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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's talent.
"I envy you so much it hurts."
Ok maybe I turned the drama knob up "to eleven", but I really do envy people who can/do make music. Oh how I wish I could sit down at a piano and just play, or stand up with a sax and just wail. Unfortunately, the only musical instrument I now how to play is a stereo.
This desire goes back to when I was a little kid. While my friends were playing make believe with their G.I. Joes (yes, the real one... yes, with kung-fu grip and a stubby beard.), I had my brother's headphones, listening to his 8 track, pretending I was Pablo Cruise(quit laughing, that hurts). I played bass for The Doobie Brothers. I even sang backup vocals for Earth, Wind and Fire. How many ten year-old, white bread, suburbanite, little boys can lay claim to that kind of mental construct? Not many I bet.
I've been to a few concerts. I find myself feeling let down when I leave because I know I'll never be able to feel what that guy onstage must be feeling. I can only imagine the "rush" he feels when he connects with the audience. I can only imagine what it must be like to syncronize your talents and just let go and play. A true "jam" has to be an unreal experience. We went to a Spyro Gyra concert a while back (in a theatre that holds less than 200 people). The energy there was incredible... Indescribable! I swear before the night was over sparks bolts of lightning were shooting out of my butt. To be able to stir that kind of emotion... what a gift!
The optimist in me would like to be able to resolve that one day I'll do just that, one day I'll make music. The realist in me realizes that it'd be easier to teach a wildebeest to drive a Volvo.
I'm an artist. The language of sight and symbols, that I can understand. The language of hearing, I can't seem to wrap my head around. I can appreciate it, I just can't produce it and that bothers me. I want to do both.
Question: what do I do if I want to try and learn to play an instrument? What really works (and on a limited budget)? By the way singing, IS NOT AN OPTION. I scare children, the elderly and small animals when I try to sing.
5/4/2004 01:16:49 AM
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