I recently came across a book written by legendary musician Victor Wooten. I have been an admirer of Wooten for quite some time now, and I was instantly intrigued. The subtitle turned me off a little bit, promising a "Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music." The thought of more hippie/new-age/manifest-your-destiny spirituality made me a little uneasy, and unfortunately in that department the book does offer heavy doses yoda-style philosophizing. But what I did find valuable about this book is that it provides a unique point of view on the elements of music from a master musician, and plenty of thought provoking encouragement to inspire some new directions and confidence in your playing. For that I tip my hat off to Wooten, for sharing some insights that he has learned in his decades of performance.

This book contains plenty of valuable information that every musician needs to hear. It is written from the point of view of a bass player, but the goal of the author is to give you a broader perspective on music, to try to stop you from looking at it through the narrow lens of your chosen instrument:

“I play music, not instruments... I am a musician!” he answered. He placed his hand on his chest to emphasize his point before gesturing at me. “You are just a bass player. That means that you play the bass guitar. A true musician, like me, plays Music and uses particular instruments as tools to do so. I know that Music is inside me and not inside the instrument.” .... “You have been trying to tell your story with a bass guitar, and not through it”

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