[Dixielandjazz] Pros and ams

[Patrick Cooke]

Labels! labels! labels!  I hate labels!  There are always those guys who
have to size up everyone they meet, classify him/her/ politically,
musically, socially, and put the into one of the pigeon holes his mind has
created.  Once he has put you into the pigeon hole, he has assigned you a
lot of characteristics he found in some other person he liked or didn't
like.  He probably owns a little Dymo machine that makes labels, and goes
around sticking them on everybody that he thinks he knows all about because
he has put them in one of his pigeon holes.
     Never mind the label,  just listen to what I'm playing!  And pay
attention so you'll know where to come in.
     Pat Cooke



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <TCASHWIGG at aol.com>
To: <tootn4u at juno.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Pros and ams


>
> There are many Amateur Pros in the game,
> and also many Pro Amateurs in the game.
>
> The biggest Problem is most folks don't know the difference, especially
the
> players.
>
> I think maybe the biggest difference is that many of the Pros like to
believe
> the learned Critics, and when they get a good review they let it take them
to
> higher mental level where they lose all sight of the fact that music is
> supposed to be fun not only for those who perform it but for those who
listen and
> (God forbid! Get up and dance to it).
>
> There are several different styles of musicians and several different
styles
> of audiences, whose musical tastes change frequently as they go through
life,
> if we do not change with them it is soon easy to be left in the dark ages
with
> no audience to bore.  :))
>
>
> My best advice is to find out where and what you play the best and do that
> and leave the other gigs to those who do them better than you think you
do.
>
> Don't take every gig just because it is a gig or just for the money, I
have
> played Big Money gigs that were terrible, and I have played some Free Gigs
that
> were Fantastic, they are generally what you make them if you can learn to
> select them carefully and then be Professional enough to make them work
for the
> enjoyment of all in attendance.  Now that is being Professional, and it
has
> little to do with how technically well you play or do not play your
instrument.
>
>    Music is the Communication business folks, learn to communicate and if
you
> are fortunate enough to be a musician then communicate with the
International
> Language MUSIC.  If the audience understands you then you are
communicating
> if they walk away or are disinterested in you then you are more than
likely
> playing over their heads technically and they do not understand you, and
that
> makes you a none professional quickly.
>
>
> Do it in the Road, Do it in the Street, Do it in the Theater, Do it in the
> Concert Hall, Do it at the Fair, Do it at the Old folks home, but for the
love
> of Music;
>
> JUST DO IT !
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom Wiggins
>
>
>
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>