Throughout my music career, I've been blessed with some incredible lessons. One of these was the African drummer I befriended in the subway. Kwamijo (I hope I spelled his name right) had a way of drawing people in from far away with magic flow from his hands.
I asked if I could join him. He gave me a tambourine, then a cowbell. I was ok, but nothing great. So, I asked him some me questions about flow and rhythm.
After asking me a few questions he responded with "What animal moves like that?". He asked me to picture a lion walking through the jungle and started playing a beat.
I saw the rhythm, not just hear it. I saw the perfect imperfections in the Lions walk - some would call it swagger. I understood that slightly off beat note, was "correct" in the sense of natural rhythm because the lion drops his front shoulder as he walks.
He then explained that the richest music (in soul) was the one that is closest to nature. He asked me to watch water and fire dance. He asked me to watch bumble bees and nature in general if I wanted to reach people on an instinctual level. I understood this was a lesson to be remembered.
From that point on, I asked myself "What animal Moves like that?" when writing any music.
I share this with you so that the next time you sit down to compose, maybe consider going for a hike or to the beach first. This could also help break writers block.
Let's all win !!
That was a great one! Congrats, Marco! Bravo, Sir!
Such a great read, thanks for sharing, Ashley!