
Mickey Feeney
Music is one of the most powerful forms of self expression in existence. Without music, life would be impossible. Everyone, no matter where you’re from, what you look like, what language you speak, you can enjoy music. It’s the universal language that everyone is able to understand.
As a musician myself, I find music to be empowering. I can convey my emotions through my instrument with ease. You can do this with any kind of music, however, I find that it is most powerful with jazz. Jazz has a life of its own. It might seem excotic when one first listens to it, but once it is truly understood, it can be appreciated entirely. Its an acquired taste. Think of it as a foreign delicacy thats seems utterly disgusting at first glance, but once it’s given a try, it’s obvious why people love it. In jazz there’s no droning synthesized bass that one might find in modern pop music. There’s no autotune, no fake electronic sounds that everyone seems to love. What you’re hearing is pure authenticity, soul, talent, and improvisational thought. Jazz music is largely improvisational. The musicians will play a written chorus, and then go into solos; in which every member of the band (usually consisting of 4-6 people) has an opportunity to solo. The musicians must invent music off of the top of their head at a moments notice. Soloing gives the musicians a real opportunity to express how they are feeling at the exact moment. The solos aren’t written out in advance, the music is happening now, in the moment. Jazz captures the essence of the moment that can never be recreated again. That is exactly why jazz takes a life of its own. The music is alive.