Whenever I think of really good music, it always seems to be reactionary. It feels and sounds like a conversation between instruments and players, singers and other performers. That’s why I love this quote because music should feel to some extent like the musicians aren’t thinking; they’re just reacting. Music is just being created.
That isn’t to say that there isn’t a certain degree of thinking involved when creating and playing music. However, I feel like there should be more “thinking”involved, obviously, in the preparation process –practicing to master a new skill or to get ready for a gig. We hope that we almost over-prepare to the point where we don’t have to think about these things and that they become almost second-nature or reactionary.
Something that also results from feeling or reacting in musical situations is the ability to know when something doesn’t sound right (rhythmically or melodically). We sometimes let our heads get in the way of our playing, overthinking that last note or solo we played, but in doing so can severely cripple our potential for creating even better musical situations than we originally intended. I believe that this is what Blade is referring to when he says, “[ . . .] If I ever catch myself thinking, I’m in trouble [. . . ]”
Music is an inherently human thing. Communication is a key element of the creative process that is music. So, once we as musicians get to a point in our music-making where we become confident enough to appear and play as though we are reacting or communicating, the musical situation becomes more meaningful and enjoyable for not only the musicians, but the audience as well.