In Another Lifetime I Could Have Been…(1)

On By Mick CanningIn dreams, music

…a folk musician.

There are any number of reasons why I haven’t become one in this lifetime, only one being a lack of any obvious talent. Perhaps if I hadn’t gone abroad when I did, I might have inveigled myself into a group of musicians and played a little more, and a little more regularly. Perhaps if I’d practised more I’d have been a little better! Perhaps if I’d actually learned to read music properly I could have learned more tunes properly. Who knows?

I could play both the guitar and mandolin fairly competently, if nothing more. It has been many years now, though, since I owned either – or a fiddle or a whistle either, come to that, both of which I had pretensions of being able to play, at least a little. I still play a pretty mean air mandolin, though, and my air guitar licks would put Richard Thompson to shame, although so far I’ve had limited success with my Henry Parker air guitarwork – unfortunately he uses a different tuning. I am occasionally tempted to buy another mandolin, or perhaps a guitar, but if I’m realistic I have to admit I would never devote the time to them that would be required. It’s going to remain one of those dreams realised only in my imagination.

But a note for that other lifetime: I’m not one of those folk who have to be the very best at whatever they attempt, otherwise they feel it isn’t worth the effort. I wouldn’t have to be a star, I’d be content to be a session musician, a backing musician. Just to make a living doing something you love is awesome and something not given to many. Or not even to make a living, perhaps, just to make music with others is a delight and I could still be happy with it being a spare time occupation.

So, sticking to going to gigs and listening to CDs this time around.

24 thoughts on “In Another Lifetime I Could Have Been…(1)”

  4. Never once have I encountered an air mandolin player. That made me laugh, from the sheer improbability of it. I was a music major in college for a time, but I soon figured out that math was involved, at least in the theory classes, a lot of practice was required, and the end of it all probably would be teaching music in a junior high school, since I never would make it into a professional symphony or chamber group.

    Eventually, I figured out that every musician needs an audience, and now I content myself with being the best listener I can be.

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    1. Ooh, you obviously haven’t seen my air mandolin! ’tis quite a sight!

      Yes, lots of practice involved, unfortunately. I was never any good at the discipline of scales and suchlike. But if you can play music, I think you’re good at listening to music.

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  6. That was a fun, “I could have been.” Of course, if you’d have gone for heavy metal or punk it’s possible talent may not have been a requirement – simply the ability to make as much noise as possible, semi-consistently.

    I never attempted an instrument. I can barely type.

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