Meet Killian Duarte
Musicians are a very unique breed. While any profession in the
world can be loved dearly and enhanced by a persons passion for it,
only the arts really requires a person to channel their frustrations,
fears, heartaches, and joy into what they do in order to make the end
product become genuine. Every bassist reading this magazine has their
reasons for being musically involved, along with some important stories
that made an impact on why they play. Whether young or old, black or
white, or anything in between, musicians do what they do because it
brings them joy.
Throughout the ages we seem to see a pattern. Those artists with great
emotional burdens or great emotional triumphs have been the ones that
make the music that speaks to our souls. Their often times turbulent,
wonderful, depressing, and exciting lives provide a soundtrack for
ours. It's a rare occurrence that one finds themselves in the
company of a musician who plays their instrument for the sheer
mathematics of it all. Most of us do it for enjoyment, and many of us
will use it to escape the here and now. I am not writing this column to
be sappy or dramatic. Writing this column, from this author's
perspective, is a long overdue acknowledgement for the reasons we get
behind our art that so many publications seem to pass by.
The other day at a gig I was shown how playing bass can really make a
powerful difference in a life. I had just finished playing a set that I
thought went really well. The band was really tight, and we were all
feeling the energy, every part was right on. Normally we play smaller
shows, but on this occasion we were part of a CD release show for a
friend, and the larger crowd provided just what we needed to really go
all out. As I was putting down my bass, still running on a lot of
adrenaline and a pre show red bull, a young guy that couldn't have been
more than 19 years old came up to me and introduced himself. I
will let him remain anonymous. The story he told made an impact on me.
He told me that he enjoyed the show and that when he was a young teen
he himself started playing bass. He had played in some bands in
high school and had actually toured for a while across New England.
Unfortunately, some time after a stint, he started abusing hard drugs.
For about a year he was caught in the grip of addiction barely being
able to function or live. After some time and support from his family,
he finally went to rehab, twice, and got clean. I gave him my
congratulations on overcoming such a terrible situation. "I started to
practice every night the second time around, and that's what saved me
from relapsing. Whenever I felt weak I would just schedule a rehearsal
or just go to the music store to play to get my mind off my demons." He
said how he transferred the money he spent on drugs over to buying
new gear, and would be applying to a college in Boston in January
as well. We parted ways, and he gave me a smile. It really
reminded me how powerful playing an instrument can be; powerful enough
for a person to overcome serious odds. Sometimes we need to be reminded
how lucky we are to be doing something we love, and how cool it is to
be doing something that requires so much heart. That young player's
strong feeling for the bass saved him from a dark future. Remember...keep
playing, and stay positive.
