Posted by Bruce Sanborn on July 14, 2012 - 11:31am
Suzi and I were out busking last week in Culver City, playing for the denizens of this fair town. There is a valet service at Town Square where we set up. As we play out there quite often, we've gotten to know the valet guys, as cool and hard-working a bunch as you'll ever find. They love it when we're out there, they groove to our music and it makes the time pass quickly.
Last week I was talking with one of them, Luis. He's in his late 30's, from Guatamala but moved here as a child, his day job is as an electrician. He's married, got kids, busts his ass to provide for them, has what I would descibe as a sunny outlook on life. I've known all this for a long time. What I didn't find out until last week is that he's also a singer.
He sings only in Spanish, knows hundreds of Latin songs, performed and won competitions when he was in high school and other than singing at the occasional family gathering, has barely hit a note since he was in his teens. When I asked him why, he just shrugged. He also said something I hear a lot. "That's something in my past. Something I used to do. I'm too old to be a singer now."
Wow! I didn't realize there was a statute of limitations on singing. I guess Aretha and Leonard should cancel their tours. They're over 30. Can't sing anymore once you start that fourth decade.
He kind of smiled and hung his head when he said that. I don't think even he believed it. So I asked the obvious follow-up, obvious to me at least. "Don't you really think it's fear holding you back?" He smiled again and nodded. "Probably."
It's been documented and talked about and papers have been written on the subject and I'm sure you've heard the stat. But it bears repeating. The fear of death is second on the list of what scares the shit out of people. Topping the list, numero uno is: The Fear of Speaking in Public/The Fear of Being Up in Front of People/ Stagefright. People are literally more comfortable with dying than with making a speech or singing a song in front of others. I don't understand it and it seems to be a trait unique to the human race. After all, wolves aren't afraid to howl in front of their pack. Birds don't stop chirping when others are around.
Like most fears, I've found this one to be unfounded. Like a kid screaming in terror on the roller coaster, the second they jump off they're back in line to do it again. With stage fright it's the fear of being judged by others, that you might make a mistake, that you may say something stupid or hit a wrong note and others will mock or laugh at you. But once you start doing it you find that others actually listen and some even come around to your point of view or decide they really like your music.
Fear has destroyed more careers than drugs, booze, women and bad management combined. And it's also doing a disservice to society. See, I believe that talents are a gift. And that someone with that talent has a moral obligation to use their gift. The forces of darkness, the dark side, fear crawls into your soul to eat away at your self-confidence, to tell you you're no good, to keep you from sharing your gift with the world. They want you to be afraid, to keep your light hidden away. It's their agenda. It's what they do. Giving in to this fear then is akin to betraying the forces of good and light. It allows evil to spread and keeps goodness in check.
Springsteen wrote, "Fear's a dangerous thing/ Turns your heart black you can trust/ Takes your God-filled soul/ Fills it with devils and dust/"
Imagine a world where no one fears to be seen and heard. Where everyone sings and speechifies. The sonic possibilities would be endless. I mean it's hard to start a war when everyone's busy jamming with one another. Music is universal. Borders would become obsolete. People would again realize that the world is round.
Back to Luis. I gave him my 'You have a moral obligation to your Gift!' speech. He agreed. He and I are going to get together and work on a couple of songs with me backing him up on guitar. Then I'm going to get him up in front of people to sing. Make him fearless. Another musical soldier saving the world.
B
TheBruceSanbornBand.com
Last week I was talking with one of them, Luis. He's in his late 30's, from Guatamala but moved here as a child, his day job is as an electrician. He's married, got kids, busts his ass to provide for them, has what I would descibe as a sunny outlook on life. I've known all this for a long time. What I didn't find out until last week is that he's also a singer.
He sings only in Spanish, knows hundreds of Latin songs, performed and won competitions when he was in high school and other than singing at the occasional family gathering, has barely hit a note since he was in his teens. When I asked him why, he just shrugged. He also said something I hear a lot. "That's something in my past. Something I used to do. I'm too old to be a singer now."
Wow! I didn't realize there was a statute of limitations on singing. I guess Aretha and Leonard should cancel their tours. They're over 30. Can't sing anymore once you start that fourth decade.
He kind of smiled and hung his head when he said that. I don't think even he believed it. So I asked the obvious follow-up, obvious to me at least. "Don't you really think it's fear holding you back?" He smiled again and nodded. "Probably."
It's been documented and talked about and papers have been written on the subject and I'm sure you've heard the stat. But it bears repeating. The fear of death is second on the list of what scares the shit out of people. Topping the list, numero uno is: The Fear of Speaking in Public/The Fear of Being Up in Front of People/ Stagefright. People are literally more comfortable with dying than with making a speech or singing a song in front of others. I don't understand it and it seems to be a trait unique to the human race. After all, wolves aren't afraid to howl in front of their pack. Birds don't stop chirping when others are around.
Like most fears, I've found this one to be unfounded. Like a kid screaming in terror on the roller coaster, the second they jump off they're back in line to do it again. With stage fright it's the fear of being judged by others, that you might make a mistake, that you may say something stupid or hit a wrong note and others will mock or laugh at you. But once you start doing it you find that others actually listen and some even come around to your point of view or decide they really like your music.
Fear has destroyed more careers than drugs, booze, women and bad management combined. And it's also doing a disservice to society. See, I believe that talents are a gift. And that someone with that talent has a moral obligation to use their gift. The forces of darkness, the dark side, fear crawls into your soul to eat away at your self-confidence, to tell you you're no good, to keep you from sharing your gift with the world. They want you to be afraid, to keep your light hidden away. It's their agenda. It's what they do. Giving in to this fear then is akin to betraying the forces of good and light. It allows evil to spread and keeps goodness in check.
Springsteen wrote, "Fear's a dangerous thing/ Turns your heart black you can trust/ Takes your God-filled soul/ Fills it with devils and dust/"
Imagine a world where no one fears to be seen and heard. Where everyone sings and speechifies. The sonic possibilities would be endless. I mean it's hard to start a war when everyone's busy jamming with one another. Music is universal. Borders would become obsolete. People would again realize that the world is round.
Back to Luis. I gave him my 'You have a moral obligation to your Gift!' speech. He agreed. He and I are going to get together and work on a couple of songs with me backing him up on guitar. Then I'm going to get him up in front of people to sing. Make him fearless. Another musical soldier saving the world.
B
TheBruceSanbornBand.com
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