Old school? what does it mean to ME??

[Ray Withrow]

The old school taught me, not only to appreciate the efforts of others before me, but to also learn how to do it myself!! Before karaoke, before digital loops that already has the music there, before illegal, & unethical ways to 'download' the songs WITHOUT giving the artist(s) credit for it, there was only 1 or 2 ways to 'do the music'! The easiest way (karaoke replaced it) was to lip-sync, or make believe it is YOU singing the song - when, actually, the recorded version is what THEY hear! The other 'way' was what I did = learn it from the source itself! I could not even begin to tell you how many Beatle albums, along with others WE learned ( my high school combo), note for note, EXACTLY the way they were recorded on 78s! THEN, we went further than that!! WE learned the whole ALBUM - not just the songs that were 'popular! Worked real well, we got recognition, not only from our peers, but from THEIR parents, too! Now days, it doesn't seem like that is important!! That's what 'the old school' was, & still means to me! I wouldn't have it any other way!! Ray Withrow, President of No Creek Music (ASCAP)