Ok, so since we lost him, I understand there is hardly andything "new under the sun." So excuse this writing if you want to, since it is just some of my late-night musings right before I go to sleep. I think sometimes there is in-fighting among his "fams" perhaps as a reaction to Prince not being with us in the flesh anymore. I sometimes feel it was such a tragedy that I get pretty close to mad about it.

Anyhow, this is what I think about sometimes. Here you are a kid, growing up during the ages of about 12 -17 years old; and for most of that time, living at your friends house. You are not affluent, your folks are split up, and although you have had music class in school, you have never went to a private music lesson in your life. I do feel that musical ability can pass down in families through your DNA, but WOW I am still impressed that he tackled learning to play all those instruments basically by himself!!

I was in band in high school, and when your musical talent is limited, (mine was) you have to practice alot to even be just fair at it. I am a great appreciator of music, just can't do it myself. And I can read music, although it was wasted on me! Anyhow, even with his exceptional work ethic, and his dad & mom being musical, his ability to do what he did in his teens absolutely floors me at times, U?

His talent is amazing. But sometimes I am even more impressed with how a small, light-skinned African American man who used a fearless form of sexual expression was able to escape the confines of Minneapolis with no real NY/L.A connections in the music business (family wise). There's a lot of talent in Minneapolis but he was special.

Prince has mentioned that his dad left a piano behind when he left (which Prince was not allowed to touch while he lived there) and he was highly motivated to become a better piano player than his dad.

He was an exeptionally talented person. It is just amazing also how so many on this site are so tremendously jealous of those abilities.

Come again?

Germanegro said:

He was an exeptionally talented person. It is just amazing also how so many on this site are so tremendously jealous of those abilities.

From experience, I can honestly say that SOME of it is inherited/sheer talent. The reason I am saying this (from my personal experience) is that in high school,I had achieved being in the 'honor band'-which was something you tried out for/not pertaining to your school..and performed as a whole separate and apart. That being said, the privaledge bestowed upon someone was that you were granted 'first chair'. The only way this position could be taken away from you was through a 'challenge'. I'm not being pretentious, rather trying to make a point. Throughout the year, those determined to be 'first chair' would practice relentlessly after school in the band room for hours...I on the other hand did not practice at all...it came naturally and my postition as first chair remained. I also played piano, and when competing, would receive all superiors even in 'sight reading', which meant I never saw the musical sheet music prior to the competition. So on some fronts, it is either inherited or just flat out a God given talent. In regards to Prince, I honestly believe it was a combination of sheer talent, and sheer determination...I would also venture to say that he was possibly on the high end/functioing autism/savant, being he 'learned' to play 28(?) different musical instruments, and so said, you'd better know your instrument/how to play to a precision when practicing/playing with Prince, because he damn well could play YOUR instrument and BETTER than you could. Just my opinion...

Seahorsie said:

Ok, so since we lost him, I understand there is hardly andything "new under the sun." So excuse this writing if you want to, since it is just some of my late-night musings right before I go to sleep. I think sometimes there is in-fighting among his "fams" perhaps as a reaction to Prince not being with us in the flesh anymore. I sometimes feel it was such a tragedy that I get pretty close to mad about it.

Anyhow, this is what I think about sometimes. Here you are a kid, growing up during the ages of about 12 -17 years old; and for most of that time, living at your friends house. You are not affluent, your folks are split up, and although you have had music class in school, you have never went to a private music lesson in your life. I do feel that musical ability can pass down in families through your DNA, but WOW I am still impressed that he tackled learning to play all those instruments basically by himself!!

I was in band in high school, and when your musical talent is limited, (mine was) you have to practice alot to even be just fair at it. I am a great appreciator of music, just can't do it myself. And I can read music, although it was wasted on me! Anyhow, even with his exceptional work ethic, and his dad & mom being musical, his ability to do what he did in his teens absolutely floors me at times, U?

Absolutely. And whenever I engage in conversations about it I realize again that there are just no words for the awe and admiration I still feel.

excessive determination