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Seeking the Meaning of Life
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Subject: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Abby Sale Date: 27 Mar 00 - 11:35 AM Seeking the Meaning of Life here on Earth (or at least in Florida.) Perhaps one can advise. To celebrate the spring, last night at our club I sang the song in Digital Tradition, Clicky given as "REYNARD THE FOX" (2) it is filename RENOLDS. It was pretty bad. Now given three drawbacks: But on the positive side: The song went dead flat. Totally meaningless. I don't refer to whether the experience was enjoyable to others, I mean the song had no meaning - I might as well have been singing Chinese. Nobody got it as far as I could tell. Or even that it was a hunting song at all, or about a fox - never mind any subtler inferences. It's a favorite of mine for 40 years that I happen to sing as well as any song I do (ie, mostly in the same key). I'm a bit discouraged by this. Naive questions: What's the whole point? Should I just stick to singing in the shower or singing to the dog in future? Sorry to impose my downness here. But gee... |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Mbo Date: 27 Mar 00 - 11:38 AM Do what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle says: "Do your best, and hang the rest!" --Mbo |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST Date: 27 Mar 00 - 12:02 PM Your passion is your passion. De gustibus non est disputandum. [There's no disputing about taste.] If you search for meaning in the reactions of others to your passion, your whole life will be spent waiting.
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: katlaughing Date: 27 Mar 00 - 12:20 PM Abby, the vagaries of audiences is something we can never know until actually facing them. Maybe it was just an *off* night for most and/or you? Also, I read the words and found it rather confusing and abrupt, until I read the notes below the lyrics. Just an observation from someone who is not familiar with this song at all. Took me a couple of reads to *get it*. I agree with the above, too, though, our motivation has to come from within, with our own sense of validation. While it is nice to receive recognition from others, what we feel inside is much mroe important, longer-lasting, and satisfying in the long run. Don't give up! As long as it feels good to you, keep doing it! katlaughing |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,Jim Dixon Date: 27 Mar 00 - 12:53 PM I understand your discouragement, but I don't think you have to take it personally. It's possible your song would have been well received in a different sort of venue. I don't know what sort of "club" you sang at, but know that at Irish sessions where people are exclusively into playing "chunes" it can impossible to get people interested in a song. I wonder if that's why so many Irish songs are done a capella - because you really have to get away from instruments to sing them. Maybe singing and playing instruments are really separate traditions. I once was a member of an informal group that met once a month for the express purpose of singing songs. There were no instruments there at all. The group was organized by the wife of a famous Irish musician. She was tired of being shut out of the sessions her husband played at. Not all of the songs we sang were Irish. A lot of them were English or American. We especially liked songs with choruses that the group could pick up quickly, and many of us would harmonize, or try to. Sea chanteys worked especially well for this purpose. But even when someone sang a song that was strictly solo, the group was politely attentive. Alas, the group is defunct now, and even the bar where we met has gone out of business. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: paddymac Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:11 PM The central dictum of the lore of wine is that any bottle may be the epitome of perfection under one set of circumstances, but absolutely wrong in some other set. The same applies, in my experience, to whiskey, companions, and songs. When I sing a song that doesn't "work", I try to figure out why. On occasion, I conclude that even though I thought it was a great song, the audience might not share my view. I'll usually try it a few times under other circumstances. If it never seems to "work", I drop it, but if it seems to work in more restricted kinds of settings, I'll keep it for those situations. Songs are a lot like love: they're best when they work for all involved, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. (Whew, wasn't sure where to go with that last one) |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:19 PM Some wonderful points and great ideas here....Good thread!!! I think at times too, there are so many branches of folk/trad that sometimes you can even be in a place receptive to, say Irish, but can't get off on Appalachian stuff. Or perhaps the crowd on any given night in the SAME venue is different. Maybe the bar was out of pretzels and all of them were sick from the toasted marmoset livers. Try again. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Gary T Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:44 PM The answer to what is the meaning of life can be found in the Monty Python movie of the same name. (BG) Some songs are inherent crowd-pleasers, but even that depends on the crowd at hand. Others seem not to appeal to many people. Like kat, I'm not familiar with the song and found a reading of the lyrics to be uninspirational. I suspect that this particular song just doesn't grab most folks. Occasionally certain singers can engage an audience in a song that, in and of itself, wouldn't normally appeal to them. But in this case, with the limited information at hand, I would bet that it was the song itself rather than your rendition of it that failed to connect with the audience. That can be a bummer when the song is a personal favorite, but what it comes down to is people like what they like. I doubt there's much more that can be done other than to learn, over time, which songs fly and which ones fall flat. Enjoy the "less well-liked" ones alone or in smaller circles, and share the popular ones with larger groups. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Peter T. Date: 27 Mar 00 - 01:51 PM Try today's Thought for the Day. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Amos Date: 27 Mar 00 - 02:01 PM Welcome back, Peter! We missed ya! |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Easy Rider Date: 27 Mar 00 - 03:33 PM LIFE is like a beanstalk, isn't it? |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Amos Date: 27 Mar 00 - 03:38 PM Good news! Life doesn't COME with a meaning! It's a user modification! |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Linda Kelly Date: 27 Mar 00 - 03:46 PM you can please sme of the people, some of the time but you cant't please all of the people....... |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: kendall Date: 27 Mar 00 - 04:03 PM Start with something funny...then they will listen to whatever you do. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Rick Fielding Date: 27 Mar 00 - 04:49 PM Abby, you're more than have way there to figuring it out. You're obviously able to critique your own performance, and that can be a rare quality in some circles. Traditional ballads are not easy fodder for many folks. Same with certain genres of film, theatre etc. I took 3 friends to see "Enfants du Paradis" about 20 years ago. All three walked out, bored stiff! You don't mention whether you sang other songs as well, and whether they were well received or not. Have you done other songs on different weeks? Did folks like 'em? I get the feeling that if you had a pitch problem, you'd know. You don't mention stumbling over the words (it is a story song) or making false starts. If you had a clean slate in those areas, I think the problem lay with the audience. Next time you could do something easier for the majority to digest OR you could sing the ballad again! And AGAIN! Best of luck Rick |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: MK Date: 27 Mar 00 - 05:28 PM Without lecturing you, Abby, and being completely objective and without any prejudice as I've never heard you sing or perform, ...sounds like for whatever the reason, you failed to make any kind of a connection with the audience. Could have been attributable to any or all of the following: (a) They didn't like the song. (b) They didn't like your voice. (c) They're not into acapella. (d) They weren't listening. (e) They were totally apathetic. (f) The audience doesn't share your taste in music. Perhaps, tape the tune, and have a few people who's opinions you respect and trust, and who can be (brutally if need be) objective, to listen to it, and get their feedback. If you enjoy singing for the love of doing it, don't let this experience discourage you. If on the otherhand, you need some sort of validation or recognition from an audience, then you must somehow find tunes to sing that WILL make the connection with them and yield the intended response. My 0.02 anyway. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST Date: 27 Mar 00 - 07:04 PM Hi Abby, Don't worry....be Abby! I had a similar experience years ago in a song circle of the Houston Folklore Society. The founding member of the Society was John Lomax Jr. And he would occassionally sing an acapello song an was always well received. I am a decent singer and wasn't very good on the guitar yet, so I decided to sing a song unaccompanied. It was the "Hunters of Kentucky". As I was singing I noticed the disinterest in the "audience" and let it dampen my confidence and enthusiasm. I made it through and did get a couple of token compliments, BUT I thought to myself: What a BIG mistake! I'll NEVER do that again. Then, like yourself, I critiqued myself and tried to analyze the situation and I concluded: 1. I did not introduce the song and tell anything about it. The Lomaxes, and most popular folksingers from Leadbelly to Ramblin' Jack tell a little about the song and perhaps explain any unsual aspects of the words, characters, events, etc. 2. I did not exude the enthusiasm and love that I had for the song. I was too concerned about singing well. 3. Timing. I sang it near the end of the last round before the break and people were getting antsy. 4. I honestly didn't think that it was me or the song. Now I realize that the best thing to do is relax, be yourself, rear back and sing like you would in the shower. And don't worry about the audience. If you like it and you sing it well....as in anything else...some will like it, too. And some will not. Hang in there. Ray |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Cap't Bob Date: 27 Mar 00 - 08:07 PM Abby ~ I am curious about how your dog responds to your singing. We have three dogs that share our home. When I sing two of the dogs leave the music room. The third dog will stay and listen to a few songs. I don't know if she stays because she enjoys the music or if it is the petting between songs that keeps her interest. Cap't Bob |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Petr Date: 27 Mar 00 - 09:02 PM I will now tell you the meaning of life.
The meaning of life is to make more life. Petr. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Little Neophyte Date: 27 Mar 00 - 09:52 PM Cap't Bob's dogs remind me of a story I once told here on the Mudcat about my friend who was playing his bag pipes in Central Park in New York City. There were not many people around, except for a big German shepherd that kept circling my friend Pat. He was really scared so he thought the best thing he could do was keep playing his bag pipes since that would keep him calm. So he kept on playing, and the dog kept on circling until it finally sat right in front of Pat and the dog began to howl to the song Pat was playing. Pretty funny hugh Little Neo |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Mar 00 - 10:09 PM Actually Bonnie, I was waiting for the dog to lift his leg.........oh well, good story anyway, better if the dog hac whizzed on him though. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: M. Ted (inactive) Date: 27 Mar 00 - 10:51 PM Rick, As far as we are concerned here, that is the greatest movie ever made (or close)--anyone that doesn't like it has a lot of explaining to do.... |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,Bartholomew Date: 27 Mar 00 - 11:01 PM Never whistle while you're p*ss*ng Sing it again next Spring. And the Spring after that. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Escamillo Date: 28 Mar 00 - 05:07 AM Abby, perhaps an opinion from a total outsider (I´m a "large choir" tenor just learning traditionals) could help. You say that you are not a good singer. Most probably you are wrong, but let´s assume it´s true. Then you say that you sing a capella these songs. You get too exposed. Even a minimal flaw will be noticeable, and the audience will surely not get into the mood. I would rely on an accompaniment, it will help you maintain the pitch and expression, and if he/she is a good musician, will make you feel comfortable and secure. I would also quote Michael K.: Perhaps, tape the tune, and have a few people who's opinions you respect and trust, and who can be (brutally if need be) objective, to listen to it, and get their feedback. Don´t give up !
Capt.Bob, my two dogs listen to my songs as long as they receive a cookie, I´m now reducing rations and some day I´ll get them listening for nothing. Alas, I´ll never make them pay me.
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Lady McMoo Date: 28 Mar 00 - 05:27 AM Dear Abby, I've often played (over 30+ years)in situations where noboby seemed to be listening and wondered why I bothered. Other times everybody seems to be hanging on every note or word. It sometimes happens like that. Sometimes you can predict what your audience might like. Sometimes you can't. The main thing is to be true to yourself. If you want to sing something and feel committed to it and the situation and circumstances allow you, e.g. it is an "open session" ...go ahead! A non-response or non-feedback from the audience is THEIR problem. Everyone trying something a bit different or out of the ordinary faces the same thing. I could play "crowd pleasers" now and did in the past. Now I do material that I like or which is original and at least I feel happier with that! All the best and keep up the good work! mcmoo |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: M. Ted (inactive) Date: 28 Mar 00 - 01:25 PM Abby, When I started off trying to be a folksinger, the first thing I discovered was that I hated it when I didn't get a really enthusiastic response from the audience--I finally discovered that for me, I could get a the kind of response that I wanted by writing humorous songs and parodies--and after a while, I developed an following and a bit of public awareness (some called it "notoriety", but what care's I for praise?) When I moved out to the Bay Area, I discovered in very short order that the California audiences didn't respond to my stuff, and I died a thousand deaths--I finally ditched the folkie act altogether and started playing latin and jazz dance music, which gave me the party kind of feeling that I needed, but didn't leave me so vulnerable-- A friend of mine, who has a hugely popular death metal band, told me that, no matter how good you are, you never get the best response from somebody else's audience--you had to find your own audience--
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Seamus Kennedy Date: 29 Mar 00 - 03:35 AM Tally ho, hark away! Tally ho, hark away! Abby, I love that song. Keep singing it, and encourage the audience to sing along or add a harmony. And maybe a little intro/explanation would help. All the best. Seamus |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,GUEST: Alistair Date: 29 Mar 00 - 02:11 PM A few years ago I had a similar experience with a song that I loved to sing ( still do), but the first time I sang it was terrible..I told a little story before the song and generally thought I did a good job for it being the first time in public. It went down like a lead turd in a porcelain piss pot ( if you can excuse the analogy). Anyway, being the tenacious devil that I am I sang it the following night to a different audience in a different city, the trepidation I felt actually detracted the performance, but the small but enthusiastic audience really enjoyed it...go figure! The thing is If you enjoy it, do it ( to paraphrase that nice chap Mr. Crowely) |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Bert Date: 29 Mar 00 - 02:29 PM "Mudcat" is the meaning of life. So sing it for us. Put it on tape or CD and send it in. We'll play it on Mudcat Radio. And we'll all appreciate it. Sometimes you just get a dead audience and there's not much you can do about it. It's usually because, for some reason, they just don't want to listen to any thing different. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Jim Krause Date: 29 Mar 00 - 02:54 PM I'll tell a story on myself, Abby. And I hope it will be interesting, in not instructional. I decided to take the plunge and submit a few of my songs to a professional song writer, who now teaches seminars on the craft of lyric writing. I figured it was worth the money to see whether or not I had figured out how to write or not. Anyway, she got to one lyric, and said "What's this about?" Well, the lyric was about a very personal experience, but one that I have discovered is not unique to me. I gave her a vague explanation, hemmed and hawed, and tried not to really admit what the message was about. She said to me "I think you're trying to pull the wool over my eyes." Needless to say, unmasked as I was I was a little angered by this accusation. It was true and I didn't want to admit it. After cooling off a few days, I rewrote the lyric, because I knew in my heart she was right. I sang it at songwriter's circle a few weeks later, thinking that I'd test out the song on a "safe" audience. Some folks were listening, some were more interested in their coffee. But there was a group of four people sitting down front, and stage left, two men, and two women. One of the women I noticed, was really paying attention. So I thought to myself I'd sing the song as if I were singing to her alone. Now, I must tell you that the song is a rather wistful, if not a bit sad in tone. She looked at me, and when I got to the pay-off, she looked away. She got it. The title of the song is "Anna On My Mind" and is about a man who is childless. The point is: sing your song, some one will be listening, somewhere. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: acoustically yours Date: 29 Mar 00 - 03:02 PM here' a poem of mine my gift to all of you at Mudcat ..the secret of life is enjoy the passing of time ..the secret of love is to let your hearts entwine ..to be afraid is alright it's fine ..just don't let it interfere with the passing of time acoustic |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Abby Sale Date: 29 Mar 00 - 04:15 PM This is very long but I'm trying to answer All as well as add a certain amount of B.S. Thank you All for your kind consideration and public & private encouraging suggestions to relieve my distress. For what it's worth, I repeat that I have no goal to be a successful entertainer or to receive peer group approval. I merely wanted to communicate a story. I have endless admiration for the great balad-singers - so many of them. I've known nearly 60 years I would not be one. This is a simple fact of life - no more nor less true than other facts about me - such as that I am rather short or that I am devastatingly attractive. In fact, with the decades-long help of my spouse, my singing has actually improved. I've sung all my life. The current folk club is, in fact, very polite compared to those childhood friends who would punch or throw sticks and stones at me. I never quit singing. As to those questions about the club, it's the local "folk" club. It has a number of formal & informal events - no actual sit-down concerts - but the Sunday meet is my regular - a round-robin, egalitarian, informal sing. Any club business transacted is in the form of fliers dropped on the floor in the center. It's acoustic but if somebody amplifies his/her bass or even guitar lightly that's ok too. The format is All get to sing/play/tell a story that want to, running clockwise. No one is paid. (There's a monthly house-party with the same format plus generally a paid entertainer half the evening - then chairs are moved to a circle. Someone there ran the singing counter-clockwise one evening and while no one objected, it was seen as a radical experiment & never repeated.) Cross talk between songs is casual & may continue, even at length, until the next person up starts to sing. This is my favorite format of any - music is shared, informal & eclectic. I dislike formal performances unless it's Ewan MacColl or the like. Problem is, I'm the only a capella singer (two play harmonica & sing, though) and seem to be the only one with any notion of "traditional" song. The vast bulk of the songs at the club are modern singer/songwriter stuff. It was said, when I pre-explained I was going to sing a newly written song for a change, "The Goodnight/Loving Trail," that Only Abby would call a song that's been around at least 25 years a new one. It is pleasing to me, therefore, that there is a liberal inclusion of styles - some blues, jazz, Golden Oldie, occasional tunes/old-timey, Celtoid - but mostly "folk." Musicianship is surprisingly high and all may join in with the designated singer or any might be asked by him/her to take a break. Any would. There is little or no joining in with words, though. Pre-song description is discouraged, seen as the format of stage performance rather than our informal meeting. Post-song questions may arise such as Who wrote that? or Didn't xx cover that? Often I briefly pre-explain, anyway, when I think the song is too obscure or complex to be understood or from an historical setting that would be too foreign. In the case of "Reynard" I felt the song was self-explanatory & needed no rule-break. Maybe that's the source of my chagrin. I came to realize that my recent reaction was largely an emotional rather than an objective one. I determined to take some of the good and kind advice offered here and test my singing objectively. I got in the shower and sang the full song with maximum intensity. The shower ignored me utterly. The logic was inescapable: The folk club ignored me when I sang "Reynard the Fox." The shower ignored me when I sang "Reynard the Fox." Therefore the club is a shower. There still seemed a step to take so, as advised, I sang to our dog, Muggs. I was concerned that being a Cairn Terrier and a natural hunter, the results might be skewed in my favor but we gotta work with what we got. Muggs perked up immediately and paid close attention. He continued listening carefully until he suddenly broke off and began to scratch. This was at just the point when Reynard was taken and no longer on the run. It seems I had been vindicated. Muggs paid such close attention that the story lost any possible interest when he learned someone else caught the fox. Muggs might as well find other game to hunt such as a flea. Muggs is certainly someone to whom I will continue to sing. Especially songs about small animals. As to the folk club, now that I know it's a shower, I can feel comfortable singing there in future since I've always enjoyed singing in the shower. I've learned from other posters that the Meaning of Life is 42 and also that it is 64. Taking these together, that's 106. That gives me a maximum Meaning of Life rather than a average one - much more satisfying. I will keep number 106 in mind if ever I play roulette. Several posters suggested I use chorus songs to get people in the mood. This doesn't work. Well, it doesn't work 95 out of 100 times. I've had a little success in the past. On the other hand, I tried "Roll, Alabama, Roll" a while back but that may have been a bit of a stretch and too complicated a chorus to learn easily. A very fine singer resident here a too-short while described Orlando as the town where it's considered impolite to sing along. True. To be fair, there have actually been a few occasions on which others gave compliments or even lightly applauded my turn. That confused me more than anything. Thank you again. I usually only ever sing a song once in public, unless it marks an important "Happy" event as the First day of Spring or the Spanish Civil War ends (3/28/1939). However, to test the theory of pre-explanation, I will attend the round-robin ("jam") at tonight's house-party. I'll briefly explain & then sing "Reynard" & try hard to stay in a single key. (Hand on ear, maybe??) Maybe it will work. If it doesn't & you don't hear from me for a while, I'll be off studying 101 Songs to Sing While Committed. It will be all your fault. Abby |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,Wavestar Date: 29 Mar 00 - 04:49 PM I know this seems like a repitition of the same question, but I've been finding a few folk sessions in Fife that I've been going to, but they are mostly musoc, fiddles, flutes, whistles, bodhrans and the like. Now, I love that music, but I don't play and I want to join in... I can sing, but people play pver me, begin playing while I'm singing, ignore me, or just look away... It's not always that bad, but can be frustrating, so I've gotten to where I don't try. I'm not a brilliant singer, but I hve a clear, strong voice, stay in key and on pitch, etc, and I care about the songs I'm singing. Frequently I do have several people listening intently to me, and then other people start playing over me, etc... I don't sing alone always, either, I sing with friends, with accompianment, etc.. advice? Please? -J |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Bert Date: 29 Mar 00 - 05:21 PM Abby, you say that 'Therefore the club is a shower.'. Now it would help me to know if you are American or from the other side of the pond, where calling a group 'a shower' has a very specific meaning. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: pastorpest Date: 29 Mar 00 - 06:33 PM One example/experience is not a valid sample for any social scientist or singer. My advice is find a good voice teacher. I am amazed that at the progress even I have made by taking lessons. I was depressed initially by all the things I did wrong, most of which I did not even realize. But one by one they get fixed and the voice gets stronger and purer and more confident. I was over fifty when I started so there is hope for everyone. And be sure there are people who share your taste in songs and music. Keep at it. Singing is as fine a way of seeking the meaning of life as there is. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Art Thieme Date: 29 Mar 00 - 06:51 PM Abby, Hello! What ya gotta do with these audiences that never were where we've been these last 40 years is what I found I had to do playing on the steamboats for nonfolkies all those years ---- do a medley. Start with "The Fox" as a song about what it was like to hunt for a living before supermarkets. Then do your song...as another hunting song involving a fox. (A joke about Fox Mulder probably wouldn't hurt either.) Once the people are with you, you might even get away with doing the quite heavy song, "Mr. Fox" as your next song. Americans, in this day and age, love the blood of it. An entire half set on foxlore All the best, Art Thieme |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: Jim Krause Date: 30 Mar 00 - 12:39 PM To -J. Sounds like these bozos are plain rude cretins. I think it is inexcusible behavior to play over a singer. Or, maybe they are just inexperienced and don't ralize they're out shouting you so to speak. If the latter is the case, then perhaps a diplomatic word and a gentle smile might be the solution. If the former is the case, find some new friends to sing with. Some folks spend whole lifetimes learning how to accompany singers. It isn't always easy. |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,Michele Date: 30 Mar 00 - 05:15 PM We all have moments when it seems we should give up. But the only way we fail is if we refuse to get up when we fall. Music is a soul bursting with pleasure and waiting to reach an outside voice. Refusing to give it voice be it in tune or out is refusing life itself. Never let those who refuse life to judge those who give it life. Sing like no one is watching! Michele |
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Subject: RE: Seeking the Meaning of Life From: GUEST,Michele Date: 30 Mar 00 - 05:36 PM Wavestar... I started or should I say I re-entered the music business about ten years ago by joining a folk collective. We did our singing in a song circle where no one ever is the real lead. It never mattered if one could actually sing, we were there sharing songs and traditions. For me a few others it became our careers, but for others it remains to this day a sharing. My group still uses this method.. we have no lead..though i sing the majority of the music based on the audiences preference. We all do harmony..our only designate jobs are musical instruments. I play rhythm guitar, penny whistle, sometimes the bodrhan, and others.. Some of the people I have played with over the years couldnt carry a tune in a bucket, some had marvolous voices, but they all had desire..and I think that is what matters here.. the desire , the need to release all we have inside. The life of a musican is not always easy and by keeping the tradtions alive and sharing what we know we ease the burden put on us by the general audience. As our folk collective grew we became the Sunday night entertainment for a local bar. That was pressure. because we were heckled like any other live group. We were judged by the same standards. That was not fair for what we were about was the music not the talent. But we took our pride in teaching those drunken sods a few songs they had not heard of in their lives. and we reformed quite a few hard rockers. And we produced a number of groups who have gone on to bigger and better things. I guess what I am saying is.. folkies are in the heart not the talent.. we live and breath the type of music we do..we accept that our love isn't everyones love and we still go out and share.. As we say on stage.. not bad for folk music.(grin) |
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