[Dixielandjazz] Communication

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Hi Ron,  Thanks for making the point that if we play the same way  twice even 
when looking at dots, it is about us, not about the music.   It still 
supposed to be us playing the music rather than the other way  around.  Along those 
lines I was reflecting on posts about how stultifying  it is to play the same 
"shows" over and over.  From the audience point of  view, it is either their 
first time to hear the music, or if they are repeaters,  it may well be because 
of how much they love it.  It bugs me to go to shows  where the music is 
pre-recorded rather than a live orchestra, yet it seems to be  happening more and 
more.  I hope "dead" musicians playing the music is not  a big contributing 
factor to having to go to shows and see live singers and  dancers working with 
"dead" music.  I am one who writes to producers about  such, and try to avoid 
going when I know it will be dead music.
 
There is a local TV talent show here for youth and then one that is  for 
adults and broadcast from a local casino.  Of course both are  Karaoke.  But when 
they ask the performers what number they are going to  do, they announce their 
number by title and then say it's by _____________  .  And ye gods, it is not 
the composer or lyricist they are  announcing, but the artist who has the 
biggest selling recording of the  tune.
Ginny
 
In a message dated 8/18/2006 8:23:22 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
lherault at bu.edu writes:

Well,  first off we were talking about playing in a band with no
audience,  correct?   If you are in the piano or violin position, you
have  to assume there is an audience, especially for the strolling
violinist  8-).

When you're alone, (Isn't that the start to "When Your Lover Has  Gone")
you have the opportunity to experiment, challenge yourself, work  things
out. 

When you start discussing reading bands, even in  re-creation settings, I
would think you would strive for nuances,  perfection of the tone and
attack needed to make the sound "right" for the  re-creation, the
style/intent of the composer and/or period of the  piece.

As many times as I have played "The Saints", and sometimes it is  pretty
much just for the band and the wait-staff, it has never been boring  and
distasteful because it is never exactly repetitious in the same way  as
say sitting in front of a kick press, inserting a part, swinging  your
foot to perform the operation, removing the piece, inserting  another
part, swinging your foot etc. through a 1000 piece lot.  There  the only
thing that comes close to a challenge and to being creative is  finding a
way to do the job as fast as possible without smashing/cutting  off the
end of your finger (I still have all mine intact, by the  way).  When
playing music, I may be talking to myself, but I still  have to and want
to listen because on some level, I'm creating something  new.  It is
usually better if I can share it with someone  though.  I think we can
all agree on that.

Ron  L