As an "aspiring teen musician" and future rock star, the idea of this piece appealed to me, and I was interested in what these motivated young people had to say about themselves and their dreams (and their humble beginnings - one quote about "how bad we sucked when we were younger" made me laugh out loud). Sound clips of living-room rehearsals made the piece come alive, and I could envision myself practicing with my own bandmates or sitting on the sofa as the girls in the piece rehearsed. Also, the author's own involvement in the subject added a degree of ethos that is important for a piece like this.
The only suggestions I'd make would be to improve the sound quality (there was some microphone noise at times) and to perhaps include a greater variety of aspiring musicians in the piece - including young jazz artists or aspiring MCs would have given this piece a much greater impact. Ultimately, though, "Aspiring Teen Musicians" is well done, and its message - skill alone isn't enough, hard work is needed too - is very much appreciated by this listener.
Review of Aspiring Teen Musicians
Emily Raymond
Posted on January 18, 2006 at 12:12 PM
As an "aspiring teen musician" and future rock star, the idea of this piece appealed to me, and I was interested in what these motivated young people had to say about themselves and their dreams (and their humble beginnings - one quote about "how bad we sucked when we were younger" made me laugh out loud). Sound clips of living-room rehearsals made the piece come alive, and I could envision myself practicing with my own bandmates or sitting on the sofa as the girls in the piece rehearsed. Also, the author's own involvement in the subject added a degree of ethos that is important for a piece like this.
The only suggestions I'd make would be to improve the sound quality (there was some microphone noise at times) and to perhaps include a greater variety of aspiring musicians in the piece - including young jazz artists or aspiring MCs would have given this piece a much greater impact. Ultimately, though, "Aspiring Teen Musicians" is well done, and its message - skill alone isn't enough, hard work is needed too - is very much appreciated by this listener.