Re: Negativland on tour...ENO and U2

[Jprice01@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/9/00 9:43:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
sgoodman@earthlight.net writes:

<< 
 Phooey!  The only folks that'll tell you that can't play a musical
 instrument. >>

Imaybe ur right. but musical virtuosity and actually playing instruments 
and 
having a commitment to an instrument really doesnt matter much anymore to 
audiences just like music does not matter that much these days.

i kinda liken the mdern state of things to sticks of chewing 
gum..basically 
they are all the same thing a wrapper and sugar coating or nutrasweet but 
people keep chewing the gum until the flavor goes out which is pretty fast 
these days. & then folks get another stick and another and another and 
another & so on, etc. 

I think the musicians and non musicians who are easilly defined and follow 
expected definitions of who and what they should be and say are the ones 
who 
will be successful and eassilly embraced by a public that for years now ( 
there is a whole generation out now that has been raised in a vacuum of 
sorts 
with no references other than nonmusian references to draw upon and 
compare 
notes ) does not want complicated or disconcerting entertainment.

But i also think that musicians who immediately come up with a solid 
definition &/or musicians-nonmusicians who recreate existing 
definitions/cliches and or decontruct the mythos and establishment of such 
definitions and constantly reinvent and churn out new and redefined 
perspectives are on to something whter its on the turntable or being 
played 
and created live n the flesh.

sometimes the turntable dudes and dudettes "get it" and other times they 
do 
not.

but i cant dis-include dj culture or non-musicians from having any 
validity 
or deny that they can have a certain strength of perspective to bear on me 
and other listners & especially so if u were to consider and think in the 
context of how music is listened to and actually heard these days.

I think traditional musians "musicians" need to adapt a little bit of the 
non-musicians way of thinking and executing their work. that is nothing 
new 
and more and more there are more and more traditional musicians who are 
taking the non musicians ques and integrating a different but refreshing 
music.

But I think looping's future is in the hands of folks who spin vinyl and 
cd's 
at nite clubs...its disposable, mesmerizing and potentially a real high 
point 
or a bummer depending on who is making the noise/music but it fits nicely 
with what people wanna get from a musical experience...enuff to entertain 
and 
amuse audiences.

Not saying that if u play an instrument u are irrelevant but i do say it 
becomes harder to remain relevant in any performance's context.