Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain weren't trying to play jazz. There are right ways and wrong ways to play an instrument. If you're a pianist, you need to know how to move to play through certain phrases. Sometimes, you need to rotate your wrist. Sometimes you have to know how and when to raise and drop your wrists. If you want to play a C major arpeggio a few octaves in a row, fast, you'll have to lift your wrist on your third finger and drop it on your thumb. If you refuse to do this because it's your "artistic interpretation," then you won't be able to play through that phrase quickly and smoothly. In music, you've got to get your ego out of your way. There are right ways of playing things, and there are wrong ways of playing things. It has to do with physics, and you can't argue with it. Maybe Kurt Cobain was an influential artist to many people, but I have no problem stating that he was a shitty guitarist. Kenny G may have been influential to soccer mom's across the county, but he was not a good saxophonist. That's not my opinion. I guess I'm saying, yes, there are objective standards for musicianship. Denying these standards sounds like hippy touchy feely bullshit to me. "Oh hey, you can play anything you'd like because it's your music and you can do it however you want." Yes, it's true that you can do and play anything with music, but you've got to do the work first and get your ego out of the way. You can't just play any shit you want and say, "It's ok, this is my music so I can do anything." You've got to put in the time and practice and honestly ask yourself, "Does this work? Does this sound good?" Once you've asked those questions and been honest with yourself, then you can start breaking the rules.

The idea that "good music" requires talent is kind of misleading the way I see it. I guess you could say some people are predisposed when it comes to learning and playing music, but I disagree with the concept that some of us are talented and others aren't. John Coltrane used to practice over 12 hours a day. I've played piano for 12 years and I practice for hours every day. Not 12 hours, because I have a day job, but my point is I've put in the work.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, setting standards isn't about making sure everybody plays just like John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, or whoever. Those guys played with conviction. Kenny G has no conviction, because his goal is how to appeal to the masses. Just because Kenny G isn't playing like those guys, does NOT mean he's original or groundbreaking. It's not about playing like those guys, it's about finding your own voice and playing with conviction. Kenny G can't play his fucking instrument. Sorry if I'm coming off aggressive.