Listen and Be Heard

The most disadvantageous idea that musicians have fallen prey to is that any one musician is better or worse than another. We all are learning to speak a language in our own words. There is no right or wrong, just my words and yours. Once we get past this innately human need for competition, we can truly begin to hear each other.

Like any language we learn music by working with the foundational materials, basic harmony, melody, and rhythm. And then as time progresses, as relentlessly as it does, we add to our bag of tricks by learning more difficult ways to express this language. At the beginning of our musical development most of us learn the music of those that have come before us and some continue to do so becoming interpreters or technicians of that language. Tirelessly striving for a few perfect moments where all of the variables come together into an emotionally pressing experience.

Others take a different approach. When learning from those who have gone before, this inspires us to find our own voice. But to find our own voice entails finding our own words. As before, we learn the basic foundational words so that we may speak amongst everyone but how does one form and find their own words? I work best not by directly copying another artist but by taking a foundational idea inspired by them and creating my own voice.

In this competition driven world where the drummers and musicians vie for tens of thousands of dollars in prizes or top billing on a concert review, how can anyone be heard without screaming? In fact when I watch the winners of these drum competitions all I hear in their playing is a bunch of kids screaming to be heard and trying to cram as many words into their statement as possible. If you’re playing on stage in front of people, whether it is solo or in a group, you are making a statement. Its up to you what that statement says.

Don’t get me wrong, the drummers I’m speaking about have serious skill, but skill is nothing without creativity. Similar to applying for work or a gig in any situation, we create a package with materials, videos, links, etc. But almost always there will be a cover letter or an artist statement on some level. In this statement you have one paragraph to grab their attention and perhaps maybe one or two more paragraphs to explain why you’re the best fit for their organization. All in all you have one page to get your ideas across.

With these competitions you have one chance for a first impression and the first few rounds usually are limited to two minutes, even the final rounds are only five minutes. Five minutes to show who you are and what you can do is not a lot of time, which is why it makes sense to me that most of these drummers just kind of musically spew everything they have out on to the table. The sad part is that there is a lot of talent being showcased but very little creativity.

What if, instead of going on stage and vomiting musical incongruity everywhere, we went out with a solid well prepared statement that showcased our best abilities at that moment? Genuine, creatively crafted statements will stand out and be heard amongst the droning screams. Listen and be heard, everyone has something to say.