried making the instrument make sounds like those of their influences in the hardcore-punk scene of the 80s and 90s. The style of play was abrasive, heavily rhythmic, and not strong on melody. Even though I feel that over the years they’ve been a band they’ve strayed from where they started more towards the mainstream-middle ground of music, their roots lie in the discordant, off-beat, and heavily rhythmic roots of early hardcore. One band that, despite meager musical forethought, has turned my mind inside out has been August Burns Red. These Pennsylvanian kids have all but blown the doors off of conventional metal and metalcore. Picking up where bands like Norma Jean left off with their heavily rhythmic guitars and experimental time signatures and such, ABR has generated a style of their own by infusing more “metal” elements like breakdowns, a very slight movement towards song structure, and more breakdowns.
I think it’s important to point out what this lack of musical background has given these guys. Both bands I’ve mentioned approached their song writing process from a place of making their instruments make sounds and progressions that sound “neat.” Without having to operate under the confines of knowing that the notes they’re putting together don’t fall into the same scale or don’t technically belong together, they’re able to assemble a song or riff that for no explicable reason (at least until you drink a pot of coffee and stay up to tomorrow listening to the same passage over and over trying to understand what exactly just happened…not that I speak from experience in this or anything…I need a hobby…and to leave this aside behind and get back to whatever I was talking about) sounds freaking SWEET! They don’t have to worry about counting out a time signature or mapping how the tempos ebb and flow because without knowing the exact framework of how music “works” they just play what they feel. That is a powerful powerful thing that can often be hindered by the knowledge that what you’re making shouldn’t, by any good reason, work.
Obviously the number of bands that can function beyond these confines with any level of success are FAR outnumbered by those who can probably write a successful dissertation on the ability and technique of failing miserably. However, it’s worthy to mention and recognize those that beat these odds. And I salute you with this keg of coffee and pounding headache…as I try to decipher this beautiful chaos that is the music I love.
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