I am thankful we are all wired differently, that we all come to the table with a variety of skills, abilities, and experiences. This makes life much richer, don’t you think? Diversity, when embraced and celebrated, makes us stronger. At this point, you may think I’m about to launch off into something about deep political or social issues. Not this time. Instead, I want to consider the relationship between those ideas about diversity and creating music.

When I was a teenager, I started listening to a particular artist whose music and lyrics resonated deeply with me at the time. But, there was one thing about his music that always bothered me: his vocals. He had this raspy, shallow-sounding voice. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate what this artist creates artistically and creatively, but those vocals are still right there in the mix. His great creativity and songwriting skills were several notches above his vocal ability. That makes sense, right? I mean, none of us are good at everything. We’re doing well if we’re good at one or two things.

This is why I’m often puzzled when artists are criticized for not writing their own lyrics or music. I think to myself, “Well, what if they’re simply not great at composing? What if they don’t know how to craft lyrics? What if they can’t carry a tune? What if their talents lie more in the craftsmanship of the music – singing and phrasing lyrics beautifully, playing the guitar like a maestro, or doing miracles on percussion?” I think these are valid questions. Somehow, it feels like it’s easy to dismiss an artist simply because he or she is not doing it all. When I take a moment to reflect upon this, it seems pretty inane.

Perhaps this speaks to a deeper question for those of us who love music: Why do we feel so compelled to put rules and labels on art? After all, art is about creative expression. Who gets to decide if such expression is valid or not? I’m not sure any of us can sit in that seat. Art isn’t about rules, so maybe we could open our minds a little.

If we stick to the mantra that true artists write their own music and lyrics, it takes us to a logical but sorry conclusion. Great songs will be written that will never be heard. Why? Because the songwriter simply doesn’t know how to sing or play an instrument. Great musicians will never be heard. Why? Because the musician doesn’t know how to write the songs.

Yes, there are those rare prodigies who can do everything – Jonathan Sunde comes to mind, among others. But those folks are rare. And instead of expecting everyone to be able to do what those folks can do, maybe we ought to open our minds to that diversity I mentioned at the top of this piece. If Jonathan Sunde couldn’t sing, I would still want to hear his songs, because they are incredible. I don’t know how many songs Dave Power has written, but regardless I want to hear that guy play drums, because he may be the best percussionist I’ve ever heard.

So, for the sake of review: Art isn’t about rules. Diversity is good. Let’s decide to simply enjoy what others create without putting on all those silly expectations. Sometimes, the most compelling songs are the products of teamwork.

Thinkpieces are reader-submitted reflective essays. A wide variety of ideas, analyses, and notions are welcome. Submit your essay for consideration to giffey@volumeone.org.