When we musicians who are now approaching 50 started out, it was certainly a different time. Sure, we got into music for all the same reasons kids do today: freedom (girls), self expression (girls), girls (girls), the prospect of striking it rich (lots of girls), etc. But nowadays, it seems as though the only reasons kids get into to music is money. And many don’t even attempt learning how to play an instrument to accomplish this – they either DJ (which, when done well, can be cool), or they start rapping (which, when done well, can also be cool). But that’s not the point. I see so few young players with a true desire to understand the music, the history of their instrument, to blaze a new path into the future, that it makes me think there are none. I know this is an exaggeration, but you get the idea. And it saddens me.
Who can blame a kid today for not finding the time to pursue music as a career path? I mean, you’ve got computer games, soccer leagues, AP courses at school, TV – and the list goes on – competing for their attention (and their parents hard earned cash). Who has time? When I was younger, we had sports, music, or GI Joe’s – nothing even approaching the pursuits available to the kids of today. Combine that with the fact that music education in the schools has diminished to the point of virtual nonexistence, and I really shouldn’t be surprised by today’s lack of young musicians. When I was coming up, it seemed like there was a band on every block. It certainly doesn’t seem like that now. Or does it? Is there a band practicing away somewhere in your neighborhood? If so, let me know! I need to have my faith restored.
We need to fix this situation. Kids need to want to play for music’s sake, but it’s hard to be inspired to do that when the prospect of making money at it – any kind of money – is slowly reduced to standing on a corner, placing your open case on the ground, and seeing what happens? Actually, even that’s not as lucrative as it used to be (just ask violinist Joshua Bell).
It makes me happy to see the young people at the Outta The Way Cafe shows I do with the James Mabry Band. Every so often, I catch a glimpse of one of them really checking out the music, and I’m reminded of myself at their age. The look in their eyes says it all – music means something to them that you can’t exactly put into words. It speaks to them on a different level than the average person. This gives me hope! Not only for the possibility that I may be seeing a future player, someone who’ll take up the baton when we’re too tired or too old to gig anymore. I’m also seeing the possibility of someone like my Dad, who didn’t play an instrument after high school, but listened with the ear and heart of a musician for his entire life, and passed that along to me. Or someone like my Mom, who played great trombone throughout school (so I’ve been told), and kept her love of music alive by listening to just about any type of music with a keen ear. She also helped me a lot with learning to read music early on.
What I’m getting at is this: music education doesn’t always need to head toward a career in music. Neither does playing in a band. But they both will instill a love and knowledge of music that can be passed along to successive generations. Doing so will keep the music – real music, played by real musicians – alive for a long time to come. And we need that.