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Looper's Delight
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I'm going to assume you are using the absolute extremes of both sides of the spectrum to make a point. There's a whole of room in between. Most of us fit comfortably in the middle. A musician playing music in bars for money isn't necessarily an asshole. An "artist" playing for nobody isn't necessarily more talented. My college career at Berklee soured my opinion of musicians music. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy what my wife calls "guy music", Steve Morse, Al Dimeola, etc. (please, before you crucify me for that statement, go to a Steve Morse concert, its ALL dudes) And trust me at school we had conversations just like this until the wee hours of most nights. I just found a roomful of musicians more interested in technique then "art". On May 17, 2008, at 12:25 PM, tEd ® KiLLiAn wrote: > Hi there, > > (Fair warning, "old guy" rant about to ensue) > > It's just an opinion (my opinion) Chris . . . however, I have to say > you seem to have it precisely backwards. > > Being an "entertainer" is about "ego" (fashion, style, false show- > biz ethics, hey look at me, I'm a star, worship me, validate me, > love me, don't I look good?, watch this next move, I'm so friggin' > cool, etc.). > > And being an "artist" (no matter who is in the audience, or even if > there is no audience) is about "reaching the unreachable" - almost > an ego-less internal spiritual quest (if it is permissible to use > that much overused word). > > I find it preferable, and perhaps a little easier to play for other > musicians and/or "artists" (at least they have a hope of > understanding what I am trying to do (and NOT trying to do) and > might be motivated to suss out the difference). > > Playing for the normal "bar crowd" is too often like playing for > people with really, really low and very superficial expectations > (they just wanna party, get drunk, get laid, or simply be distracted > from reality for a while). > > Nothing particularly wrong with that . . . but that's no more "art" > than the paintings of Thomas Kinkade. > > It's disposable, meaningless fluff . . . it's entertainment. > > Playing for people who have a little more understanding (going in) > whoever they are - be they painters, poets, players, or reference > librarians - is an encouragement to do more, do better, to transcend > one's self, to be "in the moment" to and create whatever that's in > you trying to get out. > > Now, if they're an audience of pro or semi-pro "entertainers" that > would indeed be hard. > > They are looking strictly to be "impressed" by the form, finesse and > appearance . . . and could'nt give a rat's patootie for meaning, > content, innovation or other significance. > > That's what's so sickening about "American Idol" - that's exactly > what that show is. > > It's a bunch of pandering egos looking to slap themselves on their > own backsides, or otherwise be stroked and petted and fawned over. > > It's so blatant it's nearly obscene. > > It's stuff like that which makes television nearly unwatchable any > more . . . and radio nearly unlistenable. > > It's like our civilization is choking on it's own vomit and still > trying to cram down more. > > Oh well . . . just keep a smile on. > > Somebody cue up some classic rock and set up another round of beers > - rave on! > > Cheers, > > Ted > > On May 17, 2008, at 7:35 AM, Chris Sewell wrote: > >> I couldn't disagree more. Playing for musicians is about feeding >> ones ego. Reaching the unreachable is far more gratifying. >> On May 16, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Stefan Tiedje wrote: >> >>> Chris Sewell schrieb: >>>> It's friggin show business. Our job is to entertain. Not impress >>>> other musicians. >>> >>> To impress an audience might be entertaining, but its not the job >>> of an artist to entertain. (Those are called entertainers...) >>> The job of an artist is more about impressing the audience with >>> your personal expression, something the don't know yet. If its an >>> audience of musicians its a bit harder but also more rewarding... >>> >>> Stefan > > > tEd ® kiLLiAn > > Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things > that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the > bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in > your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain > > http://www.pfmentum.com/PFMCD007.html > http://www.CDbaby.com/cd/tedkillian > http://www.guitar9.com/fluxaeterna.html > http://www.indiejazz.com/ProductDetailsView.aspx?ProductID=193 > http://guitarplayer.com/article/y2k6-international-live/Jun-07/27768 > > Ted Killian's "Flux Aeterna" is also available at Apple iTunes >