I’m playing a gig today. On the gig, I will play all kinds of music.
I can play music the way it’s recorded. I can also add my own voice. Most musicians prefer a blend of the two — depends on the gig.
For the gig I will play, I get to add my own flare.
My musical voice is distinct. It’s a product of all that I listen to, have played, and have learned in my life. It’s slightly unrefined, soulful, happy, different, and full. Those are words others use to describe the sound.
When I play and infuse my self into the music, I transmit who I am to the listener and to the other musicians. They experience what words can’t describe. I am translating myself so that others can understand me.
Musicians that play with me often know how to understand my musical language. They know how to finish my sentences. Through my work as a translator, I have helped those musicians become fluent in “me”.
Translation and transmission of self are daily acts.