Saturday, March 25, 2006

I want to be in a band, when I get to heaven

When I was a young guitar player, in bands, I used to mourn when someone I knew went straight. You know, got a real job and joined the working class. Talented musicians who never got or made a break for themselves sell insurance, deliver the mail, teach your children everyday, and no one ever know about the musical beauty in their souls.

I'm less sanguine about it now, as I realize that not everyone will get that break. Artistic success is less about democracy and more about a combination of talent, luck, and hard work.

Having said that, I understand this kid. I was him once, staying awake into the wee hours developing chops and skills, trying to further my understanding of my beloved instrument. He may go on to be a welder, pediatrician, telemarketer, or maybe even a professional guitarist. Regardless, he clearly loves playing his guitar. I'd identify him, but Google Videos has no other information.

Watch this kid have fun with one of the loveliest (and over-played) Baroque pieces, Pachelbel's Canon in D:

Kid does Canon on Guitar

By the way, shred playing may be "over", but there is still no substitute for skills. Absent some level of skill, your musical ideas will never be expressed with the completeness they might deserve. And don't confuse simple with unskilled.

And as I have said here before, you don't need to play all the notes. You just need to know where they are and when to play them to be a master of your instrument.


Update: From a commentor at HuffPo we learn that the kid is Jerry C., from Taiwan.

2nd Update: It appears from (ahem) further research that the video I posted is a kid named "funtwo" who used the backing track available at Jerry C's site and recorded his own version of the Canon. Here's the actual link to Jerry C's original performance of the piece.

Props to both, but Jerry got there first, so best to him.

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