Instruments and Music

I was at the Swell Season concert on Sunday, and Glen Hasnard, went on an interesting tangent while trying to banter his way through changing the tuning on his guitar. He basically made a point that they were instruments, instruments that may get to stay in a nice hotel now, and eat better food, but in the end they were still instruments that played music. The biggest danger he said, is when instruments forget who they are, and believe to think that they are the music.

I thought it was a pretty humble way to look at talent and the world in general, applicable for a lot more than just music. You can almost believe or imagine that the entirety of music, art or even science already exists...it's just waiting to be discovered. Humbly letting the music play through you, as an instrument, rather than arrogantly believing you are the source of music and entitled. Believing you are the instrument means that you are more likely to be open to new and different things and experiences. Believing you are the music means that you think you know better, closed off to new and different things since you think you are the source of it all...when you're not. I wasn't expecting that revelation as part of the concert, but what a lucky bonus!

Oh yeah, the concert was pretty good too! They played for almost 2 hours.