The Negative Connotations of Being a Musician

Sadly, the behavior patterns of a number of musicians have given birth to the myth that all musicians are guilty of bad behavior, that all rock musicians, and even others, are substance abusers. This is something that is not entirely true – you will find a large number of gentlemen musicians as well, who do not need a toke of pot to rev up their creative engines.

I myself was a drummer before I decided to learn the guitar as well. And there is an interesting story I must tell here. Once out of college, I got around to playing in a band, and lost touch with all my college mates for the past one and a half decades. Recently I met up with one of my friends, and he looked like he had seen a ghost! When I asked him why he seemed so perplexed to see me, he said someone had told him that I had died (and gone to hell, mostly) a long time back. The reason – I had apparently overdosed! We shared a good laugh at that one.

The thing about this incident is the stereotypes that people tend to create. I have never had even a joint in my life (the occasional drink, yes, but no drugs), and yet I was branded an abuser, and a dead one at that, by my own college mates!

I really look forward to the day when all musicians start behaving a bit more respectably, so the remaining brethren are spared these kinds of branding. Being a skilled musician and being a debaucher should be two different things. Sadly, today, the two are intertwined, and only the musicians themselves can change that perception.

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