prince is always going on and on about real this real that. but how exactly does he propose that their be more REAL MUSICIANS playin REAL INSTRUMENTS???

Schools r cutting back! Everyone can't learn by ear like he did! Everyone can't afford 2 go 2 music school! Everyone doesn't have a connect, etc..etc.

Why does he go on and on about this? as if ranting will help. If anything homeboys' DOLLARS will help..Or if he can spare it his TIME.
If he's so pissed about there being too few REAL MUSICIANS doing REAL MUSIC why doesn't HE do something about it?

Whats top of the us charts? rock/metal acts i think, playing real instruments.

here is short description of that - e minor penatonic with flattened fifth(devils interval) to add disonance + white trash lyrics (dont forget guitars tuned down to e flat). thats it. skip that genre.

The problem is with 'real music'. That comes with everyday radio which, is another of princes points and where i agree where the problem is. The back catalogue grows but music, like fashion, plays the latest production/sound, That, in the case of prince's dance roots, means samplers, not real instruments.

The answer is a culture change, a detour from showboat materialism to earned materialism through musical integrity/mtv exposure with the furs/girls. i suppose another Prince withOUT the brains to get involved in the hiphop bandwagon and rise above the mediocrity(although this path may have been trod and ignored by the carrot disguised as fame).

Well, it's not that REAL music isn't out there. It's just not as accessible, you won't run into it while you're channel surfing. You have to be a fan of a real musician (like ourselves) or keep your ear to REAL sources, u dig?

Oh, and Prince may not so much, but this www.artistempowermentcoalition.org is definetly a start.

i wouldn't make assumptions about prince's generosity. one of the things i admire about him is that he donates quite a bit of his money, quite frequently, to various charities in which he believes. he just doesn't feel the need to announce every good deed he does - i think that's very humble and cool of him.

If someone wants something bad enough they can find a way to get it. Anyone can get access to a used, cheap guitar or bass or keyboard. It would be cool to see more up and coming R&B/soul artists playing different instruments and writing their own songs. I'm not big on Alicia Keys or John Legend's music, but at least they're showing people you can learn to play and write original stuff.

Anxiety said:

you stole the words outta my head

just cause he doesn't make a grand announcement about donating
doesn't mean he never gives back.
I remember last year hearing about him donating to a school music program
or sumthing?



also I think his point about the "real musicians" stuff is that since we promote
so much empty sexuality with no real artistic talent that many musicians
who may not be up for ass wigglin, and coochie jigglin often get shafted.

there are lots of real musicians out here
they are in small clubs and at summer festivals, and even on the org right now.
I think Prince is trying to persuade unsatisfied music lovers to seek them out and support real talent rather than just eating what Mtv feeds you.

ok rant over edit
[Edited 6/1/05 15:36pm]

Moonwalkbjrain said:

I'll tell you why, because he's full of shit. He is playing a businessman angle to some degree and has been jealous of rap/other non-artists making billions while he feels cheated out of being the center of the whole goddamn universe. His billing the musicology tour as such was an attempt to offer something that hip-hoppers can't, technical musical craft. He's missing the whole point of hip-hop, that there is a totally different culture to it, a seperate thing, and as one ex-associate stated, she knew he was off the cutting edge when he couldn't see the art in rap. In other words, starting to get old. And no, he didn't just learn by ear, he was surrounded by musicians growing up in spite of what he says and they taught him most of his craft. Also, I am a musician, never had a bit of help, was told at every turn by every authority figure that I need to find a real job, music teachers that i have had are amongst the flakiest most useless i've ever found. If a person is serious (as I was) they are going to learn regardless and to tell you the truth, the most original stuff always comes from people with limited instruction. In my view, teachers are a waste of time. Listen to music you like, reflect on your life, learn some basics and go from there, simple. fuck teachers.

mozfonky said:

Where does one begin to dissect this?
More power ta ya, brudda for making sumpthin' outta nuttin', but there's a lot more feeling that thought in what you're sayin'.

Alasseon said:

you're either a teacher or just haven't read about the man. He's been quoted as saying "do you know how it feels to see these guys on the charts when they can't even play an instument?" He's not a stupid businessman either, you think he cares about anyone else learning to play an instrument? Well, if he did he would either teach himself or buy instruments or something. he's a selfish guy, it's an angle, if you live in america, you have to brudda.

Moonwalkbjrain said:

Go to the Artist Empowerment Coalition Website for info on Prince's recent outreach activities. It's an organization he co-founded with Londell McMillan. Dr. Cornel West mentioned it on the Naacp awards show when presenting Prince with the Vanguard Award.

He has consistently supported education and anti poverty programs through the years such as Marva Collins' school (I forget the name), And just last year I recall reading about a rather large donation made by Paisley Park to a needy school in Minneapolis.

Like someone else mentioned, I admire the fact that he does these things without having a photo op attached to it.

Hope this helps.

ok yall i feel what yall'r saying about he does things,but doesn't advertise. that AEC thing seems cool.

but, i dunno 2 me it just seems like..he aint gotta gloat about what he gives (although he doesn't seem 2 have a problem gloating bout other thihngs), but it seems he'd @least mention it when he's talkin bout the whole real artists, real talent, real instruments etc etc thing...especially since it appears 2 be something that he's real passionate about.




this is true, and i totally feel what ur sayin..but the whole point of having music in school is 2 get kids interested in it... a lot of kids could care less about pickin up a sax, or a guitar or whatever...but if its in school u kinda have 2 do it, and this kinda hammers the whole instrument thing in2 u and u either like it or ya don't @ this point.



i also understand where ur coming from..and its true that some can find a way to get instruments..but what about the people who live a dirt poor existance? the people who don't know any musicians and have no connects, so they can no way of gettin a bass, a keyboard etc?
what are they to do?

SPYZFAN1 said:

-----
Co-Sign. If you want to learn you would go out and learn or find someone to collaborate with. What you are seeing right now in RnB is no effort to play an instument or write something original.

Moonwalkbjrain said:[quote]ok yall i feel what yall'r saying about he does things,but doesn't advertise. that AEC thing seems cool.

but, i dunno 2 me it just seems like..he aint gotta gloat about what he gives (although he doesn't seem 2 have a problem gloating bout other thihngs), but it seems he'd @least mention it when he's talkin bout the whole real artists, real talent, real instruments etc etc thing...especially since it appears 2 be something that he's real passionate about.




People give away instruments all the time, these days, with the internet it's not too hard to find people giving away grand piano's and such, just to get them out of there way. Any poor kid can go do yard work and get an instrument to begin on. Believe me, I hear what you're saying, and I know better than just about anyone how hard it is to a.find a place to practice b. get a good piece to practice on c. spend quality time necessary when the world is pulling you in ten different directions. It's hard, nearly impossible but I'm proof, that even with adults not helping you, teachers, no money, no place to work, you can still get very good if you have the heart for it, if you're willing to give up everything else and not let anyone break you. Also, give hip-hop it's due, the form went against all odds, the artists did it like malcolm x used to say 'by any means necessary'.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Tell it spyz!

How do you differentiate between what is and isn't a real instrument?

ALL musical instruments are man made in some way, shape or form and/or have been adapted by man to create music. Whether it be a flute, a piano, a synthesiser or some music making program on a PC, if you can make music out of it, then you're using a skill to make a tool create music and therefore you are a musician.

Surely ALL music is real music no matter how it's created.



_____
[Edited 6/2/05 16:00pm]

He gives money to various educational charities and schools so that helps. Plus when I saw the ONA tour, he passed out instruments to the front row during a few songs and even let one dude with his own guitar come up on stage and play a song during a soundcheck. After seeing a few Musicology concerts, I went out and bought a guitar so I'm sure he inspires others as well. And how many people even know how tight his band is? Why can't there be other bands as tight as his? He's just telling everyone to step up to the plate and get out there and make some real music. Nothing wrong with that, esp. these days. Plus he is 46 so he is also sounding his age a bit.