Genrefication

I woke up, it was like 4:30 or something, and a lot of times I wake up and I’ve got some thought running through my mind and I just have to chase that thought down. I can’t move on to worrying about all the crap I spend most of my waking hours worrying about, until I address the thing that was wandering through my gray matter upon waking.

So, this morning I’m shuffling around making coffee, the only light coming from the computer screen, and I was trying to remember something I had read somewhere that Willie Dixon said. What was that, that Willie Dixon said? Where did I see that? I’m waiting on the coffee and I pick I up the guitar and play a bit while I’m waiting. It’s funny, my hands feel better just after I wake up than at any other time of the day. I wish I could roll out of the bunk and play the gig right then.

Anyway, I’m having the coffee, lighting the first Pall Mall and, I’m still on this Willie Dixon thing. I look around the internet for Willie Dixon interviews and quotes and, of course, not finding what I’m looking for. Then I remember about this book that Dave loaned me, which I have to get back to him next time I see him. It’s called “Songwriters On Songwriting” by Paul Zollo. Great book, by the way. I would think that anyone who is interested in how the creative process works, would find this book highly interesting; not just songwriters. So, I reach into my little closet that has bookshelves in it, in the dark because the light bulb is burned out over there, it’s a bit like noodling for catfish because I don’t have any idea what all is in there and, presto I grab the book; first try.

Here is what I was looking for:

Well you see, people have always tried to do the blues like they did black people. They tried to put them in a condition where they couldn’t move. The world tried to say the blues is only a twelve bar music and can’t go no further, but that’s a lie. Today we can make the blues in any amount. You can make it an opera if you want to. It could last all day, as long as it tells the truth.

Amen, Willie.

See, the reason I always chase down that first thought of the morning is, that I often find that it leads to some sort of clarification.

I realize what has been bugging me.

I might be making up a word here, I don’t know. What has been bugging me is; genrefication.

Everything has to fit in to a genre-every song, every movie, every book, every recipe, every painting, political idea or spiritual thought, philosophy, science-it has to be categorized or, it doesn’t exist. Whatever you do, whatever you create, whatever you think or believe, has to fit in to a set of parameters.

Like Willie Dixon said; It’s a lie.

This genrefication, categorization; it allows people to promote things and allows people to dismiss things.

If you can put a name on something, you can say; “Hey all you people who like this genre, you are gonna’ love this!”.

Or, you can say; “Oh, that’s nice but, I don’t consume things from that genre”, and easily dismiss something without having to go to the trouble of applying your brain to it.

As a result, the thought process is narrowed.

Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation can be found here.

Here is Willie Dixon singing, “Weak Brain And A Narrow Mind”. Go figure.

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Tags: Blues, Blues Heaven Foundation, creative process, Music, paul zollo, songwriting, Willie Dixon