This is a continuation of my recent analysis of the musical band Tool, although this spreads deeper in context.
When I was in college, I began my collegiate journey at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. It is a small private liberal arts college with a reputation of being a country club more than a school, which I can now attest to.
I had several teachers I will always remember, though. My business law professor, who was a local attorney. My English professor who had dropped out of Seminary and only wanted to write about God. And my music teacher, when I took a course called “Writing about Music.”
It may sound like a “gimme” class, where there’s nothing to it. That may have even been why I originally took it. But that was one of the most valuable classes I’ve taken, out of about 1000.
It taught me to expand my vocabulary immensely, so that I could describe sound. I would attend small concerts on campus, trios, almost all classical. I had the class in the Fred Rogers music room, where Mr. Rogers went to school and donated a piano(which I played) and a bunch of music necessities. Great guy.
But I became much more adept at describing music and sound and harmony and melodies colorfully and accurately using words. That’s harder than you may imagine.
As shown here in the video.
I have seen a lot(and growing) of “reaction” videos on YouTube where people of some background, from vocal coaches, to drummers, to just guys on the street, listen to a song or group for the very first time and you get to watch them and hear what they think.
Firstly, I avoid these types of videos because I think they’re either A) Fake or B) done by morons. Or both I suppose. They just don’t interest me at all.
But I don’t buy any serious musician over the age of 20 has never listened to Tool or Alice in Chains or Rush, or…name any HUGE band, when they’re IN THE INDUSTRY! If they haven’t then they are a joke. That’s my opinion. Music producers, especially. They are supposed to know EVERYthing. And many do. Except the ones in these videos.
It’s like seeing what “someone” thinks of driving a Bugatti, and they claim to never have heard of one before, but they’re a “car expert.” It just doesn’t add up.
I see black guys who say they’ve never heard of some white band, and I can buy that. I hate rap and couldn’t tell you anything about it. I get it. But if you’re a “serious” musician, or even producer, and just now hearing some of the most powerful music on Earth? Sure. How’s business?
But for some reason, I clicked on this one. It’s a vocalist coach listening to ‘Sober’ by Tool for the first time. I believe it is the first time she has heard the song, somehow. I think that’s what I wanted to see: What the act is by this chick. How is this even possible? What is her deal?
Here’s the video that catalysed my writing this post. She stumbles at first, and then just goes silent. She can’t even think of words to use. She doesn’t have the vocabulary to do what she’s trying to do. And additionally, doesn’t even have the musical knowledge.
See what you think:
