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I find this whole thread, with its "COBRA" and "OPTION ANXIETY" aspects, oddly coincidental with my current activities! I'm a percussionist/ looper etc. and I'm participating in a new version of the Cobra game piece in Berlin, Germany. This version is called the "Dirty Dozen" because it involves 12 players, 3 groups of 2 (=6) rhythmatists and 3 groups of 2 (=6) melodiacs. The whole thing is based around Goethe's color circle, the rhythm groups being the primary colors (red, blue, yellow), the melody groups being the intermediates (purple, green, orange). Each groups develops 2 themes which have to be compatible depending on their position in the circle (e.g. green melody fits with blue and yellow rhythm groups). From there it just gets more complex! Roulette boards, monetary "credits", playing cards, hand signals, a variety of "purchasable" positions such as berserkers, directors, arseholes (seriously), harikirist, bartender are all involved. All sorts of other rules are involved, which are too tedious to go into here - in fact the "instruction manual" is about 6 pages long! In many ways, this is the "German" ;-) version of Cobra, with no offense to the German members of the list ... The problem I'm currently trying to deal with, is that I really don't know how to incorporate my "loopy electro-stuff" into this already complex gig. I was offered a rhythm job where I'm to counteract the normal trap set drummer with elctro-processed rhythms. Oh man, after two practices of very intense changes and color theme changes etc. - on top of which I'm trying to make loops, change fx patches and play live (all on the fly) - I've noticed it's a heck-of-alotta stress! :-( Talk about OPTION ANXIETY! I'm actually a drum set player originally but unfortunately this is not my "job description" at this gig. I think I really have to chime in with what's been said here - my current feeling is that this "Dirty Dozen" gig is a little too much stress and too little fun. I agree that it's wise to concentrate more of one's energy on just a few concepts. Sorry about the very extended post - I'm just feeling a little exasperated ... Mr. Rob Liebig, Steuart A. schrieb: > > > Yes, sometimes being too versatile can be a burden, I think someone >spoke > > of 'option anxiety'. Especially true with the jazz world's > > 'trademark-sound' guys. > > > > > I tend to think of it as trying to bring something special to the > plate everytime I play - - having discrete musical experiences. Maybe >more > like a painter or an author (oops, there I go again). In terms of how I >do > things with compoistional frameworks for improv, I like to have different > settngs for much the same reason. Also, I figure that my personality is > going to come through anyway, I just want the colors to be a little > different from time to time. > > Option anxiety can be a problem . . . luckily I don't have the >time > for it anymore :-) I just have to hone in a couple of selected concepts. > > s