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What's a "musical genius"? Can anyone give me a valid answer, please? and also give me examples of one and why | |
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midiscover said: Can anyone give me a valid answer, please? and also give me examples of one and why
The definition of a musical genius would be determined by one's own style of music and own perception of what genius is. For many, artists such as Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Prince, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye are musical genius. For others people like Sun Ra, Miles Davis are. For others even people like Trent Reznor are musical genius. And for others the only musical genius were the classical composers like Bach and Beethoven. The point that all these people have in common is that they took music to a new level. That expanded the landscape and could write across multiple genres and styles. They drew on their influences and added to them. Rather than replicated they innovated. For me a musical genius is someone who brings something new and innovative to the table, consistently and makes it look effortless to the point that it looks almost simplistic, and at other times you can look at their work and find layers and layers of wonderous arrangements and melodies working together. At the end of the day there is no conclusive answer as music is a personal taste, and thus those you see as genius others may not value. There are some however that even the neysayers have to admit are up there. Hope this helps. Swa [Edited 7/13/09 2:47am] "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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i really dont consider artists or musicians geniuses, i just think there is a difference between talent and genius.anything that can be taught through lessons is not genius imo. | |
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lowkey said: i really dont consider artists or musicians geniuses, i just think there is a difference between talent and genius.anything that can be taught through lessons is not genius imo.
So Mike is a genius right? PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever ----- Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It | |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius
Genius refers to a person, a body of work, or a singular achievement which stands apart in excellence. More than just originality, creativity, or intelligence, genius is associated with achievement of insight which has transformational power. A work of genius fundamentally alters expectations in some field or endeavour, with examples ranging from sports or statesmanship to science and art. Although difficult to quantify, genius refers to a level of aptitude, capability or achievement which exceeds even that of most other exceptional contemporaries in the same field. The normal distribution suggests that the term might be applied to phenomena ranked in the top .1% (three standard deviations) among peers. In psychology, the inventor of the first IQ tests, Alfred Binet, applied the term, to the top .1% of those tested. This usage of the term is closely related to the general concept of intelligence. The term may be also applied to someone who is considered gifted in many subjects or in one subject. | |
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Any legendary musician with a "penis"  | |
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Prince Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind. | |
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Swa said: midiscover said: Can anyone give me a valid answer, please? and also give me examples of one and why
The definition of a musical genius would be determined by one's own style of music and own perception of what genius is. For many, artists such as Stevie Wonder (NO), Paul McCartney (NO), Prince, Michael Jackson (NO), Marvin Gaye (R U KIDDING?) are musical genius. For others people like Sun Ra, Miles Davis are. For others even people like Trent Reznor (LETS CALL ANYONE A GENIUS) are musical genius. And for others the only musical genius were the classical composers like Bach and Beethoven. The point that all these people have in common is that they took music to a new level. That expanded the landscape and could write across multiple genres and styles. They drew on their influences and added to them. Rather than replicated they innovated. For me a musical genius is someone who brings something new and innovative to the table, consistently and makes it look effortless to the point that it looks almost simplistic, and at other times you can look at their work and find layers and layers of wonderous arrangements and melodies working together. At the end of the day there is no conclusive answer as music is a personal taste, and thus those you see as genius others may not value. There are some however that even the neysayers have to admit are up there. Hope this helps. Swa [Edited 7/13/09 2:47am] Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind. | |
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I think genius is something that nobody will be able to nail down. It's completely subjective. My Legacy
http://prince.org/msg/8/192731 | |
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NDRU said: I think genius is something that nobody will be able to nail down. It's completely subjective.
Right. No one is ever gonna agree on who they think is a "genius". We can agree that the artists that are sometimes deemed "geniuses" are just extremely gifted, talented people.  | |
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I tend to think of them as people who dramatically changed the game they're in.
Jimi Hendrix comes to mind immediately. Within a year of his debut, rock guitar sounded totally different. You can point to a moment in time when everything changed. It's hard to think of too many others in rock & roll. Maybe Capt Beefheart? | |
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Revolution said: Swa said: The definition of a musical genius would be determined by one's own style of music and own perception of what genius is. For many, artists such as Stevie Wonder (NO), Paul McCartney (NO), Prince, Michael Jackson (NO), Marvin Gaye (R U KIDDING?) are musical genius. For others people like Sun Ra, Miles Davis are. For others even people like Trent Reznor (LETS CALL ANYONE A GENIUS) are musical genius. And for others the only musical genius were the classical composers like Bach and Beethoven. The point that all these people have in common is that they took music to a new level. That expanded the landscape and could write across multiple genres and styles. They drew on their influences and added to them. Rather than replicated they innovated. For me a musical genius is someone who brings something new and innovative to the table, consistently and makes it look effortless to the point that it looks almost simplistic, and at other times you can look at their work and find layers and layers of wonderous arrangements and melodies working together. At the end of the day there is no conclusive answer as music is a personal taste, and thus those you see as genius others may not value. There are some however that even the neysayers have to admit are up there. Hope this helps. Swa [Edited 7/13/09 2:47am] Proves my point exactly. Each person will have their own definition and their bias as what is. Maybe it is easier to set a criteria to measure against. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Swa said: midiscover said: Can anyone give me a valid answer, please? and also give me examples of one and why
The definition of a musical genius would be determined by one's own style of music and own perception of what genius is. For many, artists such as Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Prince, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye are musical genius. For others people like Sun Ra, Miles Davis are. For others even people like Trent Reznor are musical genius. And for others the only musical genius were the classical composers like Bach and Beethoven. The point that all these people have in common is that they took music to a new level. That expanded the landscape and could write across multiple genres and styles. They drew on their influences and added to them. Rather than replicated they innovated. For me a musical genius is someone who brings something new and innovative to the table, consistently and makes it look effortless to the point that it looks almost simplistic, and at other times you can look at their work and find layers and layers of wonderous arrangements and melodies working together. At the end of the day there is no conclusive answer as music is a personal taste, and thus those you see as genius others may not value. There are some however that even the neysayers have to admit are up there. Hope this helps. Swa [Edited 7/13/09 2:47am] | |
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A more appropiate term is musically gifted.
And in what universe is Stevie Wonder not a 'musical genius' and Prince is. Because MUSICALLY he shits all over Prince. His music sounds effortlessly brilliant. That's a gift. | |
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Revolution said: Prince
Wow that is an intelligent answer! That sums it up right there, how brilliant!   | |
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midiscover said: Can anyone give me a valid answer, please? and also give me examples of one and why
Someone who has a fairly high understanding of music and an even more expansive imagination and has the proficiency or the tools to relay that vision. To express their genius. Synonyms Stevie Wonder Steveland Hardaway Morris Did Prince ever deny he had sex with his sister? I believe not. So there U have it..
http://prince.org/msg/8/327790?&pg=2 | |
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curioso said: A more appropiate term is musically gifted.
And in what universe is Stevie Wonder not a 'musical genius' and Prince is. Because MUSICALLY he shits all over Prince. His music sounds effortlessly brilliant. That's a gift. Wha, Wha, WHAT THE HELL? R U Kidding me? Dude, I'm a HUGE fan of both, but Prince has done more styles of music...he's into everything and rocks the fuck out of it all. Stevie stays within his comfort zone with RnB. Let's give credit where it's due ...Stevie's performances and output have been cringeworthy for two decades now. "I just called to say I love you"..come on! Prince has some misses, but not many...in 30 years...and his misses are songs, not entire CD's, because there is a brilliant song or two in every release. Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind. | |
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Revolution said: curioso said: A more appropiate term is musically gifted.
And in what universe is Stevie Wonder not a 'musical genius' and Prince is. Because MUSICALLY he shits all over Prince. His music sounds effortlessly brilliant. That's a gift. Wha, Wha, WHAT THE HELL? R U Kidding me? Dude, I'm a HUGE fan of both, but Prince has done more styles of music...he's into everything and rocks the fuck out of it all. Stevie stays within his comfort zone with RnB. Let's give credit where it's due ...Stevie's performances and output have been cringeworthy for two decades now. "I just called to say I love you"..come on! Prince has some misses, but not many...in 30 years...and his misses are songs, not entire CD's, because there is a brilliant song or two in every release. Prince also flops outside his comfrot zone. Stevie has been able to take a wealth of different sounds and harmonize them into one beautiful piece.Stevie's music is more complex(and just cuz prince layers the shit out of his vocals doesn't make it more complex!!!), from the music I've heard of prince, his chords aren't that surprising, and that god awful drum machine  Stevie Wonder has mastered his sound, perfected it and gone into other genres and perfected them. For me Stevie>Prince.Did Prince ever deny he had sex with his sister? I believe not. So there U have it..
http://prince.org/msg/8/327790?&pg=2 | |
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Revolution said: curioso said: A more appropiate term is musically gifted.
And in what universe is Stevie Wonder not a 'musical genius' and Prince is. Because MUSICALLY he shits all over Prince. His music sounds effortlessly brilliant. That's a gift. Wha, Wha, WHAT THE HELL? R U Kidding me? Dude, I'm a HUGE fan of both, but Prince has done more styles of music...he's into everything and rocks the fuck out of it all. Stevie stays within his comfort zone with RnB. Let's give credit where it's due ...Stevie's performances and output have been cringeworthy for two decades now. "I just called to say I love you"..come on! Prince has some misses, but not many...in 30 years...and his misses are songs, not entire CD's, because there is a brilliant song or two in every release. Stevie wonder: Brilliant vocalist, Songwriter, composer, Arranger, Producer, Instrumetalist, a True musician on all aspects .....And guess what? He is a blind man, that Says it all, Stevie is on a catgory on his own, Prince is nowhere near him. [Edited 7/14/09 14:42pm] MICHAEL JACKSON
R.I.P مايكل جاكسون للأبد 1958 | |
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seeingvoices12 said: Revolution said: Wha, Wha, WHAT THE HELL? R U Kidding me? Dude, I'm a HUGE fan of both, but Prince has done more styles of music...he's into everything and rocks the fuck out of it all. Stevie stays within his comfort zone with RnB. Let's give credit where it's due ...Stevie's performances and output have been cringeworthy for two decades now. "I just called to say I love you"..come on! Prince has some misses, but not many...in 30 years...and his misses are songs, not entire CD's, because there is a brilliant song or two in every release. Stevie wonder: Songwriter, composer, Arranger, Producer, Instrumetalist, a True musician on all aspects .....And guess what? He is a blind man, that Says it all, Stevie is on a catgory on his own, Prince is nowhere near him. T o be fair Prince does all that too..just not as well  . But man I wish Stevie wasn't blind, I've seen some vids of him, and his passion is so intense that when he does start going into exuberant fits you just love it!Did Prince ever deny he had sex with his sister? I believe not. So there U have it..
http://prince.org/msg/8/327790?&pg=2 | |
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Sandino said: seeingvoices12 said: Stevie wonder: Songwriter, composer, Arranger, Producer, Instrumetalist, a True musician on all aspects .....And guess what? He is a blind man, that Says it all, Stevie is on a catgory on his own, Prince is nowhere near him. T o be fair Prince does all that too..just not as well . But man I wish Stevie wasn't blind, I've seen some vids of him, and his passion is so intense that when he does start going into exuberant fits you just love it!The key is that he is doing all these things and he is blind, This is extraordinary and mindblowing for me, Prince is nowhere near him. MICHAEL JACKSON
R.I.P مايكل جاكسون للأبد 1958 | |
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Prince is a performer at a level that Stevie has never approached.
Prince also has strong visual style (clothing, hair, instruments,  )
Prince has also written, produced and performed music for multiple other artists So while I am not saying he's better than Stevie, they are different and each does some things better than the other. My Legacy
http://prince.org/msg/8/192731 | |
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Thanks for all the responses! 
I was just wondering because so many people just throw the term around which basically confuses the actual meaning There's a particular artist that so many say is a musical genius but I don't see it...
Anyways, This is what a call a musical genius! Maurice White! | |
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NDRU said: Prince is a performer at a level that Stevie has never approached.
Prince also has strong visual style (clothing, hair, instruments, )
Prince has also written, produced and performed music for multiple other artists So while I am not saying he's better than Stevie, they are different and each does some things better than the other. All the things you listed as Prince's strengths are things that Stevie's blindness makes an obvious roadblock. Even still though blind, Stevie's style was pretty cool. Stevie has also written and produced for other artists so I don't understand your point? Did Prince ever deny he had sex with his sister? I believe not. So there U have it..
http://prince.org/msg/8/327790?&pg=2 | |
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Can't we all agree that it's kinda baseless to argue about how we look at who is a genius as a "fact"? People have reasons why Prince, MJ, Marvin, Stevie, Ray, Maurice, Todd, David B. and the likes are part of the "musical genius" route, does it mean that their opinions are dumb compare to others? No, lol. | |
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Sandino said: NDRU said: Prince is a performer at a level that Stevie has never approached.
Prince also has strong visual style (clothing, hair, instruments, )
Prince has also written, produced and performed music for multiple other artists So while I am not saying he's better than Stevie, they are different and each does some things better than the other. All the things you listed as Prince's strengths are things that Stevie's blindness makes an obvious roadblock. Even still though blind, Stevie's style was pretty cool. Stevie has also written and produced for other artists so I don't understand your point? But you can't say that if Stevie was not blind that he'd automatically be as great a performer as Prince any more than you could say that if Prince was blind he'd write melodies as beautiful as Stevie (as being blind must certainly enhance your other senses). And yes Stevie has written for others, but my point is, has he created entire albums (and in some cases entire careers) for as many artists as Prince? I don't really see that being blind is a hindrance to playing music. When you learn piano, they teach you not to look at your hands anyway. Plenty of great musicians have been blind. Deaf on the other hand...not quite as many. My Legacy
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Revolution said: curioso said: A more appropiate term is musically gifted.
And in what universe is Stevie Wonder not a 'musical genius' and Prince is. Because MUSICALLY he shits all over Prince. His music sounds effortlessly brilliant. That's a gift. Wha, Wha, WHAT THE HELL? R U Kidding me? Dude, I'm a HUGE fan of both, but Prince has done more styles of music...he's into everything and rocks the fuck out of it all. Stevie stays within his comfort zone with RnB. Let's give credit where it's due ...Stevie's performances and output have been cringeworthy for two decades now. "I just called to say I love you"..come on! Prince has some misses, but not many...in 30 years...and his misses are songs, not entire CD's, because there is a brilliant song or two in every release. In all fairness, compare stevie of the 60's and 70's to Prince of the 70's and 80's if you're going to measure their greatness. Of course I Just Called To Say I love You is an unfair comparison to Purple Rain from the same time. [Edited 7/14/09 15:34pm] | |
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The word "genius" gets tossed about so casually and cavalierly these days that certainly the word has lost some of its lustre. But I like what Schopenhauer said about genius being the ability to hit a target no one else can see while talent is just the ability to hit a target no one else can hit.
Mozart, Monk, Beethoven...musical geniuses. Prince, Stevie Wonder...not. | |
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midiscover said: Thanks for all the responses!
I was just wondering because so many people just throw the term around which basically confuses the actual meaning There's a particular artist that so many say is a musical genius but I don't see it...
Anyways, This is what a call a musical genius! Maurice White! Charles Stepney produced that record  | |
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midiscover said: Thanks for all the responses!
I was just wondering because so many people just throw the term around which basically confuses the actual meaning There's a particular artist that so many say is a musical genius but I don't see it...
Anyways, This is what a call a musical genius! Maurice White! Like I said - many people will base their definition based on their own taste and leanings. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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