Coltrane or Carey?

Musicians (especially "fringe musicians", i.e. 20th century classical, free improvised music, etc.) will commonly use the verb "to understand" when describing an audiences reception to a piece of music. The term exadurates an a quality of music that most people never look at. Most people view music as a form of entertainment for themselves. Just as an author writes a book to give pleasure to the reader, the actor puts on a play to give please the audience, and the musician supposedly writes a song to be please the listener. But when you can understand or not understand the book/play it all changes. Now the author writes the book, and the reader needs to comprehend what was written. And the playwright composes his play for more complex reasons than to please.

Since comprehending isn't a completely pleasing process these types of art are neglected or criticized. Think of the 14 year old who would read Teen Vogue instead of "To Kill a Mockingbird". Lee's classic isn't as easy to understand as Teen Vogue, so the mockingbird is mocked as "stupid and boring". Music falls victem to the same criticism. Mariah Carey's new number 1 single is easier to comprehend than late John Coltrane. And consequently many people listen to Coltrane and dismis it as stupid, boring, loud, worthless, nonsensicle, a bunch of unconnected noise, etc.

Neither of these views are wrong. Because music is all the more great when it is shared with many. I once told a nervous bassist "when two or more are gathered to hear you, you will play well". He chuckled because of the similarities to the bible verse, but it has always been true for me. So the best form of music would be pleasing to others. But who can dismiss the route Coltrane or any other mis-understood musician/composer took. The complexity of the music is something I, for one, always strive for. But if pleasurable music is neccesarily easily understood, and the best form of music would be complex, which is difficult to understand we reach a dilemma.

How can one solve this dilemma? There are complex things that are easy to understand. In other words, there are some licks that audiences think are cool. But can you just stick to that genre of music (I think it would be a Tower Of Power type sound)? And should you feel ashamed when you play something that most of the audience can not understand?

I hate blog posts that culminate in unanswered questions, but I can't resist breaking my own rule. Maybe answer it for me in a comment.