(Originally published May 4, 2021)
I was 5 or 6 years old the first time I played the original Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I loved it (still do!), and clearly wasn't the only one that felt this way, given the franchise's success over the past 3+ decades.
So what is it that made this game so successful and beloved by fans? Strong contributors surely include its game play, graphics (8 bit is still charming, right?), and intriguing puzzles. Still, I believe the greatest appeal of this game (and so many like it) is opportunity to become the hero of an epic journey.
The Legend of Zelda begins with the player's avatar (Link) entering a cave where he meets an old man who offers him a sword and states, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." The sword isn't fancy, and isn't nearly as powerful as the sword(s) obtained later on in the game, but it's true strength lies in its symbolism. By taking it, the players make a statement of intent to put one food in front of the other on the coming quest, and to use the sword to the best of their abilities to overcome obstacles, defeat the forces of darkness, and save the princess of Hyrule!
For most of us, the stakes aren't quite that high day-to-day. However, we all make choices each day that determine if we will advance in a given area, hold our ground, or fall back. In my life, the degree of progress I've made in various endeavors has been due to three things:
1) Personal motivation
2) The support of people around me
3) Having access to the necessary materials
This is not unlike a certain hero of Hyrule who is motivated to save the kingdom/princess, gets supported by various people along the way (such as the aforementioned man in a cave), and acquires the necessary materials for success as the game progresses, starting, of course, with the cave sword.
This same pattern is at work throughout my personal musical history. Even my false start with piano in grade school failed for lack of motivation: I wanted to spend more time playing Nintendo than practicing what I perceived to be boring.
A few years later, however, I began my musical journey anew when I started playing the baritone in 4th grade. Unlike with piano, I was motivated to practice because I wanted to make first chair in school bands. I also had the support of my teachers, parents, and my fellow students (notwithstanding the obligatory junior high bullies, of course), so I advanced my skills and managed to earn some accolades in various competitions to boot!
Even so, my musical horizons and ambitions were taken to a new level in 8th grade when I began to play the bass guitar. I had gone to a church camp the summer before and felt inspired to pick up the bass to make a difference in the world through music. Suddenly, my reason for playing music was larger than being the best baritone player in school band. The vision was personal, I was highly motivated, and the goal was clear. The only problems? My inexperience and lack of equipment.
Though I come from a musical family, no one had ever dabbled with stringed instruments before, so I didn't have ready access to a bass. However, my dad was my greatest advocate, and just like the old man in a cave at the beginning of the Legend of Zelda, he provided me with the musical "weapon" necessary for the journey ahead: a black 4 string bass. He may as well have said, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this" when he presented it to me!
Dad bought the bass second-hand from a contractor that was doing some concrete work in our back yard, and it was a fine instrument for a decent price. Pops also managed to get me bass lessons at a local music store where I learned the fundamentals, and got exposed to a way of looking at music that made more sense to me than what I had experienced to that point.
Finally, I had the motivation, support, and materials to get me started on what would become a musical journey that would span continents, last decades, and spur me to acquire new "weapons" and skills on guitar, drums, and piano (finally!).
The years since picking up that bass for the first time have been filled with joys, achievements, and opportunities. I've met some amazing people, been challenged to grow, and (hopefully) had a positive impact on others as well. There have, of course, been trials, hardships, and disappointments as well, but they've been great opportunities to grind my skills, level up, and overcome!
I may not be the Hero of Hyrule, but I am the hero of my musical journey, and hope to inspire and equip many others to become the hero(ine)s of their own.
I was 5 or 6 years old the first time I played the original Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I loved it (still do!), and clearly wasn't the only one that felt this way, given the franchise's success over the past 3+ decades.
So what is it that made this game so successful and beloved by fans? Strong contributors surely include its game play, graphics (8 bit is still charming, right?), and intriguing puzzles. Still, I believe the greatest appeal of this game (and so many like it) is opportunity to become the hero of an epic journey.
The Legend of Zelda begins with the player's avatar (Link) entering a cave where he meets an old man who offers him a sword and states, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." The sword isn't fancy, and isn't nearly as powerful as the sword(s) obtained later on in the game, but it's true strength lies in its symbolism. By taking it, the players make a statement of intent to put one food in front of the other on the coming quest, and to use the sword to the best of their abilities to overcome obstacles, defeat the forces of darkness, and save the princess of Hyrule!
For most of us, the stakes aren't quite that high day-to-day. However, we all make choices each day that determine if we will advance in a given area, hold our ground, or fall back. In my life, the degree of progress I've made in various endeavors has been due to three things:
1) Personal motivation
2) The support of people around me
3) Having access to the necessary materials
This is not unlike a certain hero of Hyrule who is motivated to save the kingdom/princess, gets supported by various people along the way (such as the aforementioned man in a cave), and acquires the necessary materials for success as the game progresses, starting, of course, with the cave sword.
This same pattern is at work throughout my personal musical history. Even my false start with piano in grade school failed for lack of motivation: I wanted to spend more time playing Nintendo than practicing what I perceived to be boring.
A few years later, however, I began my musical journey anew when I started playing the baritone in 4th grade. Unlike with piano, I was motivated to practice because I wanted to make first chair in school bands. I also had the support of my teachers, parents, and my fellow students (notwithstanding the obligatory junior high bullies, of course), so I advanced my skills and managed to earn some accolades in various competitions to boot!
Even so, my musical horizons and ambitions were taken to a new level in 8th grade when I began to play the bass guitar. I had gone to a church camp the summer before and felt inspired to pick up the bass to make a difference in the world through music. Suddenly, my reason for playing music was larger than being the best baritone player in school band. The vision was personal, I was highly motivated, and the goal was clear. The only problems? My inexperience and lack of equipment.
Though I come from a musical family, no one had ever dabbled with stringed instruments before, so I didn't have ready access to a bass. However, my dad was my greatest advocate, and just like the old man in a cave at the beginning of the Legend of Zelda, he provided me with the musical "weapon" necessary for the journey ahead: a black 4 string bass. He may as well have said, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this" when he presented it to me!
Dad bought the bass second-hand from a contractor that was doing some concrete work in our back yard, and it was a fine instrument for a decent price. Pops also managed to get me bass lessons at a local music store where I learned the fundamentals, and got exposed to a way of looking at music that made more sense to me than what I had experienced to that point.
Finally, I had the motivation, support, and materials to get me started on what would become a musical journey that would span continents, last decades, and spur me to acquire new "weapons" and skills on guitar, drums, and piano (finally!).
The years since picking up that bass for the first time have been filled with joys, achievements, and opportunities. I've met some amazing people, been challenged to grow, and (hopefully) had a positive impact on others as well. There have, of course, been trials, hardships, and disappointments as well, but they've been great opportunities to grind my skills, level up, and overcome!
I may not be the Hero of Hyrule, but I am the hero of my musical journey, and hope to inspire and equip many others to become the hero(ine)s of their own.
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
No comments:
Post a Comment