Love your rant Don.

1) Agree with you about 'learning the dots' totally. I knew everything before I went to University...

2) Rate of Pay. One of the reasons I lost interest in going to folk clubs was the expressed lack of interest by others in getting together 'for rehearsal'. "Ya don't HAVE to think, Ya gotta just open up yer arse and let the music fall out".... :-P (and that's usually just the sort of result ya get!) :-)

And I have noticed that many 'self taught folkies' just don't get what 'rehearsal' IS. Perhaps I have been 'spoiled' by my Classical Music Upbringing (like only eating Beluga Caviare, perhaps!). In which case I thank my lucky stars that I WAS 'spoiled'!!!

'Rehearsal' is not just playng the notes over again and again without change in tempo or expression as fast as you can till the other musos run screaming from the room. (Hmmm, that also sounds like many 'sessions' I have been to!)

'Rehearsal' involves thought. If you don't understand that, I'm not going to bother wasting my time explaining that. And it involves fear, excitement, discovery, boredom, etc.

When I had been taking piano lessons for a couple of years, and still in single digits, I began to think that I was pretty hot shit. "Hey Dad, look how fast I can play" I said.

My Dad stopped what he was doing, said to Mum, "This is very important", got out his violin, tuned it (and without any other warmup) took his bow, placed it on a string at the frog, and pulled a VERY SLOW bow, in perfect tune, in perfect pitch, no waver or squawk, that took what seemed like AGES (several minutes)!

"Son", he said, "Any ignorant Fool can play loud and fast, but to play slow and soft and well takes talent, training and practice". I have never forgot that. Pity that most I stumble across who think they are 'hot shit musos' don't seem to have been 'spoiled' like me.


"I don't know how many folkies I've heard who, when they've learned a song from a Ewan MacColl or Joan Baez record, do their damnedest to sing it exactly the way Ewan MacColl or Joan Baez recorded it."

This is a substantial victory for the owners of 'The Recording Industry' - hollow but overwhelming.


"Almost all of the more successful, highly paid performers in most fields put in the time and the work."

Which sadly means that most of us are 'Just Amateurs'... :-)


"I used to be good once, but now I'm out of practice!"