How could I be so lucky? My kids discovered classic rock and roll and love it as much as I
do. Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, Allmans, Aerosmith,
Bowie… After years of exposure to rap,
punk, and headbanging (remarkably, I came to like Rage Against the Machine), it is such a pleasure to find
something all of us really love – none of us are just putting up with the other’s
preferences.
Neil Young is at the center of our music universe right
now. By chance just the other day I
heard an old interview with him, and I was struck by something he said. He said that when the “muse” shows up with an
idea for a song, he lets everything else drop entirely. By paying attention to a creative impulse when it happens, not later on when it
might be more convenient, he has been able to support himself, his family, and
all the people he employs though his music. Imagine the discipline and concentration this must require, probably in
some awkward situations! But I bet this
kind of unconditional commitment to one’s calling is what makes the best
artists what they are.
