The Words and Wisdom of Big Joe Burrell

Today I’d like to talk to you budding musicians about getting the basics of music at a young age.

When you’re young, your mind can absorb information so that you don’t forget it. The problems of aging are going to come up; that’s life. But, if you’ve learned all of what is in the foundation of music, this will help you be in a position to take on teaching, arranging and different things like that, once playing your instrument may not be an option any more. So, when you get older, if you can not play as well, for whatever reason, arranging and teaching can give you another outlet, keeping you active in the music business.

Nowadays, it’s much easier to get the theory of music in the public schools, then it used to be when I was a kid. There are a lot of schools where they’ll teach these things; for example, when you’re playing an instrument in a band. By the same token, there are more job opportunities for music education, really. As there should be. Especially now, since all the research shows: youngsters who study music make all-around better students. Consequently, there is a greater interest in keeping music alive in the schools. When I was young, they only taught singing once a week. Now, they even have jazz bands that kids can play in all through their school years.

What I want to stress is: I found from personal experience, looking back on it: what I was taught when I was a youngster, I still remember and understand. Now that I’m older, I cannot grasp new concepts as well. So, I rely on what I knew and learned when I was young. What you learn as a kid, you don’t forget. By paying attention to a good instructor, you can understand the entire foundation of how music is supposed to be done: composition, harmony, music theory; in other words, the important information. When I was young, I learned everything in the street. I learned it because I wasn’t getting all the fundamentals in the schoolroom. Bill Pippins and the older musicians taught us bit by bit. They were Southerners who had moved north to Michigan. We were lucky enough to pick-up some concepts up from them. But under those conditions, you’re not really getting the complete information like you can in a classroom, three to five days a week.

Let’s say you’ve learned some stuff in a jam session or in the street. You get where you sound good enough to start working. You start making the money; good money, $100 - $200 a week. Back then, as a youngster, that was a lot of money. So, what happens? You don’t feel like going to school. But you don’t know what opportunities you might be offered , and what you’re going to need to know, up the road, in order to play certain gigs. I’m speaking about music theory and other things musicians need as they move up through the ranks. For instance, in my case, I had to turn down some offers to play because I knew I didn’t have the foundation.

So, study hard. Start from the bottom and learn the basics well. Practice them, till they’re a part of you; so you’ll never lose them.

Here’s another example of the importance of knowing the theory. For those youngsters who play an instrument like the sax which makes single notes at a time (not like the piano where you can play up to ten notes - if your figures can handle it) but a flute or sax. For you guys, it’s important to study your changes over and over so you can really hear them clearly. Otherwise, it’s too hard to explain it, or to pin down how you want your part to be voiced. In other words, if you don’t know your changes, then the other players will give the music a score or sound, that is not your voice. Something you don’t want. So, learn your score and the voicing you want. And, insist on it, especially if it’s in the score.

The other thing I want to talk about is attitude. I know I mentioned this in past articles, but it’s important.

I played a concert two weeks ago in Newport, Conn. At the jam session afterwards, I brought a couple of young high school kids up on the stage to play. They were great players. One even has a CD and is doing a concert at Dartmouth College where Joshua Redmond’s going to be sitting in. He’s living proof you can learn from high school what you need to do to be prepared for the music business. And, to top it off, he had great attitude.

The other young player looked like he was mad about something. He had such a nasty looking attitude on his face, someone asked him, “What are you angry about?” The odd thing was he said he was not mad about anything. Could have fooled us!

When you’re up on stage, sitting on the top where everybody’ll be looking at you, it’s important to project your good side, the happy, nice side of your personality. That young kid could play. There was nothing wrong with his chops. There was, however, a big difference in how he presented himself; you know, stage presence.

I love you all.

Big Joe Burrell is the father of the Vermont blues scene, revered and respected by all. Big Joe has been offering advice to young musicians through this column since our very first issue in 1995. We’re honored to have him write for Good Citizen.