Most of My Fellow Americans Will Just Never Understand

 I love music. I mean I really love music. Sure, I love the blues, and Chuck Berry, old rockabilly, honky tonk, punk, heavy metal, hell I even love The Beatles. I was never a huge fan of Elvis, but I sure dig Johhny Cash. I also love jazz, classical, guitar music of all sorts. But I also listen to a lot (and I mean A LOT) of foreign music. I laugh when I hear Americans talk about having 'eclectic tastes' in music. I'm not sure they even understand what it means. And it's not their fault.

Most have never been exposed to non-American music, with the exception of the occasional hit on the radio. Here, we might here an act from Britain or Canada, maybe even the odd German or Swedish act. Once in a while something might flow up from Mexico. Aside from the relatively recent influx of K-Pop and J-Pop, most Americans would probably be surprised to know that music (of all sorts) exists elsewhere. 

How many have actively seeked out the music of Morocco, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, African desert music, or one of my favorites, eastern European music. Sure, you might have one or two of your grandparents' old polka records, but that doesn't mean you listen to it or even understand it. 

Music isn't created in a vacuum. The musician/songwriter's environment plays a heavy hand in music. We start out playing what we hear, then what we feel. While our experiences and emotions might resemble those of our foreign cousins, the setting is always different. I once wrote a song called "5 Minutes More". People loved it and thought it was a beautiful love song. Their thoughts on the song changes when I point out that the main character in the song is actually a stalker. (yeah, I love to do character studies like that)

Canada has a law that states something like 35% of the music played on the radio must be Canadian. Why would that be necessary? The US music industry would like a monopoly on popular music. Contrary to what most capitalists will tell you, they loathe competition. I'd wager that Canadian music speaks more directly to a kid from Thunder Bay than the latest by the US flavor of the month. But US music is everywhere. To the folks in other countries, at least early on, it was exciting to hear something recorded across the globe. It sounded fresh and new. Then the Brits gave our own folk and blues back to us, but with their own spin. We ate it up. 

For all of the musical innovation of the 1950s-60s, it created an overall stale atmosphere in music. Record companies were more likely to give a new sound a chance. They had no real metrics on what 'the kids' liked. But it was all lumped under rock & roll, and the west was fed a steady diet of it, for better or worse. That didn't mean it was the only music around. The companies just made sure it was the easiest to find (and purchase). 

My parents had drastically different tastes in music. As a kid, I preferred classical music (especially Beethoven and Bach). Dad had every sort of folk music you could find. Anytime he found a new Folkways Records compilation, he usually bought it. Old Celtic women wailing about Lord knows what, Appalachians singing accompanied only by foot stomping, EuroFolk, he had it. Those records and tapes gave me my first taste of the music of the world. By age 11, our neighbor Doug, who was some years older, introduced me (the annoying neighbor kid who wouldn't go away) to the sounds of Alberta Hunter & The Sex Pistols. I was always intrigued by all of the different types of music that existed. I always wanted to hear MORE!

Listening to the radio was usually a bore. The same 10-20 songs, over and over. In the 70s/80s, you might hear something slightly different on AM stations rather than FM. But there was nothing truly different. Just the same basic music from the same geographic location (mostly the USA) but from different eras. It's a miracle I became a musician. It probably stems from my attempts to hear something different. I've never copied anyone. I don't like to learn other people's past performances. If I'm going to cover a song, I'll take the basics of it and run it through myself. It always comes out sounding like me and sounding different than the original. It definitely keeps me from becoming bored.

What do I listen to? Simple answer, as much as I can. I've always had an inquisitive nature. When I found out that a lot of libraries have music section, it was like discovering buried treasure. I found out what Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese music sounds like. I found out what Egyptian music sounds like. I found out what Gamelan music is. The more I look, the more I find. I store each of these sounds in my brain. Some I really enjoy; some I find forgettable. Some take my soul and stomp the hell out of it. 

Bulgarian music does that to me. A lot of people have heard Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. An ex-girlfriend got me the album 30 years ago, mostly because she knew I loved to hear different music, and the album was a bit of an underground hit, meaning it was easy to find. But I didn't stop there. If you want to hear a heart-stoppingly beautiful voice, listen to Valkana Stoyanova...or Yanka Rupkina. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy Toni Dimitrova, a Bulgarian pop star. But if it's good, it's good. I often need to remind myself to not be influenced by the media. Or charts. Or radio. Or any commercial venture. That's not what music is; that's not what it's for. The commercial aspect is a way to exploit music, again for better or for worse. But without the likes of musically adventurous souls who went out with tape machines and did early field recordings, the music industry probably would have died early on. Now it's just on autopilot and I'm trying to find ways to destroy that particular machine. 

There's too much beautiful music that too many are missing out on. And that's a damned shame.  

Why I Still Don't Give Lessons

 I had this conversation (again) the other day, this time with a friend who does give guitar lessons.

I, as a general rule, refuse to. Most people who say they want to play guitar really only like the idea of playing guitar. They want to magically be able to play anything, as if there's a trick to it. Well, there is. It's called working at it.

On the occasions when people ask for lessons, the first thing I tell them is that I will NEVER teach them a song. Never. Under no circumstance. What I would do, if I can be convinced to give lessons, is teach them the skills to figure out how to do it on their own. Trust me, it's ultimately far more rewarding this way. 

I could, if I chose, in one hour teach someone 3 basic chords. With those chords they can play a million songs. But that's not what they think they want. "Teach me how to play my favorite song!" No. I'll teach you how to figure it out yourself. Nowadays, if you want to learn to play that killer riff, I'm sure there's a YouTube video. You might learn how to play it, note for note. But have you really learned anything? Probably not.

Scales? Modes? Sure, I'll go over them and how to apply the knowledge, but I won't sit down and teach them or expect you to practice them. Trust me, no one wants to hear anyone try to play a solo using scales and modes. I would, however, try to teach you what to listen for in them. 

Chords? Yes, I'd teach you as many as you could handle. Understand chords and chord progressions and the rest is easy. Once you learn to recognize patterns, you can probably figure out any song you want to play. If there's a 'trick' to it, that's probably it. 

In my 40+ years of playing professionally, I've only ever once sat down and worked out someone else's solo. And that's because nothing else fit! (Hats off to Don Leady) I think I've done OK with it what I do. At least the hundreds of thousands of people I've performed for have seemed to think so. 

The rhythm section I usually work with, I've worked with off/on for 30 years. I don't think we've even tried to rehearse anything in over 20. We understand how the music is structured. As long as we're in the same key, and more importantly IN TUNE, we can make it happen. Sure, there's a lot of improvisation involved. I might even be able to teach that to someone...but only after they've learned the basics.

Flatpicking, fingerpicking, string and gear recommendations, yep. I can (and often do) freely give my thoughts on those. I occasionally will make a video lesson for someone on a specific subject. I do this gratis because I love to share the knowledge that was shared with me. It's how any art and/or craft survives, continues, and grows. 

Sure, I could give lessons, but generally won't. It's just far too aggravating for me. I had a student once question whether or not I actually knew what I was talking about, because he believed there had to be an easier way. Last I heard, he sold his (very crappy) guitar, probably at a loss. He gave up. That was actually heartbreaking for me. He could have been a decent player, but he chose to give in to his ego. 

So yeah - nah, I don't give lessons. If I offer them, understand that this means I think a person is worthy of my aggravation. It is probably the greatest kindness I can offer them. 

Remember this, what is a potential hobby for you, has been my life. It's what I do. It's what I've done for 45 years. I've made every mistake you can think of. I've figured out what usually works and what often doesn't. I'm sure you can find someone who will teach you how to play your favorite song. It just won't be me. 

My Latest Crazy Idea

 Never one to accept boredom as part of my reality, I've come up with yet another crazy idea to fill my time and do something useful and productive.

I'm currently writing up plans for a series of music workshops, aimed at overseas universities, teaching the history of American music, from the perspective of a working musician. Starting with Stephen Foster's pre–Civil War compositions to James Blands' "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" to the influence of the blues on 20th century American music and its global influence. 

I guess that if I want to do this, I should probably have some sort of credentials, but I'm just a guitar thumper who has spent most of his life in bars and nightclubs, and the occasional journey to recording studios. That said, I look pretty good on paper!

Michael C Metzger, aka Memphis Mike

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, performer, session musician, member of the de facto Rockabilly Hall of Fame house band (Jackson, TN 2000-2002), independent journalist/reviewer, blogger, author, independent filmmaker.

Metzger, in a career spanning 40+ years, has performed in excess of 5000 shows in North America, UK, Europe, and Australia, where he performed to crowds of up to 60,000 people. He has recorded six albums with his own band (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers) as well as The Rowdy Bovines, Losers After Midnight, AJ & The Two Timers, Alan Leatherwood, Stag Preston, and Christina Louise (Australia). He as also recorded two solo albums. One, a disc of acoustic country blues ("Done Gone Home") was recorded to benefit one of his favorite charities. It was recorded in memory of his friend, the late Mark J Miller, a journalist and jazz guitarist. Metzger has also appeared on a number of Various Artist compilations in the US and Europe.

In addition, he has worked with such artists as Sleepy La Beef, Wanda Jackson, Paul Burlison, Fiona Boyes (Australia), Crippled Bobby Hawkins, Danny Kay & The Nightlifers, Leslee "Bird" Anderson, Sonny Burgess, Big Al Dowling, and many more.

Metzger wrote his column "Notes From Memphis" for the Australian magazine Big Beat of the 50s for a number of years. He also wrote reviews for a number of publications, including Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL)

Metzger has also published an audiobook (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) and released two independent films (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - A CONCERT FILM and SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN) with a third currently under production. 

In 2002, Metzger was briefly declared dead after a sudden health emergency in Nashville, TN. He was revived in the emergency room but spent a week in a coma. This led him to title his next release "Back From The Dead". He has also survived two bouts of cancer, and in 2021 he suffered two strokes. Refusing to live without music, he forced himself to relearn playing guitar and within two months wrote/recorded/released a new song and music video "Hard To Kill". He has since recorded the album "Til Dust" and has also resumed performing. 

Майкъл Мецгер, известен още като Мемфис Майк

Мултиинструменталист, текстописец, продуцент, изпълнител, сесиен музикант, член на де факто хаус бандата в Залата на славата на Рокабили (Джаксън, TN 2000-2002), независим журналист/рецензент, блогър, автор, независим режисьор.

Metzger, в кариера, обхващаща над 40 години, е изнесъл над 5000 концерта в Северна Америка, Обединеното кралство, Европа и Австралия, където е свирил пред тълпи от до 60 000 души. Той е записал шест албума със собствената си група (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers), както и с The Rowdy Bovines, Losers After Midnight, AJ & The Two Timers, Alan Leatherwood, Stag Preston и Christina Louise (Австралия).Освен това записва два солови албума. Първият, диск с акустичен кънтри блус ("Done Gone Home") е записан в полза на една от любимите му благотворителни организации. Той е записан в памет на неговия приятел, покойния Марк Джей Милър, журналист и джаз китарист. Metzger също участва в редица компилации на Various Artist в САЩ и Европа.

Освен това той е работил с артисти като Sleepy La Beef, Wanda Jackson, Paul Burlison, Fiona Boyes (Австралия), Crippled Bobby Hawkins, Danny Kay & The Nightlifers, Leslee "Bird" Anderson, Sonny Burgess, Big Al Dowling и много повече.

Мецгер пише своята колона „Бележки от Мемфис“ за австралийското списание Big Beat от 50-те години на миналия век. Той също пише рецензии за редица публикации, включително Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL)

Metzger също така публикува аудиокнига (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) и издаде два независими филма (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - КОНЦЕРТЕН ФИЛМ и SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN), като третият в момента е в процес на производство.

През 2002 г. Мецгер за кратко е обявен за мъртъв след внезапна здравна спешност в Нешвил, Тенеси. Той беше съживен в спешното отделение, но прекара седмица в кома. Това го накара да озаглави следващото си издание "Back From The Dead". Той също така е преживял два пристъпа на рак, а през 2021 г. е претърпял два инсулта/мозъчно-съдови инциденти. Отказвайки да живее без музика, той се принуди да се научи отново да свири на китара и в рамките на два месеца написа/записа/издаде нова песен и видеоклип „Hard To Kill”. Оттогава той записа албума "Til Dust" и също поднови концертите.

マイケル・C・メッツガー、別名メンフィス・マイク

マルチ楽器奏者、ソングライター、プロデューサー、パフォーマー、セッション ミュージシャン、事実上のロカビリー ホール オブ フェーム ハウス バンド (ジャクソン、テネシー州 2000-2002) のメンバー、独立したジャーナリスト/レビュアー、ブロガー、作家、独立した映画製作者。

メッツガーは 40 年以上のキャリアを持ち、北米、英国、ヨーロッパ、オーストラリアで 5,000 回以上のショーを行い、最大 60,000 人の観客の前で演奏しました。彼は自身のバンド (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers) のほか、The Rowdy Bovines、Losers After Midnight、AJ & The Two Timers、Alan Leatherwood、Stag Preston、Christina Louise (オーストラリア) で 6 枚のアルバムを録音しています。彼はまた、2枚のソロアルバムを録音しました。 1 つは、アコースティック カントリー ブルース (「Done Gone Home」) のディスクで、彼のお気に入りの慈善団体の 1 つに寄付するために録音されました。ジャーナリストでありジャズギタリストでもある彼の友人、故マーク・J・ミラーを偲んで録音された。 Metzger はまた、米国とヨーロッパで多数の様々なアーティストのコンピレーションにも出演しています。

さらに、スリーピー・ラ・ビーフ、ワンダ・ジャクソン、ポール・バーリソン、フィオナ・ボーイズ（オーストラリア）、クリップルド・ボビー・ホーキンス、ダニー・ケイ＆ザ・ナイトライフズ、レスリー・"バード"・アンダーソン、ソニー・バージェス、ビッグ・アル・ダウリングなどのアーティストと仕事をしてきた。もっとたくさん。

メッツガーは、50 年代のオーストラリアの雑誌ビッグ ビートに何年もの間、コラム「メンフィスからのメモ」を書きました。また、Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL) など、多くの出版物にレビューを書いています。

Metzger はまた、オーディオブック (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) を発行し、2 つの独立した映画 (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - A CONCERT FILM と SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN) をリリースし、3 つ目は現在制作中です。

2002年、テネシー州ナッシュビルで突然の健康上の緊急事態が発生した後、メッツガーは一時的に死亡したと宣言されました.彼は緊急治療室で蘇生しましたが、昏睡状態で1週間過ごしました。これにより、彼は次のリリースのタイトルを「Back From The Dead」にしました。彼はまた、2回の癌を克服し、2021年には2回の脳卒中を起こしました.音楽なしで生きることを拒否した彼は、ギターの演奏を再学習することを余儀なくされ、2か月以内に新しい曲とミュージックビデオ「Hard To Kill」を作成/録音/リリースしました.それ以来、彼はアルバム「Til Dust」を録音し、演奏も再開しています。

Do You Love Music?

 I once saw a friend's social media post about his 'eclectic tastes' in music. Among his wide-ranging listening habits were the works of Nirvana, Metallica, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Bob Marley, and Robert Johnson. I enjoy, to varying degrees, all of them, but allow me to correct him; This is not 'eclectic'. This is all guitar music, predominantly American, all based around early blues concepts. It was mostly recorded* during a brief period (1930s-1990s). The common factor is that this is all 'popular' music, especially among the 'classic rock' enthusiasts. It lacks any real diversity. Why is that an issue? Because the definition of eclectic is 'deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.'

I have a question for people who consider themselves music fans. Do you love music? Or do you love certain sounds popularized through corporate media? If you love 'music', I should be able to play for you pieces ranging from Bach to eastern European folk music to traditional Asian themes, and you would enjoy it. Possibly more than the pop songs you're accustomed to. 

Maybe you prefer bite-sized songs. A pleasant 3 minutes or so of verse/chorus/verse/chorus over a beat. Why limit yourself? Pick your 10 favorite songs. Then listen to the instrumentation. Is there really any major difference? You'll probably have a singer, a drummer/percussion, a bass player, maybe guitar/keys/horns, maybe a string section**. The structure of the songs probably isn't vastly different. The rhythm is probably rigid. (far more rigid than you realize) 

The late Bob Brozman once pointed out that there are 2 main types of music in the world today. The music of the colonized and the music of the colonizers. He suggested going into a dance club and actually listening to the beat. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, it's music to march to. That's the music of colonizers. The music of the colonized tends to be much freer. Sure, the rhythm will be there, but it won't necessarily be in lockstep. Headbanging? You're in lockstep. Foot-stompin'? Lockstep. But when the rhythm changes and you're too ensconced in the moment to realize that it has, that's freedom. I'm reminded of my all-time favorite musical performance. I was in college and attended a concert by an African percussion ensemble led by Adesanye Adeye. I was so moved by the music that I ended up onstage dancing with the musicians. And no, I wasn't the only one. Security was not called. Adesanye and the other musicians were thrilled that their music had reached us so deeply.

Among the varieties of music that I listen to with great frequency is Bulgarian folk music. In trying to familiarize a singer friend with this style, I found her a fave song of mine but transcribed in standard (Western) notation. The time signature was all over the place! The harmonic intervals of the notes were often drastically different than is commonly used in western music. However, this piece of music is very relaxing to listen to, even for someone more accustomed to western pop music. 

Again, ask yourself what you really love about music. The sounds? The beat? The words? If you enjoy words, try reading poetry or a good book. Lots of words there. If you like the thud thud thud thud of the drums, why not bounce a ball? Do it in time and it's the same thing. (I know, I've done recordings using a bouncing ball in place of standard percussion) 

No, you don't have to like everything. Maybe you only listen to sounds you are familiar with. That's ok, limiting but ok. What it means is that you are willing to accept whatever you are handed. You really don't have any feeling about it, as long you get something, right? Not unlike the airline offering you the chicken or the fish, all the while you'd prefer a nice steak or some lamb chops. 

Maybe, just maybe, reticence to listen to unfamiliar sounds is nothing more than a deeply ingrained bigotry. Like any such reaction, it's fear-based; fear of the unknown. Unfamiliar things can be scary. When I was a child, I was leery of trying new foods for just this reason. As a large lad, I can say that I happily overcame those fears. You can too. 

I worry that too many people on this planet don't take the time to hear something different than what they're accustomed to. In this age of electronic connectivity, we have access to almost any sound you might care to hear. Interested in what ancient Egyptian music sounded like? It's available. What did the Japanese listen to during the Edo period when they isolated themselves from the rest of the world? It's probably available for those with curious minds. To lack curiosity is just laziness.

OK, I'll admit it. I probably love music above all else. I have many reasons for this. When I find myself bored, or worse, uninspired, I seek out new music/sounds. I love to hear instruments that I've never heard before. I have an admitted preference for acoustic sounds over electronic sounds. If the power is out, I can still make music with a number of my instruments. I am always thrilled when I hear song structures that challenge what I think I already know. The more I hear a variety of different music, the more I feel I can progress as a musician and as a person. When I meet someone from a different country or culture, I always ask what they listened to growing up. It gives a point of reference. I am always glad that we live in a world with technology that allows for the ease of such introductions. 

Just a quick thought on the blues. Most American music (and therefore most pop music globally) is based on the blues. Mention the blues and most people will think of BB King or Stevie Ray Vaughn or a Mississippi delta scene with someone playing slide guitar (and none of these are incorrect), but what about indigenous blues forms from other countries/cultures? (yes, it exists) One of the Greek philosophers (probably Pythagoras, but I could be mistaken) once noted that the I-IV-V*** musical structure is the most mathematically pleasing to the ear, due in large part to its natural resolution between the I-V (I'm probably losing some of you, and I apologize. Feel free to contact for clarification). Upon being told about African and desert blues, I looked into artists like Ali Farka Touré. Mind blowing! Definitely the blues but with a whole other sound. If you're feeling eclectic but not too adventurous, I'll suggest that. Who knows, your own tastes may become truly eclectic, especially after a few trips down the musical rabbit hole. 

* On April 9, 1860, 17 years before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville made a recording on a "phonautograph," which worked by tracing sound waves onto paper blackened by smoke. So, it's fair to say that the recording industry has been around for a good while. 

** The main types of musical instruments (globally) are Idiophones, Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, & Electrophones.

***Anytime you play in a major scale and use the chords built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees, you make a 1-4-5 chord progression. For example, in the key of D, chords 1, 4, and 5 are D, G, and A. Think “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles. In the key of A, chords 1, 4, and 5 are A, D, and E.