to musicians: how important is your roots and musical influences?

Answer 1

very important, but you don't have to copy your influences. you can have your own style.

Answer 2

Very important indeed. I am a singer and I have grown up singing along with all of my heroes in music. They have influenced my sound but it is a collaborative influence so I sound like no one else. On the other hand, in many ways, I can imitate very well, could probably sing on those ripoff cd's with the Countdown Players or whatever where they say all these songs and then it is someone else. Most of those are very good imitations, but disappointing because it isn't the real deal. But still, I can do a very good impression of the songs as well as an interpretation of my favorites.

You don't want to completely copy your roots, you want to broaden them and interpret them and spin them out new. In this way, I think a musician can't help but rely heavily on their musical "parents" so to speak.

When you watch rock docs, you hear musicians tip their hats to people they listened to in their growing up. And you can hear it in that person's sound, if you know what to look for, even if the person went on to be very unique in their own sound.

Plus, a lot of musicians were inspired to play professionally because they went to a show or heard a song or a riff or whatever...and that is when they claim to have known that music was the path they would choose.

I don't think musicians can help but be influenced by anything around during their formative years, or their teens (coming of age music, the sound of their generation) or their current environment, so social, political, etc news is always going to come out in songs. Musicians are modern day troubadours. Reflecting what they see. So events past and present will always be influential.

Answer 3

Well, vital, because you can't run away from them, now, can you? I mean, there are some examples of a guy in a totally different environment, like Stevie Ray Vaughn playing on David Bowie's dance album "Let's Dance," but even there SRV played totally bluesy guitars, what else could he do. So it's important to come to terms with your influences and see how you can use them best to both be extremely versatile and keep your recognizable and unique style at the same time.

Answer 4

The most important thing in music is your influences. Thats where you learn.

Answer 5

Well I aint no real musician but I plays one in me bedroom and I thinks it is sooooo important because how else would I know what to avoid?

Answer 6

In one million be conscious: combination. Caribbean custom is a mix of races in the time of centuries. you will locate some ecu, African, Spaniard, ans interior reach Indian impacts. considering each island belonged to a different kingdom centuries in the past those impacts are going to be greater or much less between them. we are laid lower back, loud, happy, self valuable, proud, form of naturalist considering we adore our environment plenty, friendly, effectual,..... we are great human beings!!!