"When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."
I know that I've said this before, but as a high-school teacher, I can definitely say that kids who are into music are very into prog. Artists like Pink Floyd, Rush, Opeth, Dream Theater, Tool, King Crimson, and the likes are must-know bands for these kids. I think that mainstream acceptance is a bit of a fantasy, but there are definitely young people getting into the scene.
Yeah, I envy the youngsters discovering all this for the first time. What a ride they're in for!
In regards to today's kids, I think the tonal of the times has changed. In Prog's heyday, people would sit in a room, listening intently to every note of a new album, while pondering the album art. Total concentration on the music.
That doesn't happen now. Music is a background noise to whatever else is going on in their life. A much smaller percentage of the population concentrates on music the way people used to. It's the pace of life, current technology usage, and the amount of crap that's vying for one's attention nowadays. It's simply not that important, unfortunately. I think they're missing out on the feeling that music can bring, other than being a beat to jog by. But it's the way things are.
Gnish-gnosh borble wiff, shlauuffin oople tirk.
I generally feel the same, but there have been enough startling exceptions to give me hope. I've witnessed many young jazz, prog and fusion players come out of the woodwork over the past two decades; seriously talented and ambitious artists. I don't know what I'm more amazed by, how good they actually are or how they managed to want to do what they're doing while growing up in such a vacuous artistic climate. Not that it matters; what does is that they're keeping the flame burning and proving that not everybody succumbs to the imposed dumbing down of culture.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Hired on to work for Mr. Bill Cox, a-fixin' lawn mowers and what-not, since 1964.
"Arguing with an idiot is like playing chess with a pigeon. It'll just knock over all the pieces, shit on the board, and strut about like it's won anyway." Anonymous
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” George Carlin
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