Don’t die with the music still inside you.
How could the story of "Django" help you live a more fulfilling life and reach your goals?
Jean Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953), the legendary gypsy jazz guitarist, is one of the most innovational European musicians of the twentieth century, having contributed to the transformation of early straight jazz into "hot jazz" with his masterful improvisational skills and long, dancing arpeggios.
This story is important because it can mean the difference between succeeding wildly with your life... or failing miserably.
Here's what happened ...
There once was a guitarist like no other ...
Jeff Beck once called this musician "by far the most astonishing guitar player," adding that he was "quite superhuman."
Born in Belgium to a French family, he played with blinding speed but with a clarity that was simply stunning ... not to mention a fullness of expression that still blows minds.
But the kicker?
Before he had a chance to start with the band, however, Reinhardt nearly died.
On the night of 2 November 1928, Reinhardt was going to bed in the wagon that he and his wife shared in the caravan. He knocked over a candle, which ignited the extremely flammable celluloid that his wife used to make artificial flowers.
The wagon was quickly engulfed in flames. The couple escaped, but Reinhardt suffered extensive burns over half his body. During his 18-month hospitalization, doctors recommended amputation for his badly damaged right leg.
Reinhardt refused the surgery and was eventually able to walk with the aid of a cane.
More crucial to his music, the fourth finger (ring finger) and fifth finger (little) of Reinhardt's left hand were badly burned. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again.Reinhardt applied himself intensely to relearning his craft, however, making use of a new guitar bought for him by his brother, who was also an accomplished guitarist.
While he never regained the use of those two fingers, Reinhardt regained his musical mastery by focusing on his left index and middle fingers, using the two injured fingers only for chord work.
He did all this after suffering first and second-degree burns over half his body, leaving his right leg paralyzed and losing the use of his fourth and fifth fingers of his fret hand.
Doctors told him they intended to amputate his leg. He told them no thanks, no surgery for moi.
They also told him he'd never play guitar again. Turns out they were wrong.
Django Reinhardt became one of the greatest guitarists of all time, revered by everyone from Paul McCartney to B.B. King to Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, playing all his solos with only two fingers and using the two injured digits only for chord work. And he pioneered an entirely new style of guitar technique because of his disability.
The style Django pioneered is called gypsy jazz. It's one of the warmest, most nostalgic, mesmerizing, beautiful acoustic styles you can ever hope to learn.
Now here's your big takeaway from all this...
You CAN overcome any obstacle.
We are told that talent creates opportunity, yet it is desire that creates talent.
Talent is a miracle.
Tenacity is a mindset.
Talent without tenacity will not take you very far.
Growth happens in adversity. When you come out of your comfort zone, you tend to discover new facets to your creativity and talent. Troubles don’t always break you; they make you too.
The greatest burden is unfulfilled potential.You have gifts inside you.
Set them free!
Don't die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul. When you do this, you're also tapping into your innate joy and power.
Enjoy your journey.
