What I feel is sorely missing from the music community

Have you ever heard the phrase, these young cats don't know the old music? Why is that so true in many cases? I have a thought about it. It is because mentoring is a rare thing in the music community.

If you are one of the 'older cats', then you realize that you were either in situations where you had to play those songs on a regular basis. Or you had somebody that was tired of you butchering the songs, so they took the time to show them to you. Anybody will know songs if they are playing them all the time. And having someone stand over your shoulder is a great motivator to learn too. But most 'young cats' don't have either of those circumstances in their lives. Most old cats don't want to be bothered with young cats unless they already play at a certain level. And most young cats have such a jacked up concept of where they are musically, that they don't think that they need to sit up under anybody.

I kinda miss the days when you would see a row of kids in church with drum sticks wishing for their turn to play. Begging for the chance to play offering or the benediction. Now, you have kids that are playing the whole service. The problem is that they haven't sat up under anyone. So the novice thinks they are a professional and tries a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't work. And then you have a bunch of people that don't want the child to be corrected and figure that the child will get better and that God hears their heart. This is the biggest crock. If the child goes unchecked, the fake compliments that you give them will go to their heads, making the child confident in their sloppiness and poor execution. Then that child will try and get on someone's band stand for real and get ridiculed. That does noone any good. 

That child will also take the privilege of playing for granted. They will half learn songs because the mothers in the church say that they are so gifted. They will come to rehearsal and service late. and they won't be hungry. If they play keyboard, they will only be able to play in 3 keys and use the transpose key. And they won't practice their craft. They don't realize that Practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! If you practice something sloppy. Sloppy is how you will play it. But they have noone to tell them that it is sloppy. So they continue to play sloppy. Assaulting everyone's ears that dares to enter the room. 

Sitting up under someone is a 2 way street. The mentor has a responsibility to recognize the stregnths in the mentee. As well as letting them know what they can't do. the mentor needs to give the mentee opportunities they can handle. This will build confidence. Real confidence. Not arrogance. We don't need another person picking up an instrument thinking they are better than they are. 

The problem is that many older cats see the young cats as competition. I say that there is room for everyone. If you fear the young cats taking over, you probably need to practice your craft more frequently. That way, you won't be in the rut you have been in for the past 5 years. I find that many younger cats can benefit from your experience as well as watching you play. There tends to be a seasoning on older cat's playing that is missing in most younger cats. The young cats often need to learn to groove. Whereas the older cats get it. Older cats make you bob your head.

If you are one of the old cats I am talking about, I want to encourage you to not turn away the young cats that ask you questions. I have been in the place of asking an older cat questions, and getting the blow off answers. Fortunately, I had others in my life that actually poured into my development. If you are a younger cat. First realize that you don't know it all. You probably don't know what you think you know. Ask questions of knowledgable people. Not just the ones that play fast. But the ones that work. They will have the most to offer. They get it. The cat that works the most might not be as flashy. But they get the job done. And carry themselves in a professional way. That will get you farther than any number of fast notes will.

If Dave Weckl can get a teacher after playing for a number of years on a very high level. Then I think we all have something to learn from those that have come before us.