We who are grown-ups and are musicians can all remember the thrill and fear of playing with our friends at a very young age. It is SO fun and at the same time a rite of passage and a threshold to cross. We learn to play a few songs, find others to do that with, and then expose our abilities, such as they are, to our communities. For some of us, this happens at 5 or 6, for me it was age fifteen.
I went to Garfield High School in Seattle, and was mentored by many people there. Our talented and hardworking teacher Clarence Acox, as well as Willie Fisher, Byron Botler, Russell Smith, Charles Jones, Gordy Botler, Paul Anderson, Doug Barnett, Ed Stone, Steve Banks, David Wasson, Harold Ticeson, Greg Thompson, Earl Mack, Michael Woods, Bill Espy, Anthony Atherton, my brother Jake Smith and many other people took an interest in helping and teaching me. We all were young and loved music, and found as many ways as we could to express it.
In realizing how much I learned from all the the musicians I’ve met, I’ve also gotten a lot of satisfaction from meeting and helping young musicians in Seattle and across the country. If they want a drum lesson, great. If they just want to hang out and ask questions and get a sense of what playing is like, that’s cool too! Sharing what we know is so life-affirming and fun.
I remember how scared I was when I first met some musicians who were older, and especially those who were working musicians. That feeling of wanting to be accepted and included, wondering if I was good enough or smart and funny enough to be a part of any musical situation, seems far away now, but when I really think about it, I still have that desire to be included and accepted.
When working with younger musicians, whether they’re the many people across the country I’ve met, or just connecting with players who are a little unsure or are looking for ideas, I try to show them that we’re all who we are, that it’s possible to reach out to others and be as much ‘ourselves’ as we possibly can.
If we want to increase our skill set as musicians, we have to do something new. We have to reach out to other people and let them know what we want. Finding a teacher is so important. There are a lot of musicians who teach, so please, find one you like and do the work. I do that myself, and it’s always gratifying to learn a new ways to express my love of playing. We don’t have to create a new path with everything, there is a body of knowledge that already exists that we can tap into and teachers can show us that knowledge.
We also have a lot of fun finding new and creative ways to play, write, and record. Follow your vision and your dreams! I know some very young musicians who have such a clear picture of what they want to do. Let’s all find our way of expressing that dream! And, when someone wants to engage with us, let’s give them our sense of humor and take the time to encourage them. It can feel like a big scary world out there, especially for younger people. Let’s help give them a platform to stand on and a community to be a part of.
Photo Copyright Mark Schierholz 2016
