Originally Posted By: Mark Hayes
You resent what you regard as inappropriate admiration because you think it denies you credit for the work you do to make the music you make.


Well, the theory is buried in there but you chose to bathe it in condescension.

I don't think I (or anybody else who is in a band) deserve any more acknowledgement than anybody else who excels in their profession. A gig is just a day at work and no big deal. There is a vast difference between support and misplaced admiration. Music is no big deal. Everything you know how to do in life beyond breathing you learned. Breathing is implicit. You just breathe, and in fact you breathe in the womb. You breathe liquid, but your lungs are functional in the womb. But you learned to walk by seeing others walk. You learned to talk by hearing others talk. Those are not implicit skills. They are acquired. Somewhat subliminal, but acquired. ANYBODY can learn to play a guitar or a piano. Now, are you going to play guitar like Steve Vai? Doubtful. Are you going to play piano like Rick Wakeman? Probably not. Should that deter you from trying? Absolutely not. Point being rather than stand on the sidelines and admire people who are doing nothing more than the job they trained to do for years, take up the same skill and strive to pass them by some day.

Denies me credit? The point is that I don't deserve credit for just doing my job. I am nothing more than 1/10th of a unit that bands together to create something.

I can't recall how many times over the years someone would come over to me on break and say something like "Man I wish I could play keyboards like you do." My answer 100% of the time was something like "You can. Music is an acquired skill like any other. I can hook you up with a good piano teacher and you can start lessons right away. In a year, you can take my place."

Also, never believe that you can see inside someone's head to know or assume to know what they think.