Ron Block - A Man of Much Wisdom
Ron Block has been a member of the Alison Krauss & Union Station band for over 15 years as banjo/guitar player extraordinaire. At the ripe old age of 43 he seems to be a man of much wisdom. Ron is deeply rooted in his Christian faith. An avid reader of the Bible, I suspect this is where much of his wisdom comes from. I really admire Ron as a human being and as a musician.
I like to visit Ron's web site from time to time; it has so much to offer for musicians and for just anybody that is looking for advice on life in general. Ron recently posted a series of articles under the Music --> Instruction --> Banjo and Guitar section of his web site relating to the study of music. Of particular interest to me is Ron's philosophy about what it takes to become a good musician and guidelines to follow while learning how to play an instrument. Several of the articles repeat the philosophy which really drives the point home, at least for me.
In no way would I suggest that I have the same kind, or amount of wisdom that Ron Block has acquired, but I can identify with Ron's music philosophies wholeheartedly; this is because many of the points he tries to make, which of course are his opinions, are the exact same points I try to make. Ron does a much better job at communicating his ideas than I ever could, however.
I think it's mighty fine of Ron to take the time to share some of his wisdom with us and it's nice to see Ron's view in print; it reminds me that I am on the right track with my musical endeavors. I realize when I offer the same advice it carries very little weight, but it is my hope that you will take Ron's advice seriously, taking the time to evaluate what he is saying. I only have a few years under my belt as a want-to-be musician; Ron has several years under his belt as one of the finest musicians you'll ever meet and he speaks from experience. My advice is for all of us to take some time to read some of Ron's articles and give them serious thought to them. It will be worth your time.
Ron has also provided some free banjo tablature on his site, as well as an exercise or two on string bending which is probably the most recognizable attribute of his banjo playing. That, and of course, his rock solid right hand relating to timing and tone.
In addition to his musical writings, Ron offers many articles on day to day living in the Christian faith. There is definitely some great reading here. He has a section titled "A Reader Writes..." where he answers questions on people's minds relating to living a Christian life. For example, one of the questions he answered was "Can a Christian Play the Ellen Degeneres Show?" There are some very well researched answers in this section of his web site.
You could spend several hours on Ron Block's web site which I think would be time well spent. At first, I found his new web site a bit confusing to navigate. The main menu system is on the right side of the screen; this is where the menu selections like About, Latest, Music and Store are located. When you click on one of these links, that section expands to show more selections. Clicking one of the sub menu items will display Categories on the left side of the screen. You need to click a category to see all of the individual articles.
Oh by the way, if you are looking for the lyrics to A Living Prayer, these are available on Ron's web site under Latest --> Writings --> Music. Ron says "I've put the lyrics and chords here for anyone who is interested in using the song in church or for other services."
I like to visit Ron's web site from time to time; it has so much to offer for musicians and for just anybody that is looking for advice on life in general. Ron recently posted a series of articles under the Music --> Instruction --> Banjo and Guitar section of his web site relating to the study of music. Of particular interest to me is Ron's philosophy about what it takes to become a good musician and guidelines to follow while learning how to play an instrument. Several of the articles repeat the philosophy which really drives the point home, at least for me.
In no way would I suggest that I have the same kind, or amount of wisdom that Ron Block has acquired, but I can identify with Ron's music philosophies wholeheartedly; this is because many of the points he tries to make, which of course are his opinions, are the exact same points I try to make. Ron does a much better job at communicating his ideas than I ever could, however.
I think it's mighty fine of Ron to take the time to share some of his wisdom with us and it's nice to see Ron's view in print; it reminds me that I am on the right track with my musical endeavors. I realize when I offer the same advice it carries very little weight, but it is my hope that you will take Ron's advice seriously, taking the time to evaluate what he is saying. I only have a few years under my belt as a want-to-be musician; Ron has several years under his belt as one of the finest musicians you'll ever meet and he speaks from experience. My advice is for all of us to take some time to read some of Ron's articles and give them serious thought to them. It will be worth your time.
Ron has also provided some free banjo tablature on his site, as well as an exercise or two on string bending which is probably the most recognizable attribute of his banjo playing. That, and of course, his rock solid right hand relating to timing and tone.
In addition to his musical writings, Ron offers many articles on day to day living in the Christian faith. There is definitely some great reading here. He has a section titled "A Reader Writes..." where he answers questions on people's minds relating to living a Christian life. For example, one of the questions he answered was "Can a Christian Play the Ellen Degeneres Show?" There are some very well researched answers in this section of his web site.
You could spend several hours on Ron Block's web site which I think would be time well spent. At first, I found his new web site a bit confusing to navigate. The main menu system is on the right side of the screen; this is where the menu selections like About, Latest, Music and Store are located. When you click on one of these links, that section expands to show more selections. Clicking one of the sub menu items will display Categories on the left side of the screen. You need to click a category to see all of the individual articles.
Oh by the way, if you are looking for the lyrics to A Living Prayer, these are available on Ron's web site under Latest --> Writings --> Music. Ron says "I've put the lyrics and chords here for anyone who is interested in using the song in church or for other services."
Labels: music philosophy, Ron Block
posted by Michael Floyd at 4:54 PM
1 Comments:
Mike I too enjoy reading Rons articles.He makes a great deal of sense.Some of the things I have learned fron his articles have pointed me in the right direction with my learning the mandolin.I just wish that I had read these years ago.I know that if I had,I would most likely be a better musician than I am...Thanks for pointing him out to me ..We could all learn a great deal from his views.... Fungus
Post a Comment
<< Home