The Key to Happiness

I’m in a really cynical mood right now. Some fool once said “If you try your best you will become really famous and then you will be happy.” If I was the one who said it, I was an idiot at the time. Now, as I sit down at the keyboard, it’s the cynical stuff that comes flowing from my fingers. And if people don’t get it, well, I have a one or two fingers set aside for them.

Click through for secrets of cynicism and happiness…

I have just read and watched the Jorma Kaukonen interview by Dan Grigor. Dan says at the end of it that Jorma is a really nice guy, which is what he expected. Well, that’s really cool, Dan. So I was wondering if playing well turned you into a nice guy (or woman). I was wondering if playing well made you happy. And I was wondering if being happy and being a nice guy were the same thing.

Well, not all great musicians are nice guys. I’d like to think they are, and that’s the impression you get when you see people in an interview. That’s because the disagreeable bastards don’t go out for the interviews. For example, people like (fill in the blank) would just stay at home, practice their guitar, and not be bothered with talking to other people. And, as for being happy, I suspect a lot of “nice” people had really hard miserable lives, and memory of that misery and fear of conflict is part of what makes them nice humble people. And people say “What a nice person that was!” And I suspect that a lot of people who’ve had comfortable, happy, pampered lives are real arses.

“Oh, but there is something cosmic going on which transcends the physical. Music is so mystical and magical, etc.. etc… that it does good things to you.” Now, there’s a load.

I would like to think that there is something mystical about the music that ties all musicians together. I really want to believe that when people get together to make and listen to music they are touching the source of all things… God… or whatever. But there really isn’t anything mystical about the feeling you get from music. The thing you get in touch with when you play music is the rhythms of your own body, your heartbeat and your breathing and the blood rushing through your skull and other parts of your body. And a musician who can actually create and participate in that kind of connection, well, I think some people would give their lives for that. And they have.

“But musicians get along with each other because of that mystical connection.” There’s another load.

A musician is more decent to another musician for selfish reasons. Together two or more musicians have the ability to make each other sound good. If each musician steps back into their little cage for a time listening and playing for the other musicians then eventually that cage door is going to open for a moment. Maybe. But if all the people in the band tried to show off and solo at the same time they would end up stepping on each other’s toes, and then nobody would want to play with anybody and everybody would end up playing alone. So, I guess, playing does turn you into a nice guy. If you can learn to listen to the other person and give them what they need in daily life you won’t be alone, because nobody wants to play alone… unless you’re Thomas Dolby. Boy, that really felt mean. I guess I’ll go off and be by myself now.