Speaking of messes, Whitney Houston died. Glorious voice, really screwed up life. While it's sad, I read a comment on a FB post that a friend linked to that had a more realistic point of view. One that I think I pretty much agree with:
How many more times does this have to happen? Making music is one of the most powerful, wonderful things a person can do, but it DOES NOT make them more important than a teacher, a cook, or plumber, or garbage man. Just because you sing back up vocals, or play the famous sax solo on a song, or mixed and produced a comeback album for a washed up star, or win an award on a tv show for singing (where the 2 out of 3 of the a judges are autotuned OR don’t sing) or sell 170 million records does not make you an idol or god or goddess. Your hard work and dedication mean you earn the reward for just that, your hard work and dedication to your art. Not the perception of your celebrity. The culture is backwards. NBC-BRAVO aired a tv show on the cracked up Whitney, and now they are covering the HORROR of her death. That poor woman was built up and taken down and her body was not prepared for it. No one is. Michael Jackson, Elvis, Luther Vandross, etc. Whether it’s drugs or alcohol or food, the indulgence comes from masking the pain and fear. Whitney appeared on Oprah due to Clive Davis’ string pulling comeback, and SHE WAS NOT READY. We all saw it. No one said anything. Including Oprah. God forbid we rock the boat, and get the person the help they need.
Last night I watched McCartney get feted for his songs, the thing that all of us are trying to be a part of, the songs, the content. Not the celebrity. He and the Beatles invented this music business and he seems pretty healthy. Why? Cause he doesn’t believe the bullshit. He just wants to make music. Stevie Wonder sang a 3 hour concert, in amazing voice. No one can touch his artistry, and he is humbled by the attention. Yet he is becoming the rare exception instead of the main influence.
It’s a false culture, and the TMZ/Kardashian/Lohan/media whore inmates are taking over the zoo. Does anyone’s life change by knowing who Demi Moore is coupled with?
Producers are making inferior music with protools and auto tune because the hottie who’s 16 is less of a risk, even though there’s not a NOTE of originality.
Watch how many Adele imitators come out this year.
Music is created to express and receive connection, not exchange for a mansion. Whatever $ people THINK the Beatles earned is a pittance compared to what their songs made people feel. For someone to say “I’m living large like an idol or a rockstar,” is a false goal. To have an equal experience as say, John Lennon, one would really have to give half their money away to charity or doctors without borders, or something! And that would be only the start, since the creator of Imagine had us actually imagining, and he lost his life for it.
Now, it seems we’re cracked and bloody like his Gandhi glasses, (another who btw who told us to be the change.)
I wish someone could have reached her. She deserved happiness more than adoration from strangers.
We have to change our thinking. What else is there for us if we don’t? We can only keep making music and let the sounds fall on the ears of those who can hear. Live our own beautiful lives, and give our adoration to those who deserve (our friends, our families, our children) instead of the culture/media.
Spent all day Saturday in symphony rehearsals. Which means my day gets started 3 hours earlier than anyone else, to pick up equipment, set it up, and then sit for 2 full rehearsals. Oh, yeah--another hour-plus to tear it down, return equipment and the truck. All in all, a full 12 hours. My knees are letting me know about their displeasure.
Valentine's Day is coming up. Not dreading it, but not anticipating it either. Hope you have some plans, one way or the other! And as I do every year..."My Funny Valentine". This time by Etta James...
4 comments:
I have plans for the day after valentines.....I'll have to keep you informed.
I built a house for a lady hoarder....OMG! I finally turned her in to adult protective services and got her a case worker that stayed by her side until she died about 10 years later. It was sad, but like watching a train wreck at the same time.
And with Witney Houston, I hate to say it, maybe i'm jaded because of soldiers that have died that no one seems to care about, but I can't really get the feeling of loss for her. My bad I guess.
I'm kinda obsessed with Hoarders and those types of shows. It's like a car crash...I wanna look away but I can't.
As for Whitney we're all a little flawed but for some us the cracks are more than surface deep. I hope she gets the peace she seemed to desperately need.
I'd rather watch "Hoarders" than "The Housewives of [fill in your favorite city]" At least hoarders are real people.
And the Whitney Houston comment? Well, unfortunately we are provided with what makes others' money, and all of the "fame" and gossip is what our society will pay for.
Says much more about what we've become than it does about the artist (of any type).
I saw Whitney in concert back in the day and she had quite a voice for a live performance. But it her concerts didn't have the "spectacle" that is the hallmark of most concerts these days. We've reached a point in where the other stuff is more important than the music, to promoters and concert goers alike and, I doubt that we are going back.
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