Good enough is a good enough beginning. Years ago, a few friends of mine and myself drove to The State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia to see the blues* musician Taj Mahal do a rare acoustic solo performance for a charity called Music Maker Relief Foundation, an organization that helps to provide financial relief to…
Tag: music
A Palette Is Not A Painting
If you don’t like the palette you have been given, create your own, but then make something with it. Too often we find ourselves dissatisfied with what we have, insisting that if we only had more or if we only had something different we would be happy. The problem is that, if we actually get…
Taking Giant Steps
“I was shooting for something different. Like, some of my influence was John Coltrane — I played the sax, as well. So listening to him play and the different rhythms that he had: I was trying to write my rhymes as if I was a saxophone player.” —Rakim If you only look at other people…
Walk This (New) Way
“When I go to the schools to talk to the kids, I say, ‘Always be open to try something new because it might not just change your life, it could change the world.’” -DMC In 1986, hip hop pioneers Run-DMC put out a record single that changed the music world forever, but if it were…
Persisting Toward Genius
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” -Anonymous “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity.” -Oscar Levant “You can tell the amateur from the professional musician simply by listening to him practice. The amateur attempts to play the whole song over and over again, never really improving….