Musical Snobbery at it’s finest

Greetings world….

This is another attempt to write a blog. I have written opinions ranging from politics to the green movement, but it always comes back to music. Being a musician that makes sense, but have a lot of opinions about a lot of things and thought a blog was the best way to share them.

What I have found from reading blogs is that the best are the ones are full of passion about the subject they write. This gets back to the music…

My partner says that I am a music snob…in other words… someone who has distinct musical tastes coupled with the tendency to look down on others who don’t, “get it” the way I do. After reflecting on this, there is a lot of truth there. However, one can make the arguement that anyone who loves music can be a musical snob of sorts. You see, except for religion and politics, music can get people into heated disscussions because of the subjective nature of it all.

My parents bought me an organ at the age of 8 and for the next 8 years plodded through pop organ music (mostly ranging from broadway musicials to 50’s standards).  At the age of 16, mom gave me the option to quit lessons, that was one desision I never regretted. However, the music bug (the piano one) kept biting me and within a year was taking (and paying for) piano lessons which went on for the next 5 years. After that, my education became one of self discovery musically.

There were two events that shaped me musically. The first was the day that my mother brought home a 45 of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. It was an older copy as it first came out in 1964 and was only four at that time. (This must have been 67 or 68). I had no idea WHY someone would want to hold a girls hand. (I was only seven or eight) What I DO remember was this energy that was being transferred from the record to my senses, the freshness of the voices just leaped out through the grooves. I have grown to love much of 50’s pop, but all I knew that this beat the stuffings out of Doris Day.

The next great musical moment was hearing “Rocket Man” for the first time. The beauty of the piano music with the lyric spoke volumes to me.  I could not fathom the lonesomeness of a relationship going bad, but the music spoke volume to an empty void of a young lad who had trouble fully adapting socially.

So what is this blog going to be about? Music…pure and simple. To look back at music that moved me, music that I should have paid attention too but didn’t. To look at music that I need to warn others about (I AM a music snob after all). To alert those who might come across these pages at new acts that you might get into.

Frankly, I gave up on top 40 radio years ago. Thank God the internet (and Rhaposdy) has turned me on to music that should be given a wider audience, but has not. Living in Nashville, I have come across many artists that are MUCH better then what is being heard on radio. And not just country either. One of cool things I’ve found since moving here, is the rich rock and jazz scene. More on that as time goes on.

What would I like from you the reader? Your opinions….your favorites….your ideas….I love to learn about the things that I’m most passionate about. Can we argue? You bet!! Can we agree?? Sure (but it’s not near as much fun) Can we learn? I hope we do more of that then anything. I’d love to see a community of music lovers to chat with. So….here goes….