Many of the bands and musicians I look up to have been around for over 15 years, have sold millions of albums, and are world-renowned musicians, while some still play in small clubs and have very limited fan bases. I idolize these musicians, because although they are all very diverse they all have one thing in common, which is that they do what they love. They do what they love every night whether they’re making thousands of dollars or barely scraping by; nonetheless, they are all happy doing what they love. These musicians have wholly changed my life, yet I would hate nothing more than to be them. As a musician I have a need to create something original, something unique to myself.
I look up to a considerable number of musicians and they have all had separate effects on me that make me who I am today. For example Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is who made me want to start playing the drums. His playing is very soulful in a way that inspired me to want to express myself like he does. He does what he loves every night and he shows his appreciation for everything he has in his performances. It is because of him that I attend my current high school and it is because of him that I will be studying music in college. He is a so-called “rock star” with everything anyone could ever want; yet I would hate nothing more than to be him. Chad is my idol; he lives the dream, yet I would never want to be in his place. In this day and age, everyone wants to be the next pop star, they want to be the next big thing and they want to do it by being someone else. People assume that if you play music just like just like a certain musician that you will receive all the fame and glory that they did without any of the work. I would rather barely scrape by and play my original music any day than be someone I’m not.
Alain Johannes and John Frusciante are both musicians who have played with colossal bands, yet they both have given that up to make something different from what they usually do. They, unlike most bands/musicians that you see on the billboard 200 charts, want to keep their artistic integrity even if that means that they will make significantly less money. These are the musicians that I love. For them it is not about fame or fortune, it is just about doing what they want to do, making the music they want to make. I live by the quote, “If you do what you love then you will never work a day in your life,” meaning that if you truly enjoy your work then it isn’t truly work. This is how I want to live my life, because as long as I’m doing what I love, I can’t go wrong.