Music is hard work. That is what my father always used to say. He was a brilliant musician, he could walk to his piano, wood, not AC/DC (the current), and play whatever he'd just heard.
He always told me that it was supposed to be hard work, even though it looked so easy, and he never bothered to prove it. Nor teach me. My misfortune was that, although he was the only father I had, we didn't make-up, genetically. So I had no chance to inherit any of his musical talent. That's probably why he never bothered to enlighten me. Or would that be
intone me?
I'm still thinking about this hard work comment of his. Since he also said something like this, when he was leaving us. When it was a good thing that he could go, because he'd been suffering for many years, with effectless chemo in the end.
He was in bed, asleep most of the time, when he suddenly spoke: Zuckmayer says, dying is hard work. We were shocked, while he drifted back into his unawereness, or, at least, that was what we hoped for his sake.
So when I remembered him saying the bit about music, too, being hard work - did I mention that he was a stage actor? - then I suddenly knew it. All hard work for nothing. There cannot be music. AC/DC (the band) was lying to us. It's either there or it isn't. It might also come to you. But if we can't come up with anything, then that's it. You can't let it be there. You can't call out for it. You can't demand it.
>> Carl Zuckmayer