Waldo is not Here

As a musician, one of my gifts is the ability to pick out the subtleties in music. It could be a particularly festive drum fill, a modulation change in the organ, or a deceptive polyrhythm. I have high standards in music if for no other reason than I appreciate the time musicians put into these fun little extras. It's like the bonus materials disc of your favorite film (huh, talking about DVD's makes me feel old). And my wife will often comment when we listen to music together that she would have never noticed some of the things I point out. Now as much as I hope that she comes to appreciate that particular piece more, I would never want her to like it solely for those things. Because good music isn't about bells and whistles, it's about good songwriting. In other words, it's about a well-crafted and well-supported melody. photo credit: opacity via photopin cc Think about it, how silly would a record be that focused completely on the eccentrici