From a blog I wrote the other day. Food for thought.
For saxophonists, the music of John Coltrane becomes an inescapable influence. Whether you hate or love his music, there is no denying the presence of a constant penetration of honesty, intensity, and individualism. He shattered so many expectations about playing music that he has, in the minds of others, become the epitome of a musician's work ethic.
However, amidst the fascination of all of the performances and recordings, the countless hours practicing basic concepts and writing tunes, there is something so subtle to his persona that it often goes unnoticed. The way in which he physically held his saxophone illuminates so much power from a visual sense. Everything was in tune and universally strung together; his instrument in perfect balance, equanimous with how he percieved the world. It is a kind of mastery that takes close attention to detail to notice. He made the instrument a part of his body, because it was his way of channeling his thoughts to the world -- self-expression through pure sound.
This subtlety is something to notice more often.
For saxophonists, the music of John Coltrane becomes an inescapable influence. Whether you hate or love his music, there is no denying the presence of a constant penetration of honesty, intensity, and individualism. He shattered so many expectations about playing music that he has, in the minds of others, become the epitome of a musician's work ethic.
However, amidst the fascination of all of the performances and recordings, the countless hours practicing basic concepts and writing tunes, there is something so subtle to his persona that it often goes unnoticed. The way in which he physically held his saxophone illuminates so much power from a visual sense. Everything was in tune and universally strung together; his instrument in perfect balance, equanimous with how he percieved the world. It is a kind of mastery that takes close attention to detail to notice. He made the instrument a part of his body, because it was his way of channeling his thoughts to the world -- self-expression through pure sound.
This subtlety is something to notice more often.