Sharing a Dream

The sounds of the world that we live in are one of my most loved things.  Be it Kiddo laughing, the patterns and flow of speech and conversation, or the cars on the street.  The cacophony of life, unstructured and unorganized.  The chaos that is everyday in a major city.  The tranquility of life in more rural places.  The rumble and whoosh of the river or the grind and growl of the ocean, the birds and breeze of the mountains, or just the un-understood conversations that take place around us in our new home everyday.

In the same sense, music is the same way for me.  Sometimes chaotic, sometimes calm.  Sometimes disconnected and dissident, a bluesy jazz riff.  Sometimes the lyrics hold me, a turn of phrase or cleverly placed rhyme.  I’ve seen opera and symphonies play.  I’ve been to Depeche Mode, Dave Matthews, and the Cure.  I’ve experienced the Area 1 fest, Lalapoliza, and even OzFest.  Raves and the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) scene.  Small space shows.  Large arena concerts.  I’ve even seen Death Cab for Cutie play in a bowling alley in Chicago and, years later, in San Francisco at The Fillmore (in 04, ironically, I listened to a RedSox World Series game after driving to The City to pick up the tickets).  I’ve been in the pit and backstage, volunteered to work at and heard shows that I never saw.  

Music is life.  Sonically, I am moved.  Unwillingly, like the tides, music and the sounds of life affect me, push or pull me in or out.

There is genius in music.  Genius that I will never comprehend or contain.  I can’t sing.  I can’t play an instrument.  I couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket.  I can listen.  I can understand.  I can feel.

Some music is emotion.  Some is pain.  Some is expression.  Of love.  Life.  Anger.  Hate.  Happiness and sadness.  

Then there is the beyond.  

Today, I want you to take 10 minutes of your life and watch the clip below.  Listen to the music.  Hear the artist completely command his instrument, but also talk about how and what made this music.  Listen once and then listen again, immediately, to rehear it and understand the complexities and genius of using and instrument and making it your voice, but being able to express, control, and understand.  Not just the music.  Understanding the technology, the harmonics, the electricity, and the randomness and uncontrolled aspects, but keeping to the rules and structure.  Understanding the risk of writing and preforming something like this.  

It does rock.  And shriek.  But it’s unique.  It’s magic.  It is a man who understands and controls his instrument in a way that most people never will.  Watch and listen.  Then do it again.  And take from it whatever you want, but for me, I watch a man explain his genius… at least a little bit.  And then I watch his control of the instrument, playing and using it at his will and in ways only one person in a million can.  

So, with all respect and props to Mr. Joe Satriani; as he plays and talks about his song Flying in a Blue Dream.

* Note: if the above link doesn’t work, look up on YouTube  - Joe Satriani: Master Class "Flying In A Blue Dream"