On Notes of a Different Kind

As I sit back on a lovely Wednesday morning (ah, the joy of holidays!) and contemplate just how well I can waste the day, I turn my iPod on shuffle. What followed was just perfect. Lovely, soothing notes from the saxophone of a certain Kenny G. Instrumental music is one of the truest forms of music and I'm always surprised at how it is belittled by people who know nothing about it.

You might be a die-hard fan of Metallica and Maiden. You might have flown across the country to go for the Rock In India concerts (which, this year, is the biggest sham in the history of music). You might be able to air-guitar your way through all of Hendrix's solos and match Plant's vocals note-for-note. Great! But if you know nothing about instrumental music, you don't have any right to look down upon it with the contempt and disgust one would show an Akon fan.

Nearly all of today's music has its roots in classical music. Some of the greatest rockers to live on this planet were classically trained. Without classical music, there would be no structure in music. The concept of beats would not exist. More than one performer on stage, and we'd have chaos. Music, in its modern form, would just not exist. So, it's very disheartening when you meet someone who lives on Linkin Park, has never heard Mozart or Bach and yet the very mention of classical music brings out a scornful laugh and a look that says 'Oh my god! You actually listen to that stuff? It's meant for octogenarians and hospital waiting rooms.'

The same reaction is afforded to more contemporary forms of instrumental music that doesn't involve drums or guitars. Jazz music has remained one of my favorite forms of music ever since I discovered it close to an year ago. It has such a soothing and calming effect on you - it just cools you down, no matter what your state of mind is. It is also very elaborate and the closer you listen, the more you appreciate the artist and his skill. The saxophone is one of the nicest sounding instruments and there's absolutely no way someone who's never even heard of it should have the right to cock a snook at it.

I don't have a problem if you've never heard Tchaikovsky or Art Blakey or Miles Davis. I have a problem if you, in all your cockiness and narrow-mindedness, having never heard them, treat them with utter disrespect and contempt. It may not be your kind of music, but it's bloody good all the same.