How to Make Music More Fun in 2012!
I haven't written a blogpost since September, and only write them when I'm really inspired. I think everyone gets a little more inspired when the New Year comes and all the resolution lists get made. This year's resolutions have a lot to do with music, and how to make it more fun in 2012!
Tonight, I challenged myself to do a "performance" video of Adele's Someone Like You. The one thing that is tough being an instrumentalist is that one must be interesting when doing a cover of a song known for its vocal prowess. It's a beautiful ballad, and one mostly covered by vocalists. It's also a song that I feel very strongly about, and feel that Adele would not be offended by an artistic interpretation of it. It's also one of those songs that you must be careful with. If you over-embellish, you take away from the song and what Adele did with it. What I mean by over-embellishing is playing music that detracts from the song and its melody.
For example, I feel it is offensive to over-embellish The Star Spangled Banner and Taps, unless it is done artistically, emotionally and tastefully as in Jimi Hendrix's version. It was not over-embellished. The melody was always present and powerful, very emotional. It truly was, every step of the way.
How to make music more fun in 2012? Don't think too hard with it! Enjoy it. Study it. Rinse and repeat. CDs, DVDs, YouTube, live performances...it's all there for you to have fun with. Forget criticism. Forget ego. Put all that aside and let the music speak for itself. It's usually better that way anyway.
I hope you enjoy my Adele interpretation. I've held off doing it for months now, because I just couldn't figure out a way to make it wonderful. I mean, it's very difficult to do something so wonderful justice. But that's the resolution in 2012--Do your best to do the music justice. Keep working at it so next time, you can up the ante a little bit. I look forward to a great and musical 2012!
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