No Need For Talent Or Skill In Music Anymore . . .

By Thelonious Coltrane

In todays music industry there is a lot of backwards things happening. Skill and talent come in a far second or third in regards to success these days. With the advancements of technology and ways to create music, the skill and talent has been taken out to allow anyone to basically hit a button, feel talented and be on their way to making music and money. Your fame, status and looks are far more important than skill today. People say, that is how music has aways been. Its the cliche of the musicians saying that radio music is simple soulless music, derived to sell to the masses and giving in to trends of "what sells". Im here to say its even worse than it has ever been! How did we get here?

I feel that games like Guitar hero play a huge roll in this. Being a guitar player, I was always so confused by how the game just had you hitting random buttons rather than following the groove or actually whats happening in the song from the guitar. I do know its just a game for fun, and it is fun! This allows people with out the skill to play instruments, feel the amazing power, emotions and feelings that playing an instrument can conjure up. It does feel good right!!! But lets be clear . . . you don't play guitar! You hit buttons on a controller thats in the shape of a toy guitar. The skill is in the game, not the instrument. This same scenario is being played out in the professional world of the music industry.

With the role of the DJ being huge in the live music game for the last 40+ years now, the technology has been driven towards making everything easier. Nothing wrong with that. You can now upload your song into a program that will tell you the BPM of the song. You can immediately add effects, chop or basically effect your sounds/songs anyway you want, all with a free program downloaded from the internet. I still don't have a problem with any of this. This means anybody can make a dope mix for their party this weekend. Spend 30 minutes and put together a great seamless mix of your favorite tunes. Pre-record it so you don't have to worry about it while you getting down at your party. A good analogy would be, you made a powerpoint presentation of your music. You compiled songs in the order you wanted, then put transition features in-between each slide to make it look cool. Keep in mind, you do have to know powerpoint to be able to do this, but not that hard to accomplish. Once your happy with your mix you are now done, and worry free of having to continually mess with the music for your party! You can even stand behind your laptop occasionally to pump your fist and "Look Cool" like a real DJ!!! Well thats pretty much what some of these people are getting paid big bucks to do!

In todays music production there are so many pre-loaded arpeggios and drum loops basically anyone who takes the time to learn the program can produce a song. I didn't say the song was good or amazing, but you can literally put together a finished track. By clicking some buttons, putting some effects and mastering pre-set plug-ins and POOF . . . you have a professional sounding mastered track. (South Park just recently made fun of this!) Whats crazy is, THAT is what's selling these days! You slap a repetitive 2-3 word hook over it and two verses with lyrics anonymous and trendy slang and . . . THATS A HIT!!!  You may be asking yourself why is this any different than the Pop music of the past? 

In the past, Pop music was still written and played by musicians. Although their melodies and lyrical content could be somewhat cheesy, the musicianship skill and music theory was still sound. The actual chords and melodies were still using jazz/classical theory behind them. There were still amazing musicians playing and writing these songs, thus creating more jobs in the industry. Although most studio musicians are far more creative than what they are paid to do for theses pop gigs, it is still a paying job that takes a set of skills to do. All those Motown studio players for all the R&B/Funk tracks are AMAZING jazz musicians!!! In my opinion thats the best type of POP music, but lets not get off topic here! That type of Pop music is a distant memory to todays Pop. When I say Pop music, I mean everything on the radio. All of todays genres is Pop music. Todays pop has been degraded and watered down to literally a kick, snare, Hi hat with a 1-2 note electronic bass line and an electronic sound for a melodic touch, a simple cookie cutter style of song or method to the style of the song or a overly produced/over compressed studio sound that is un-attractive to most music aficionados. Im not knocking simplicity either. Having less chord changes or a simple melody can still be done amazingly to create magical music. It just takes skill to create something original with no help from a quantizer, arpeggio maker or pre-programmed drum loop. I have no problems using a quantizer, arpeggio maker or using drum loops either, its just how tastefully its used, right? You can take my simple equation from above of the kik & snare  and have the dopest Dilla track bobbin your head, so simplicity isn't the problem. The lack of skill is the problem.

When I see a DJ Pauly (From the TV show: Jersey Shore) making $100,000.+ a year DJing, I always wonder how did that happen? I then see the youtube videos of him with horrible electronic music with crowds of 1000's of people cheering, I wonder what is happening? I know he was booked for being famous, but does that make him musical or a DJ? What promoter was stoked to pay him all that money? What types of people PAID to go see that show, and also thought it was AWESOME!!! Why is it that if you are already famous you instantly are a good musician or painter once you try? DJ Pauly has a following from his TV show, so why doesn't he get paid to play for the New Jersey Nets? Oh, because he couldn't hang with the other professionals in the NBA? Or is it because it would be a joke for him to be out on the court because he doesn't have the skills? To me it looks the same way when he performs as a DJ, but he continually gets booked? Im not ragging on DJ Pauly either. That guy has made millions off of just being himself. I just used him as an example since he is a great one. The fact that so many people want to pay him or other celebrities to hit play at their club or to see him look cool behind a laptop will always baffle me.

The real deal is whats missing from all of this music equation is innovation, rawness and risk. Most of these songs these days don't challenge the status quo. Don't take musical or stylistic risks. They don't create original art. It is even more derived due to the fact that, anyone can hit buttons. Anyone can read an instructing manual on how to use a program. The originality has been washed away with all of our musical hopes and dreams. A little bit of a  theatrical statement, but if you think about it, that element of music is lost. The virtuosity of a Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Paige solo in a song is GONE! The times of lyrics poetically implying things is covered up by blunt thoughtless content. i don't even hear guitar solo's in Rock n Roll songs anymore? WHAT?!?!?! Radio Hip Hop has no lyrical content at all, nor are the beats interesting or original! Im still lost as to what draws people to these songs? To continually listen to these songs? To purchase these songs? To share, like, repost and support these types of artists that are just as talented as anyone else that took the time to learn the basics of a computer program.

Deep down it boils down to our culture and the knowledge of knowing what it takes to create something. I really mean create something by being creative. I think most people don't create. Whether its music, painting, dancing, poetry, cooking, surfing or whatever, people should create! The knowledge of knowing what it takes to create something is HUGE! Just trying is a huge step. Your first song, painting or cake will probably not be that good, but the knowledge of knowing what it takes to create it, is life changing. Usually in what ever style of creating you like you will then fine tune those skills to make a better song, painting or cake. Then you have more of an appreciation for John Coltrane, Monet, Shakespeare or your grandma's cooking, and as to why its so good! Im not saying everyone should become a DJ or guitar player, but I do think everyone should pick one or two creative things and attempt them throughout their life. It will bring more of an understanding to the world of creators/artists/musicians from the general public. The talent will be exposed by comments of, "Thats all it takes to do that?" . . .or . . . "Wow! Thats what it takes to do that?" The understanding of creating something for the world to see, hear, taste or experience is a lot for some to attempt or handle. It is humbling, eye opening and showcases you as an individual that exposed your creations and in some cases your soul to the world. Not everyone is going to like your cake, but creating it and sharing it is what brings the best flavors to all of our lives and the world.