Who made you want to put the thing away?

[miles_ahead_music]

It's funny. Some of the same guys that are the inspiration for many new sax players are the same guys, that after a couple of years, made me want to hang it up and take up bowling or archery.

Guys like Sonny Rollins, Michael Brecker, Phil Woods, Richie Cole and others made me feel like my efforts to progress were futile.

I never quit playing, however. Ultimately I had to accept that these guys were just freaks of nature and that I better lower my sights.

Songbird anybody? :shock:

So which player(s) frustrated you the most?

[phathorn]

When I first saw Jeff Coffin playing two horns at once as well as I could play my one horn....also the first time I heard Houlik play "The Upward Stream" live....

[SopranoSue]

As silly as it sounds, my guy, an incredible BANJO player, makes me think that I just wasn't cut out for music. He has a natural ability to pick up that thing and do amazing things with it that I've never seen/heard before. He's not a picker, he whacks away at the thing, and does dueling banjos and an awesome Malaguena by himself. He can play anything -- doesn't matter if he knows it or not... Put that thing in his hands and just sit back and watch the show.

Sick...

Makes me want to take up quilting or something... :roll:

[paulwl]

At one point or another, just about everybody... :?

[Mel]

Nope...none of the above. My reaction would be either a) "Hmm...I'll probably never sound like that, but..." and off I go to shed. (That's the realist in me.) OR b) "I can't wait till the day I sound like that..." and off I go to shed. (That's the optimist in me.) But giving up music? That's not an option.

[shazzo]

i agree with Mel, because music is the only thing i can do. :lol:
i was too lazy to study hard in high school, so now i cant be an accountant etc. heheh
just kidding, whatever it is, music give me the Ummpph i need to live

[barisaxplayer]

quit? music?! are you KIDDING me?! NEVER! Music is my LIFE! I hear something and say "DANG he was good, but anything he can do I can do better!" I've slowly progressed but over the last few months I've just skyrocketed on my soloing and reading skills, and also on how I sound. There's no way in hell i'd quit playing music, I think i'd rather die first! that's no joke!

there's just something I get out of making music that I don't get out of anything else.

[clem]

Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew". Also bands like "The Village People".

I quit playing saxophone and started listening to Bubk Owens and Porter Waggoner.

During those years I also listened to everything in classical music. My favorites were the moderns--Shostakovitch, Bartok, Stravinsky, and Villa-Lobos. And there were very few of the Old Masters I didn't like.

In a way I felt that I never really "left" music, because when I began playing again in the 90's I felt like I had so much more to say.

[gary]

I play with people all the time that smoke me. But I learned long ago that it took me longer to get to the same point others are already at, so all that means is that if I keep doing what I am doing, sooner or later I'll get to the same place.

I can only do what I can do. And I'm not going to let that take my music away from me. Never.

[clem]

gary:

Confucius had a saying that we should always choose as friends people who are better than we are. I think something similar could be said about musicians and the bands they play with: always try to work with musicians that are better than you are.

But the reason I quit music around 1970 was that I didn't like the music that was being played, and besides, who needed a saxophonist? Bands found that they could sell noise and weirdness. Did you ever see the old "Midnight Special" that used to come on TV Friday nights?

[Mel]

[quote="clem"]Confucius had a saying that we should always choose as friends people who are better than we are. I think something similar could be said about musicians and the bands they play with: always try to work with musicians that are better than you are.
[quote]

Well said, clem.

[Randall]

My philosophy is "there is always someone better...."
so I haven't ever really wanted to hang up my tenor after seeing anyone's performances.
However, I have been totally blown away by guys like Joshua Redman, Johnny Griffin, Jackie McClain, Phil Woods, Grover Washington Jr (among others) that just made me realize that God sure was a lot more generous to them than me, when it came to talent!

On the other hand, when I saw Hans Dulfer perform, I KNEW I could make it to some degree or another! :lol:
Seems like Candy had the same revelation!

[gary]

On the other hand, when I saw Hans Dulfer perform, I KNEW I could make it to some degree or another!
LOL!! Better watch your back, boy. Or your front.

I got wire-brushed good by Tim when I called one of Han's latest recordings (it was live from Japan) "crass". Them's fightin' words :twisted:

[tubbycub]

Confucius had a saying that we should always choose as friends people who are better than we are. I think something similar could be said about musicians and the bands they play with: always try to work with musicians that are better than you are.

Not trying to be a smart *****, but I feel that this saying is a little contradictory in itself. Yes, it is cool to hang out people who are better than we are. BUT, what if these better people also feel the same way? Does this mean that they will not want to hang out with us since we are not as good as them? Just some food for thought anyway....

Back to original topic -> Giving up music is NEVER an option for me.

[srcsax]

Tubbycub, we all have something different to offer. When we hang out with better players it ussually is that they are better at the one or two things we need work on. We also have something to offer the "better" player. Better is not all encompasing, but rather better at a certain skill set. IMHO.

[Morry]

Confucius had a saying that we should always choose as friends people who are better than we are. I think something similar could be said about musicians and the bands they play with: always try to work with musicians that are better than you are.

Not trying to be a smart *****, but I feel that this saying is a little contradictory in itself. Yes, it is cool to hang out people who are better than we are. BUT, what if these better people also feel the same way? Does this mean that they will not want to hang out with us since we are not as good as them? Just some food for thought anyway....

Back to original topic -> Giving up music is NEVER an option for me.

I probably been the least talented musician in every band I've ever played with. I'm talking about natural talent that you're born with. But that just made me work harder to hold up my end of the deal.

[Randall]

Gary, the Dulfer comment meant I was given hope!
That is a good thing, no?

But I think "crass" is not all that bad an adjective!
Actually, David Murray's beautiful solos that inevitably descend into honking and squealing often impress me the same way.

To each his own.... :roll:

[dolphyo]

of course eric dolphy, and last but certainly not least steve lacy............

[John Robinson]

Just about any 4 measures of Bird....but, 40+ years later I'm still at it - to paraphrase: Jazz isn't everything - it's the ONLY thing.

[colibri]

You can drop the sax and take up archery.

Once you get into archery, you start to find all these guys who make you feel like a little sh*t because they shoot better than you with their eyes closed. On with another hobby...

Whatever you do, there are people who are better at it. Why not just stick with the sax?

[Mel]

Whatever you do, there are people who are better at it. Why not just stick with the sax?

Pardon my innocence and perhaps ignorance, but why not find something you love (sax could be a good one since this is a sax forum) and become the best at it?

[MajinX]

when i listen to professionals in that mindset, i get down and depressed. sometimes while in other mindsets though, i just dont think about it. maybe i will end up as a nothing when it comes to the sax. maybe, just maybe, i could be better than all those people that i listened to at one point.

i will never give up though because whether or not i am good, i still enjoy it.

[AMASAX]

is an interesting aspect of human personality that motivation
is often high when someone has moderate, improving
ability at an endeavor - gives hope, self worth, positive
feedback, etc., and spurs one on...
OTOH, things that come too easy often bore a person...

Sure explains why some many music types can't seem to
get it out of their system...

Having said all of that, in the final analysis, what matters is
results, and how long it takes to get those results is not
so important as is getting the results...example of this for
me was learning double tonguing - took literally years, but
in doing so, i corrected several tone production faults to
enable me to learn 2x tongue...(turns out this was the reason
it took so long to learn afterall). In reality double tonguing
is quite simple/easy to do, AFTER one figures it out...as is
the case for a lot of aspects of horn playing...frustrating,
ain't it?? :)

[larry]

Pardon my innocence and perhaps ignorance, but why not find something you love (sax could be a good one since this is a sax forum) and become the best at it?I'm pretty content with just trying to get better at it. :lol:
It's like my son when he was two - he was so frustrated because he had so much to say, but hadn't developed sufficient language skills to express himself yet. His tantrums were almost always over an inability to communicate with us. (Or sometimes it was just because we said "No" and he was angered by the lack of an appeal process...)
Coming up on 46, I know I'll never be great. BUT I can be a whole lot better, and it's something I can work on (health willing) for the rest of my days. And that's a happy thought!

[Sam]

Coming up on 46, I know I'll never be great.
Right. There are what, maybe FIVE "great" jazz artists. Am I ever going to change the world like Miles? No; "So What." Am I ever going to change the world like Gandhi or Mandela? No; "Release Me" from that thought. It's still a great life, and growth, music & kids are the best parts of it.

[Mike W]

Seems to me that, given a good fluency on the horn, anyone can play what they hear in their own head better than anyone else. I suspect music is such an integral part of being human that essentially all of us have the potential to be quite good musicians. I am in awe of some of the recordings many SOTW members have posted (and I don't understand why they aren't famous yet), but that doesn't make me want to quit. I suspect some folks are just too hard on themselves.

[colibri]

Pardon my innocence and perhaps ignorance, but why not find something you love (sax could be a good one since this is a sax forum) and become the best at it?
I don't think it's possible to be "the best".

Would you say Sonny Rollins is the best? Phil Woods maybe? Everyone has their own thing in music that makes them special. That makes it hard to compare between players and to judge who the best player is.

Somebody out there is bound to enjoy your playing more than your favourite sax player's...

[Mel]

colibri, you're right. In musical endeavours, it is truly hard to judge who is "the best." That said, there are definately the legends and the greats. I'm not saying everyone has to become a legend because that defeats the purpose of having legends. I'm saying that people--no, I'm saying that I want to find something I can love, enjoy, and shape my life around so that one day, I will be of the elite. I'm not saying it has to be music, and I'm not even saying that I will make it. I'm saying there must be something out there for each and every one (well, maybe not EVERYONE) of us that makes us want to excel, something that makes us want to get out of our warm, cozy bed in the morning and face the world. Something that enriches our life so that you feel you could never give it up.

So maybe I'm an optimist.

[JL]

[quote="Mel"I'm saying that I want to find something I can love, enjoy, and shape my life around so that one day, I will be of the elite. I'm not saying it has to be music, and I'm not even saying that I will make it. I'm saying there must be something out there for each and every one (well, maybe not EVERYONE) of us that makes us want to excel, something that makes us want to get out of our warm, cozy bed in the morning and face the world. Something that enriches our life so that you feel you could never give it up.

So maybe I'm an optimist.[/quote]

Hey Mel,
I think you've defined the reason many of us play music. Although, in my case, it often results in getting out of bed pretty late in the day!

[xax]

I stopped playing 25 or so years ago, mainly due to poor reading skills...2 or 3 new tunes a week were just too many for my synapses! Also, because i found my playing boring. After i grew up, i still couldn't figure out what i wanted to be. But when i remembered that musicians get up "when i feel like it", i realized my fate and my calling.Nowadays, i'm making the requisite course adjustment. Another point i'd like to make: i believe that if you are a "musician", regardless of whether you are active or not, you are always learning your craft. how? For example: patterns, voicings, rhythms, dynamics, etc...things which occur in all of nature. Subliminally or consciously, musician pay attention to these things and learn to understand. Sure, you can learn a lot of it through instruction but until you are able to see or feel it, "your own self", it's not you. It's how we grow as artists and it's at least some of the unique value each individual musician brings to the table.