Artist headspace vs. musician headspace + Whistler March 5th
Good afternoon friends!
First off, I wanted to give you all an early heads up that my trio featuring Marcos Rios (guitar) and Lyn Rye (bass) will be performing at the Whistler a little more than two wweeks from now on Wednesday March 5th. The Whistler is a nice bar in Logan Square that has a long history of presenting jazz. I last performed there in 2022, so I'm looking forward to returning with a fresh sound.
Full show details here on the Whistler's site.
Arts and Crafts
Since my essay last week about the creative process, I've been reflecting about what it is to be a musician vs. being an artist. Having enjoyed performing in both capacities, I think there is both overlap and clear distinctions between the two.
In this circumstance, when I say artist, I'm referring to a musical artist rather than a sculpter, painter, etc.
In my opinion, on the most basic level, artists convey ideas and musicians sculpt sound. When I think about a great artist, I'm focused on how what they create comments on the world. Obviously technical execution is important, but the most interesting thing about a musical artist's work is how both its explicit and covert elements convey a philosophy for the listener to digest and interpret.
On the other hand, a musician creates a more immediate and physical response through the manipulation of their instrument. A great drummers touch and musicality will stick out to me, even if the song or recording they're a part of is total crap.
From my lived experience of both jobs, I would say the headspace for each is very different. When I'm acting as an artist, which for me usually involves the creation of an album or the presentation of a proper concert, I am thinking about the big picture. I'm thinking about what message I want to convey, which songs in what specific ordder will amplify it, and what instrumentation and musical personalities will channel the material with the least amount of resistance or confusion.
In contrast, as a musician, I'm viewing each song or piece as its own creative challenge that I strategize to perform to the best of my ability. I'm focusing on the hyper-small details of the rhythm section that allow the music to feel good and support whatever else is going around whether it's part of a concert, theatrical production, film, or even a private party. I'm making sure my snare drum sounds just right and that my cymbals are sitting where they should--and generally speaking I'm less focused on the meaning of lyrics that are happening outside of their function to cue my next musical entrance, change in groove, etc.
All this being said, it's great for any music maker to be able to tap into both. The better an artist understands the technicality of musicianship, the more detailed and vibrant their work can be. And the more artistic and emotional receptive a musician can be, the more powerful their interpretations of someone's art will be.
What do you all think? This is all very emorphis stuff, but fun to think about. I for one, after having really dug into being a musician these past couple years, am enjoying doubling back down on my artistry, but definitely noticing I've had to shake some rustyness off since I've spent so much time in the more technical headspace.