[Dixielandjazz] DJML and gigs

[Bill Gunter]

Hi All,

Regarding various groups on the DJML, Mike Logsdon wrote:

>And then there's those of us who are nothing more than amateur washboard 
>players with little or no opportunity for practice, except for the 
>occasional inspiration to grab the aul' thing and wail to a classic 
>recording,

I probably fall into this category. Although I am a classically trained 
musician I have forsaken all other types of music to embrace the washboard.  
And while Mike correctly points out that many of us have little or no 
opportunity for practice he overlooks those of us who actively and 
deliberately decline to practice.

Practice is basically for those who need to hone their skills in the hope of 
improving an inadequate technique and, to be sure, practice does offer this 
to some degree.

However, there are those who, being naturally gifted and endowed with 
divinely ordained talent, find practice a tiresome and uninspiring exercise.

When the sum and substance of our artform is to count to two and then hit 
something (hopefully not one's fellow sideman) there is not a whole lot of 
improvement one can expect. Counting to two was a skill I easily developed 
by the time I reached maturity and hitting something has always been God's 
gift to the percussionist. Whether one employs thimbles, egg whisks, ball 
peen hammers, or whatever, the basic act of hitting something has not been 
improved upon since neanderthal times.

To the observant, the washboard as an instrument may be seen to have but one 
moving part. This is most assuredly part of its charm . . . the ultimate 
simplicity of the instrument inspires a Zen like attitude toward it and the 
washboard master often explains to the promising student "You must become 
one with the washboard!"

This is my credo.

And they say the world lacks an appreciation of washboard players.

Pffaughhh!

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "thimbles" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com