Little Mx. Don’t Know It All
Music’s not just a matter of the mind.
While knowledge is wealth, some folks exchange it for currency to feed their oversized egos. Music self served for their very own ears and clout chasing desires. Now, don’t get it twisted. I’m forever grateful to artists who indulge us with sublime sonic surprises, troves of treasures dug from the depths of their record bags or Rekordbox. And I’m in complete awe of audiophiles and aficionados. Those who prefer not to play, yet diligently keep track of tracks. Devouring each note, while harmoniously educating themselves on factual notes discovered through an infinite web of wormholes. And then of course there’s the myriad of music makers- who are in a stupendous and mystifying league unto their own.
A sincere love for music is simply divine. Where it goes haywire is when expertise is mistakenly taken to mean one is head and shoulders above the rest. And those inflated egos are quite fragile- tea. On the flip side, there’s the infatuated- more dancers than doers- who naturally sop up every nuance of harmonies, beats and melodies; yet have trouble absorbing artist names, song titles, labels, etc. I’ve often heard these folks diminish or downplay their pure passion just because they can’t remember the who, what, and/or where with confidence. Which very much saddens and perplexes me. Don’t disparage yourself just because you’d draw blanks if someone challenged you to name that track.
Unless the shoe sounds like it fits, I’m not talking about you. However, I am talking about me. Music is my lifeblood, yet the facts of the matter tend to bleed out of my mind. Sometimes instantly. My human Shazam- Patrick Russell can verify this to be true. There’ve been umpteen instances when I suddenly shout “Shazam” at him while we’re dancing away (obviously not when he’s DJing). An automatic answer follows, which I grasp for 3-2-1…and then whoosh- the info flies out of my ears into the ether. He truly has the patience of a saint for putting up with my redundant lack of total recall.
I’ve been around oh so many music aficionados of the factoid retaining ilk- let’s call them audio archivists- whose stockpiles of information and stories can be quite intimidating. Regardless of whether they intend them to be. For decades I was embarrassed and ashamed that I wasn’t self-schooled on the same level of detail. I kept quiet through copious conversations, feeling inadequate and disappointed in myself.
And then one night, as I danced my heart away, “ding dong”- a doozy of a realization hit me. I was actually being a ding dong all along. I realized the major merits of simply gobbling up every morsel of music while living in the moment, without naturally cataloging facts. These audible differences don’t signify that you’re less passionate or love music any less than… let's say, DJ Encyclopedia (if they exist). Think about it this way- a prerequisite for loving ice cream isn’t mastering every detail about how it’s made and its history.
The manner sound soaks into my soul is valid in its own right. It’s really that plain and simple. Are you a person with a penchant for details? Be aware that sharing rather than showing-off is the ultimate use of your wealth of wisdom. And it’s beyond marvelous that such a spectrum of learning by way of hearing exists. Music is an ultimate equalizer. And while your intake of sound may be diametrically opposite from your friends, there’s magic in whatever way your experience and memory takes hold.
That this is a glaring dichotomy with the larger global trend of devaluing facts and contradictory perspectives does not escape me whatsoever. The distinction is that sonic stamps imbue and affect your emotional intelligence and acuity. Intangible yet incredibly important. In no way does that mean vast expertise isn’t of equal measure- it’s of the utmost value. My point is, don’t beat yourself up or become a judgy-wudgy bird due to contrast in your comprehension. There’s no reason to feel intimidated or lesser than anyone else. Because the only measurement that counts is music’s value to yourself.