| WHERE'S THE PASSION? |
| I've been a music/entertainment "critic" for quite awhile, now. (I HATE that word, CRITIC, because it seems to conjure up visions of people with very mean and negative thinking) I prefer the word, "reviewer" .. I'm NOT a negative person .I LOVE music and entertainment .but the word critic, is usually spoken with distaste .some even say, "those who CAN, sing/act ..those who CAN'T, criticize!I guess, for some, that's true ..I hope I will never be perceived that way .but, with the territory, often comes that perception I see it differently .I see my work, as a way of helping people recognize their own talent, and the talent of others. I see it as having to play the "bad guy" sometimes, if necessary, but only for the purpose of directing attention to great talent, and giving some encouragement to those artists where the talent is less recognizable. However, I also make clear, that although I do have an opinion, and try to express it, I always hope that the fans out there, will decide for themselves, who they like and who they don't.
I've been listening to singers, recording stars, music masters, famous artists, bands, orchestras for years and reviewing their work, for almost as long (well, maybe not that as long since I started enjoying music from the day I was born!) but for a long time, just the sameAnd today, I'm listening to a new artist, one of the many CD's sent to me by a wife, a husband, a father, manager, producer, whoever, just someone who wants them to "make it" He's a country singer .good voice, pleasant, good lyrics, too....And the band is just as good but, and this is a BIG but, here .so bear with me, as I go on and on a bit, about not just THIS artist, but about the many others I've listened to, even enjoyed, yet who've made me feel such frustration!You see, I want to hear MORE than his voice ! I want MORE than lyrics, and a good band ..Its just not enough!! I want them to get inside my BONES! I want to remember them! I want to feel everything they're feeling, when they sing to me I want tears brought to my eyes, and laughter to my heart!I guess what I'm trying to say here is (and here's my confession) I've always wanted to be a singer but I was not blessed with that precious gift ..I think we are all given certain gifts, talents singing is not one of mine but .FEELING is! I have a sense of humor .a need for tears, sometimes ..a need, too, for being lifted out of my hum-drum day, once in a while .Music can do that for me ..it DOES do that for me! I guess this is why, when I discovered I had a talent for writing, I decided to combine THAT gift (humble as I am:), with the music that I so dearly love hence, the music reviews .and the talent search, that's never ending ..the piles and piles of records, tapes and CD's .yep, you' d get LOST in my music room climbing through it all .but here's my point, folks and pleeeeease listen carefully especially you wonderful, talented singers out there.ok? If there is ONE thing that I have found to be consistent in some of the new musicians/artists, I listened to in my ongoing search for great music, it's the lack of PASSION! The lack of HEART! Where is it??????? I hear the voice, its good! I KNOW you can sing! I know your band can play! I know the lyrics are good usually. but you don't convince me! You don't bring tears to my eyes, or goosebumps to my skin .you don't make me laugh, OR cry!(Although, sometimes I WANT to cry, just because I need sooooooooooooo much to hear from your gut!) I need to know that YOU know what you're singing about! Not that you're just reading the lyrics to the tune of the melody in front of you. I want to know that YOU feel the words that you understand them, and love them .that you are living the experience when you sing! You see, there are only a rare few artists out there who can DO this again, it's a GIFT! But I think it's a gift that can be nurtured ..that NEEDS to be nurtured, sometimes ..and coaxed Maybe it's the "butterflies" you feel, when you sing before a crowd, that prevents you all I'm not sure, WHAT the problem is ..I just know that when I hear an artist, who has a beautiful voice, and lyrics that are so well written .and a band that can play that music soooo well I cringe, if you don't let ME inside it with you! ..I think that's the one element that's missing from the hundreds of new artists, who are trying so hard to "make it" ..It's not their inability to sing, or write, or play their instrument! Its just the lack of PASSION!! They keep it hidden away from us they don't or can't share their feelings with us, the listening audience. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about .just to try to clarify my, sometimes, rambling thinking .Have you ever seen or heard an opera? Even if it was just on TV, and you didn't stay long, cause you don't LIKE opera.!! Well, humor me ., please just take ONE moment to listen sometime, to someone like Placido Domingo, or Luciano Pavarotti of "The Three Tenors" now most often, they are singing in a foreign language, right? They are up there, belting out a song, but you don't have the slightest idea about any lyric IN it! BUT, here's the thing that gets your attention .here's what makes THEM a star! In fact, here's what makes them ALIVE!! It's the PASSION!!They can bring an audience to tears, without uttering a word of English they can make us laugh they can bring an audience to its feet or to its knees! We don't NEED to understand the words we just need to FEEL them! You see? Maybe Ricky Martin would be a better example for some of you out there .Because he's someone most of today's artists can relate to it's the same thing with him, as with Pavarotti .its not the language it's the PASSION! And the same can be said for an instrumentalist take a pianist, for example .or a drummer! Don't you just want to stamp your feet, or pound the table, when you hear a good drummer? ..He's the one that makes you FEEL his HEART!! He's the one who bangs that drum, like it was his LIFE lying out there in front of him! He's talking to them, he's begging them he's teaching them .he's PLAYING them! In fact, if he's really really good, he BECOMES them! Ever listen to the late, great, Stevie Ray Vaughn? Ever see him play his guitar? Well, "play the guitar" is an understatement! SRV WAS his guitar, and it WAS him ..You could never NOT feel what he was feeling! He treated that guitar like a living, breathing thing! And so should you, who uses your voice, to bring your story, your heart, your soul, to your audience c'om people .let us HEAR FEEL and KNOW what the lyrics mean to YOU let us cry with you, or laugh with you ..Its YOUR gift, you know ..USE it!! And SHARE it!! Here's the way a friend of mine put it "Every Shower Has A Great Singer... I'm not looking for a Singer...I'm Looking for a Artiste'.... One that can sell me the idea that he believes that this is his life....this is his soul ....the intangible...charisma...Communicate...to me as a individual....person to person... That's the difference between a Singer and a Star..." (Dick Shuey) ..Well put, Dick couldn't have said it better myself! Well, folks, .thanks for letting me get that off my chest I hope you understood it I hope you'll remember it, next time you're up there standing at a mic ..Your audience is out there, just waiting for you to SHARE your world with them ..do them a favor .ok? .. It COULD make YOU a star!! Oh, and remember, you may or may not agree with me ..but, after all .this is just ."An Independent View" written by: Linda Fryer, BMI |