What are your musical influences? What music has shaped you the most? Who are the musicians whose influence pervades your music, whether you’re aware of it or not? What type of music comes out in your playing, even though you may play what seems to be an entirely different style of music.
Take a moment and reflect upon this.
All musicians have influences. And most have multiple influences. A musical culture which they’ve come out of. This may be related to your geographical culture, or it may be something you’ve absorbed through books, recordings, and the internet. But it’s there. And it runs deep within you.
J.S. Bach came out of the Lutheran hymn-singing tradition.
Louis Armstrong came out of the musically-varied environment in 1900’s New Orleans (jazz, marches, blues, and yes, opera)
The Rolling Stones grew up with the English music-hall tradition but looked to American rock, blues, and country for a different approach.
What are your own musical influences?
Look for them. You may be surprised at what you find!
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