[quote name='bilbo230763' post='279629' date='Sep 8 2008, 12:41 PM']I have my own agenda here (NO!!!)
I have always been frustrated by the desire of some quarters to [b][color="#FF0000"]'dumb down' [/color][/b]everything, be it music, books, films, tv, art - whatever. I have always preferred excellence in any discipline and, whilst I do expect everyone to be 'the best', I like to see some sort of desire in the individual to develop, to learn, to grow. It is that tendency that makes people interesting (whether they are musicians or not). The absence of that instinct generally renders people pretty one-dimensional and, frankly, boring. That is why the popular media is so bad; most people don't want to be challanged.
I started in HM bands, as I have said elsewhere, and have played in all sorts of different situations in all sorts of locations. In my experience, those musicians who are educated (and self-educated is still educated) are generally (and that word is important) more motivated, quicker, more creative, more respectful of the musicians around them, more professional, easier to communicate with, less frustrating, [b][color="#FF0000"]DEFINATELY[/color][/b] better improvisers, more responsive, more open-minded and are more rounded. They are, in a nutshell, more interesting to be around.
The celebration of mediocrity is going to kill all Art; its already disabled it.[/quote]
i am [b][color="#FF0000"]definitely[/color][/b] frustrated by people who [b][color="#FF0000"]dumb down [/color][/b]on their spelling