HEART, MIND & HANDS
Some time ago I was having a nice train conversation with my good friend Andrea Niccolai about what we look for when we listen to musicians, contemporary or of the past, that inspires us.
I came up with a little three word concept that summarizes what I subconsciously search for:
HEART: The ability to move and make me feel deep emotions.
MIND: What is played comes from a well thought concept.
HANDS: I see/feel an intimate relationship between the player and his instrument.
Does this mean that I listen only to musicians that satisfy my parameters?
Not at all. In fact, I think that as everyone I go through phases and cycles of different listenings.
Most of the time I listen to music that delivers a strong emotional statement rather than technical. Usually who has the power to make me feel things in the chest has strong ideas behind his/her music.
Heart, mind and hands means to be constantly pursuing the right balance.
Bill Stewart, Peter Washington, they have that. You feel the groove, the ideas behind and the impeccable execution.
We don't make music just with our body, brain or feelings. These three components have to work together, consciously and subconsciously in a cooperative way. As my teacher once told me, "You can't play only off enthusiasm. You need a whole system that supports your playing." At the time he spoke of bass lines, but you can apply this idea to all the aspects of music.
To give an example of someone whose music really inspires me, beyond any genre classification, I’d definitely choose Stevie Wonder.
His lyrics have deep meaning and he can show you different angles and facets of the same topic. That is a proof to me that he’s thinking about these things and really trying to dig these ideas to the roots.
His compositions are perfectly written and his harmonic approach really stimulates both the intellectual and visceral sides of myself.
Whatever instrument he plays he shows complete union and coherence with it.
His singing…That, for me, is "Heart, Mind & Hands” fused together in the most perfect way.
In conclusion, I'd like to challenge you, reader, to meditate about your version of "Heart, Mind & Hands" and to consider which artists satisfy those criteria.
Thank you,
G.C.
