I was listening to two bands the other day—at separate times, of course—each one brought to mind a question:
Why is one guitarist more important than the other one?
I mean, I love Aerosmith, but why does Joe Perry get more press than Brad Whitford? Both are great musicians and excellent guitarists. Both play lead guitar with awesome results—in fact, I think Brad’s the better lead in some ways because he’s smoother and more melodic. Joe’s flashy and comes up with some really cool hooks but he’s no better than Brad. I watched a live version of one of Aerosmith’s songs and Brad surprised me with his soulful lead work and solid rhythm playing.
Then there’s ACDC who I basically cut my guitar chops 101 on. I’ve always wondered why the other brother gets less attention than the schoolboy outfit. It’s flash versus solidity. I don’t think ACDC really thinks of it that way, they just have a band, ya know? But the rest of the media world pays far more attention to the schoolboy outfit than they do to the solid guitar riffs which make him standout.
I guess my point is that we subject people to a job and limit them within that description by telling them: “You’re the rhythm guitarist and he’s the lead.” when in reality both could add such a variety of flavors to the music. It’s almost like we squash another person’s expression because they might threaten or outshine us.
We put roles on those around us without thinking about how this might limit their expression. “That guy’s an engineer” “She’s a stay at home mom” “He’s a ditch digger” and so on and so forth. We categorize and limit our grasp of a person without ever thinking about what we’re doing. How do I know this is true? Well, for one reason, our surprise when we find out they have a “hidden” talent. It’s funny to hear the writers of pop music analyze some musicians. I remember when Eddy Van Halen played keyboards for the first time, everybody either got surprised or disgusted that he’d even try it. But the riffs he came up with on the synth were solid and made the songs hit the charts.
Another example was Toto. The critics hated them for the most part calling them a “studio band” without any true feel, never for a moment realizing what they were saying about studio musicians. For one thing several of the critics’ favorite albums have studio musicians all over them (in fact some of Toto’s alumni played on several of the biggest albums to hit the charts). Ever hear of “Pet Sounds” by the Beach Boys? “Tapestry” by Joan Baez? Most of Steely Dan’s later albums—their biggest seller “Aja” was just rife with them. So studio musicians make great music no matter what some people think. The enduring legacy of Toto’s IV should silence anyone with a harsh word for them. I’ve always loved their music. Sure their lyrics left something to be desired when they opted for the cheap rhyme over more inventive poetry, but not everyone has Dylan’s gift with words.
I’ve watched plenty of unknown people get sidelined by other people’s perceptions of them. She’s a painter so she couldn’t possibly understand electronics; he’s nothing but a custodian so what does he know about philosophy? These people who limit others ignore or possibly forget that Socrates was a slave.
Here’s a conundrum for you: If highly educated people should run the world, then why’s it so screwed up?
Why do we have wars if education helps us understand one another? Why do we have differences of opinion when everyone gets the same basic education? I mean just look at Bush Sr versus Bush Jr. Two completely different politicians, one raised by the other and yet they were different on key policies. Moving on to other countries, some of the most oppressive regimes in history have been been run by extremely intelligent and highly educated people.
No, giving someone leadership just because they went to Oxford, Harvard or Yale is like giving a show dog your shoes to play with and expecting them not to be chewed to pieces afterward. Nature will win over nurture nearly every time.
What should we expect out anyone?
Just about anything.
My son is going to live with a “can do” philosophy. He might not be able to do something right this moment, since he’s only six and not quite as developed in some areas, but he’s gonna’ get the chance to try even if he fails. Today I watched him getting creamed by his older cousin at Halo, though this cousin left him alone for the most part. He was just happy to get into the machines and jump over buildings as win the game and I loved it! I want him to be his own person, find his own path, enjoy the game his own way and, hopefully, I’ll stay out of his way except when he needs guidance on social decorum, manners and the rules of the game as it’s played in general. Otherwise, I’m perfectly happy to give him his reins and let him gallop all over the field.
We need to encourage one another to reach not only our potential but to step out of our comfort zones and reach for unrealized dreams. Instead of standing on the sidelines yelling about what someone can’t do, we should be in the game helping them make a play that gets them to the in-zone. If someone tells me they want to be a working musician, I’m gonna do all in my power to encourage them, even if it means telling them what negatives to expect so they’re not surprised. I don’t want them limited by my lack of vision for their lives. People who play it safe rarely accomplish anything but a big screen TV and may be a nice car. I have a friend who wants to open a camp. All I can do is encourage her with words and work once in a while when there’s surplus cash. If I had the means, I’d help her along her road toward her goal, but what I have I give.
It’s time for society to grow up and celebrate each other in our attempts to develop, broaden and improve our abilities. It’s time for us as neighbors and friends to stand in the gap for those who feel alone in their endeavors, to hold them accountable to their own dreams and do all in our power to enable them to grow as they feel led—unless, of course, they like eating other people or something horrific like that. Aside from antisocial behavior, we can do a lot to give another person a leg up. America’s history is full of rags to riches stories, of men who were told they would amount to nothing winning the race they decided to run, of women who were beaten down standing up to grab the ball and run with it.
I think from now on I plan to run interference for those with the ball. I choose to be the teammate on the sidelines screaming for them to go for the goal, warning them of the linebacker headed their way or just plain getting in the game with them.
