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in the ghetto words of <rodney king>: "cant we all j j jjust ggget along ? also in the words of ken kesey or tiny tim or somebody: "you are what you is"-or "you are what you do", something like that. like when i'm sittin on the shitter, i'm a crapper(?) when i'm waitin tables, i'm a waiter... when i'm playin guitar, i'm a guitarer(not a very good one, but i have my fun). when i step on that loop box, i'm a looper s an when i'm dumpster divin... > here here.. :) > > Andre, I'd hate to see you go.. as well, I am a bit confused as to the > motivation... > it seemed to me that you asked great question and we had a flameless > discussion > about it.. hehe... so, at the risk of opening a can of worms, can you >clarify? > > peace > -cpr > >> -- Original Message -- >> From: "loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com> >> To: "LOOPERS DELIGHT (posting)" <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> >> Subject: DON'T GO, ANDRE >> Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:39:30 -0700 >> Reply-To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com >> >> >> A letter to Andre LaFosse: >> >> you just wrote: >> >> >>> It actually has something to do with a quote which I learned from Rick >>> Walker, ironically enough: >>> "There is no us and them; there is only us." >>> So when I hear about - for instance - somebody using a DL4 to loop >under >>> a solo, who is "not a looper per se," it raises questions for me. It >>> makes me wonder where the distinction between the "them" of this >>> DL4-touting singer-songwriter is made, to differentiate him from "us." >>> It makes me wonder what the common defining traits are of the 500-odd >>> people who are on this list, reading this thread right now, that would >>> imbue them with a "true looper" designation, that's missing from our >>> Line 6-soloing emmisary of the "them" delegation. >> >> I find it sad, Andre, that your mind is so made up about these matters > that >> you wouldn't even read the response letter I sent to this list >> as soon as I read your last post. My response posted before this >response >> did. I'll quote myself briefly but you can refer to the whole letter if >> you'd like ( WHAT's A LIVE LOOPER, ANYWAY?). >> >> r. writing: >> >> "I typed that rather hastily, 'Dre. I should have said that he doesn't >> CONSIDER himself a 'live looper', which would distinguish >> him, in that sense, from someone who actively thinks of themselves as >live >> loopers, like myself or Matthias Grob or Per Boysen >> or, perhaps, you.............It's a hair split of course and, as with >all >> categorizations, intrinsically >> innacurate and made merely to make the point that live >> looping techniques have insuated themselves into the live performances > of >> lots of musicians who, five years ago, wouldn't have used them." >> >> >> My intent with that post was actually to say that I was excited that a > more >> mainstream pop artist has been influenced by all the energy that >everyone >> has put in here at Loopers Delight. I had no intention of being 'Us >and >> Them' about it. I was clumsy with my rhetoric so I'm sorry you missed > that >> intent. >> >> Being a human being I am very, very far from perfect; very far from >living >> up the ideals that I try to live up to. I'll be the first to admit it, > but >> this is historically clear: >> >> I have tried extremely hard in the last five years of my life since >joining >> this list and becoming enamored with the concept of a live looping >community >> to be as all inclusive as I could possibly be. Everyone who knows me, >> including you, my friend, knows this to be true. At the risk of boring >> people with details, I've gone so far as to invite every single person >> in >> our community and even rectuited young and middle aged talented >musicians >> who have never even used live looping to be our 'newbies' at looping >> festivals. I donated my own looping devices to these artists in an >attempt >> to turn them on to the techniques that I've grown to love in live >> performance. I've produced festivals of Found and Invented Sound, >> Live Digital Video Animation, Voice and Electronics. I've hosted >Festivals >> for Emerging Electronica in my region..........played acoustic music at >> Singer Songwriter Showcases; fought for the rights of Street Musicians > in >> my >> town...........argued with the mayor and city council to try to keep >Arts >> Funding from being eliminated in my community.......donated countless >hours >> trying to support the establishement of three music venues in this area > that >> would be open to ALL MUSICIANS and artists and all without every paying >> myself a single red cent. I did it, selfishly, so that I would have >> a >> community that I could belong to. I did it altruistically so that >others >> would feel better about being artists with some sense of emotional >support >> for what they do in a culture that practically spits on the concept. >> >> To accuse me of being devisive in this community ("Us and Them") is >> complete and utter bullshit and after everything I have said and done in >> print and action to support your own personal career it really hurts me, >> personally that you would say it..............especially in public. >> >> In many many conversations with you in person and in print over the >years, >> you have consistently refused to participate because you have been >> uncomfortable with the category or the attempt at community building in > the >> so called Live Looping Community. Because you are so intelligent and >> creative and innovative and such an important artist in my mind, that > has >> always been painful to me, but I have grown to accept it. however. >> >> you also wrote: >>> It makes me wonder a lot of things - like why serious, intelligent, >>> critical discussion, which can take into account the 40 or 50 years of >>> historical precedent for the subject of the discussion list, always >>> seems to make a bunch of everyone's collective undergarments in a forum >>> made up principally of adult, middle-aged men. >> >> This sounds a little ageist to me, my friend, and smacks of the same 'us >> and >> them' mentality that you are accusing me of. I can only sit back and >> chuckle, patronizingly, as I realize that in a mere ten years you'll be > one >> of those middle aged men. I've gotten my panties in a bunch a few times >> myself (because I know I'm a drama queen at times..........lol) but it > has >> almost always been when I sensed strong injustice,divisiveness or >meanness >> in people's posts. >> >>> For the time being, I don't want to be a negative vibe merchant - >>> especially to the people whose work and music I've spent innumerable >>> hours trying to be supportive and enlightening about over the course > of >>> eight and a half years. So as wise man once said, "My work here is >done. >> Now, I must go." >>> Perhaps I'll poke my head back in at some point. In the meantime, >those >>> who want to know how to track me down. >> >> I'm so sorry that your personal feelings of not belonging and being >excluded >> and not being recognized and not be supported financially by this >community >> have led you to this. >> >> You are one of our brightest stars and, potentially, one of our most >> inpspiring ones as well. You have the capacity with your intelligence, >> your articulateness and your brilliant command of your instrument to >guide, >> instruct, inspire and , even more importantly >> to nurture the people at this list. This is a gift my >friend............. >> a gift that I wish you would not throw away because you are feeling >> alienated presently. >> >> Don't go, Andre. This little community would be the worse if you did. >> >> yours, Rick >> > >