Random Thoughts On Music

Someone on my facebook friend list posted this question as his status update: What does music mean to you? He's a young kid who faithfully attended the music sheds (jam sessions) that I used to host. Very talented young man who admires a lot of the musician friends within my circle. I fully expected his peers to put their 2 cents in, sharing what music has meant to them. I decided to give him something worth thinking about. This was my response:

Music in particular and the arts in general are the backbone of society. You can gauge a lot about a generation through what their artists are saying. So the question is...what are we saying? And is it of substance? When we as artists speak...everyone listens. Make sure we speak what is pure, edifying and true. So that being said...music to me is the chance to shape and influence an entire generation.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

They didn't kill it. They couldn't kill that tree. Don't tell me that tree's gonna lay down and die that easy. Look at that tree, see where it’s coming from? Right up out of the cement. Didn't nobody plant it. lt didn't ask the cement could it grow. lt just couldn't help growing so much it pushed that old cement right out of the way. When you're busting with something like that, can't anybody help it. Like that little old bird right up there. Listen to him. He didn't ask anybody could he sing, and he certainly didn't take any lessons. He's so full of singing, it’s just got to bust out someplace. They could cut that old tree right down to the ground and a root would push up someplace else in the cement.