Caruso's Thoughts about Music
My philosophy concerning music is one of self expression. I say this because music tells a story, or it portrays an emotion. It is a form of communication that reaches deep into the soul of man.
Whether it is in a teaching situation, playing situation, or educating situation the musician should be striving to develop their own musical voice allowing them to truly express themselves by bringing the music to life.
Every person is an individual and every performance is unique. This means that the music itself from person to person should be different, even if the same piece is being played. Music is an experience beyond just hearing, but an experience of emotion, memory, and sound.
The experience may be happy, and it may be sad. The musical experience may touch your heart or make you cringe, but it brings a reaction none the less. Because of this I feel that a musician that is in-tune with themselves and their surroundings coupled with the ability to use there instrument as a medium to express themselves is a musician that can make a difference in the world.
For me this necessitates the need for musical teachings to not only emphasis musical basics and technique, but to also encourage the student to explore and find their own voice through experimentation and self reflection.
One doesn't need to be bound to any one musical style, and they shouldn't feel trapped into playing music in a specific way. If the musician is able to portray what they are striving to portray then they are successful.
This is what I try to do myself, and is what I encourage all musicians and educators to do. Allow the musician to grow , explore and develop their own voice and style. By doing so the musician will learn to truly express themselves and we will have a world full of beautiful, unique, and inspiring music.
The Best of Luck to all you musicians out there. May you find yourselves through music and make a difference in the world.
Caruso
