Podcast Resonse: Music Lessons

In the Amercan Life Podcast, "Music Lessons" there were two stories that really contrasted each other.  The story of Durell who was a former professional musician and now a frustrated music teacher and the story of David Sedaris who is forced to play music because of his parents, were polar opposites in their views of music.  Durell was a professional musician and toured all over the world, and he really appreciates music and takes it very seriously.  He becomes frustrated because his students do not take it as seriously as he does, and he finds they don't have an appreciation for music.  Oppositely David is forced to play but doesn't like music.

Durrell takes music very seriously.  He is a professional, making his own CD's and touring around the world, his appreciation for music and instruments are much higher than his students at the ages of 13 or 14.  He talks about the frustration he goes through when he tries to teach kids to play music.  Durrell's schedule was very hectic and he was very discouraged by his classes’ effort and singing, so he threatened to quit teaching or at least cancel their last concert.   But he was encouraged during one of his choir’s last practices and decided to keep teaching.

David Sedaris was a kid whose father was very enthusiastic about listening to music but he never was able to play.  After going to a concert his dad became inspired to make his children into a jazz band group.  He got instruments and signed his kids up for lessons.  David really wanted to be a singer of commercials but his dad wanted him to play the guitar.  After getting a guitar and taking a few lessons David told his father he was done playing and his siblings followed, breaking up the Sedaris Trio.

Although the two stories were very contrasting of one another, they did shares some similarities.  They both felt very frustrated about the situations with music they were in, but both wanted to continue with music just in a different way.  Durrell wanted to make CD’s and make music for a living while David wanted to stop playing guitar and pursue a career in singing commercial slogans.  This podcast was very fascinating and the stories were interesting to anybody who has played an instrument.