I was always bad in math.
I did great in art class, loved music and writing and science was alright, but I get superstitious when it comes to numbers. They have to add up to equal my lucky number or else I feel I'll have bad luck.
That said, music has never been about counting for me, which is why I dropped out of music in University. It's about feel. I'd be caught dead playing music all the while going, "1,2,3,4.. 2,2,3,4...3,2,3,4." Instead, I bop my head and feel it instinctively.
I understand why musicians have to count and that it is important for many styles and forms of music. I understand that numbers are universal and so is music. I understand that music is space in time and time in our culture moves forward in numbers, but I don't like this about our culture.
Numbers, for me conjure images of competitiveness. What size are you? How much can you bench press? How much money do you have in your savings account? These are all negative things to me because they are comparative and create a competitive distance between people.
I don't like to count when I am playing music, and I don't like to count when I am talking about music. How may albums have you sold in Canada? How many times does your song play on the radio? How many people were at your show? 134,666,777,999 and 99 cents. That's how many.
I think music should be about togetherness and not competitiveness. I have been as inspired by a "successful" band as I have been by a lonely busker trying to make a dime.
When I playing in my band, I am not counting or thinking about numbers. My head is bopping and that's it. When I am watching another band play, I am not counting how many people are in the audience. I am bopping my head.
If you are a musician and you are talking to me and see me me bopping my head, it's because you are talking about numbers and I am trying to block you out.
CowBella