Is the music enough?

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 02:19 PM

I notice that I've lost my cookie ... and so while I'm somewhat anonymous, I'll add to these thoughts.

I've been on both sides of the pro and semi-pro, working musician world. As I said above, I've been at it full-time professionally for almost 10 years. After I had worked at a couple of years full-time, I noticed that there is much bigger divide between the two levels then I had noticed before. I hope people don't find this offensive, but when you work at it full-time, you are probably taking every single gig that comes along. Your musician and performer skills get honed to an amazing level.

Again, at the risk of sounding immodest - I know that as a semi-pro player I was a good musician and other players had great respect for my skills, but after a few years as a pro I was running rings around where I'd been before. The same holds true for my skills as a performer. Just knowing what to play, to whom, under what circumstances - sharpening the stories and intros - considering every aspect of music presentation. All of these skills are sharpened as well, when you're doing it full time.
Today I still work with and play with both pro and semi pro players - and I have great respect for so many of their skills in both ranks. BUT there is always a difference in the musical chops. Maybe this is just common sense, and maybe it doesn't need to be said - but it is something I was simply not all that conscious of before.

Jump in the deep end and sink or swim as a full time pro and your music skills will soar. Maybe that will only be important to you - but maybe that's where it counts the most.

anyway - I'm beginning to ramble.

... and I hope this is not offensive. I mean it as an incentive.

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 08:11 PM

Is the music enough?

A thousand times no!
there must also be sausages.....and plastic forks.....

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 02:55 AM

It sounds perfectly plausible to me that being a professional would lead to a great increase in technical skill. I've got the problem right now that the pain in my left thumb hasn't gone away. I've been trying to play the guitar without using any barre chords, but that doesn't seem to be helping. If I depended on playing the guitar to make a living, I'd be in big trouble.

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: GUEST,guest baz parkes
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 03:20 AM

Quoting wee little drummer
there must alsobe sausages and plastic forks

And the microwaved Ginsters Spicy Chicken slice at 3;00 am at the motorway services....

Baz

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: GUEST,Guest - "At Work" LowdenJamesWright
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 08:00 AM

11 years ago after a gig (local only - then and now) a friend came up to me and said he thought it was time for me to make a choice - "You should take the show on the road and turn pro"

My reply - "You must be ***** joking - two teenagers to get through Uni mate!"

I enjoy the music (and freedom within it) too much to put myself through all that - and I place too high a value on married life - but bloody good luck to them that do

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jun 08 - 02:00 AM

I would guess that something like 99.9% of the people I have known involved in folk music did it for love alone and would never have it any other way.
Professionalism leads to greater technical skill..... hmmmm, that's a new picture to hang on the wall!!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Lowden Jameswright
Date: 27 Jun 08 - 03:16 PM

... but there are any number of "Professionals" who have only limited "technical skill" - and there are many who have considerable technical skill, but will never achieve professionalism... more pictures for the wall

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 26 Jul 08 - 08:36 AM

I wrote:
"Thanks for the link, weelittledrummer. There's no sound on this computer, but I'll listen to your song as soon as I get a chance."

Well, it's taken a long time, but I finally was able to do so. Thanks again; I enjoyed your song. I tried to listen to the others that you posted on YouTube (I take it, that's you), but for some reason I'm not getting any sound from YouTube videos on this machine. I'll have a go some other time on some other machine.

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jul 08 - 08:49 AM

I'll pm ya!

Subject: RE: Is the music enough?
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 03:23 PM

weelittledrummer, it occurred to me later that you had posted the link because I'd brought up animation. I really don't think this song requires animation or that animation would add much too it, since the song tells the whole story.

A good rule of thumb with animation is "never use animation unless it's the only way of getting what you want". It is the slowest and most difficult way of making a film or video, because it must be made frame-by-frame.

I could imagine a video with a short sequence of Buster line-dancing, intercut with live action. Live-action mixed with animation has always been quite popular for one simple reason: live-action is dirt cheap compared to animation. The problem is, they don't usually mix very well.

I really think the song stands by itself and that animation wouldn't add anything to it.

It just occurred to me that a dog puppet would be just as good. Good puppetry requires a lot of skill, but a minute of puppetry is still a minute of film, whereas a minute of animation is 1440 frames (at 24 frames per second).