Sorry to drag this back up, but I disagree. I’ve been playing in bands since I was 13 years old in my parents basement. I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t know the first thing about theory. I have managed to teach myself scales and chords and I recognize the names of the different modes that have been mentioned, but I couldn’t play in one if my life depended on it. I play by ear. I’m an ear player. I can still manage to sit in with just about any group (except maybe jazz) and hold my own. By ear. I’ve been writing since I was in my teens (I’m 54 now). I’ve never sought a formal music education. I did have to take a music appreciation class in school. I played in school bands growing up (violin, trumpet, saxophone) so I did learn to read the treble clef (most of which is forgotten). I can read chord charts, Nashville numbers, and fake my way through a fake book by looking at the guitar chords. I take offense to the statement that these facts make it impossible for me to create. I’ve got one CD released already and 2 more in the can ready to send off for copyrights. I auditioned for a semi-famous beach band several years back that refused to hire me because I couldn’t read or make horn charts for the horn players. I know good and well I could have pulled the gig off and done a great job (aside from spoon-feeding the horn players) without reading skills. I can hear a song and learn my parts. Been doing it for 40 some years now.
Now, could I have gone farther? Been more successful? Gotten a recording contract? or even written more solid songs if I HAD a formal music education? I suppose so. I’m almost betting on it. I’m currently back in school working on a degree in computer science but plan to take as many electives in music as I can. Maybe it will help. I’ve known plenty of players in my time that went off to Julliard, MIT, School of the Arts, Music Conservatories, etc. and came back with no ability to improvise. They lost their “ear”. They are now so grounded in the “rules” that they forgot what drew them to music in the first place. I have always been afraid that would happen to me. No, my music is not complex. It does not have musical gymnastics in it. But it comes from my heart. I feel it. I breathe it. I attempt to capture it in Cubase. I just get tired of being treated as a “second-class citizen” in the music community. What I create is just as valid as what Jordan Rudess creates (just nowhere near as complex). Does that make me any less of a musician? If my wife and daughter are the only ones in the world who enjoy and appreciate my music, then that’s okay with me too. I’ll just keep doing what I do. You may not like my music, but some do. That’s all I’m gonna say for now. I just saw that comment and it hit a nerve.
@Paul - I know you didn’t mean that to be directed at me and I didn’t take it personally.