Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?

Subject: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 02:00 PM

Some of us were born to play folk and traditional, and some of us were born to write timeless songs... Some of us listen to all of it with interest and insight. Some of us have always played only traditional, and somme (maybe more?) of us have done a grand musical tour that has eventually led us to a great appreciation for folk/trad sensibilities...

What other types of music have you played and loved?

My first record album was Bernstein's 'Eroica', and my first musical interest was distinctly classical. I was, however, deluged with a constant supply of folk music that my parents loved, sang, listened to, and performed. Then, adolescence brought with it the rebellious inclination, and what better than Acid-Rock? From this maudlin place I took up the smooth jazz of the early eighties, which swung me into the "Seattle Sound" grunge thing... which made me anxious...

They say I'm a rocker... but my intuition tells me that many of us were...

My best guess is that trad satisfies my classical longings, while folk gives credence to the rumblings of human expression... Whadyathink'boutanyofthis? ttr

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: skarpi
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 02:18 PM

Halló Thomas, My first record was Elvis Presley " Blue Hawaii "
but I listen to most of all music classic,jazz, heavy metal , rock,
Country and ofcourse the music I love most of all folk music.
I think folk and country music is on my top .
All the best Skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 02:20 PM

some of us were born to write timeless songs...

And which of us would that be? 'Timeless' is a big thing to say...

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 02:50 PM

If you think I was talking about myself, GUEST, you ought to be ashamed of yours... elf... ?^) Though I'd like to be able to write a "timeless' song or two, I was making referrence to the many people before me who have actually succeeded in doing so... IMHO, it took a big head indeed on your part, to insinuate such nonsense...Shall we turn away from such negativity?

Think Good Thoughts, ttr

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:00 PM

There is nothing negativy in telling the truth. 'A timeless song' is just a lazy, and illogical description. No, I wasn't thinking about you...

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: TIA
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:27 PM

Lazy? I can think of many phrases that take less effort to type and spell. Illogical? I take it to mean a song in which the lyrics and/or tune affect people of any era. I'll think of an example in a moment...maybe...

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:36 PM

Exactly, TIA.

You won't find a song in which the lyrics and/or tune affect people of any era. I won't insult your intelligence by defining era.

Hance my view that it's a lazy and somewhat hackneyed phrase, and pretty useless.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:48 PM

It was wind-up records as I was growing up, and wireless, and I never really got into music until I ran into folk of one sort or another. So everything else has has really been an extension from there, rather than the way round. Other types of folk music.

The best other type of folk music is Mozart, of course. Anyone who doesn't think Mozart is timeless must have got cloth ears and a soul made out of a turnip. (And that's needlessly rude to turnips.)

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:53 PM

Guest, your belaboring the point is making you out to be a thread creep... I personally don't care what you think of my choice of words, and I beleive that anyone who might be interested in the original intent of this,... will over look you, and your desire to give all of us your underseved bad mood. Lighten up, and find the good in the people around you, OK? So, where were we?^)

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Willie-O
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 03:54 PM

Guest: Look up "Ettrick", and find out who wrote it, when, and about what. (Hint: it was written in the nineteenth century about an event of the sixteenth, which is not mentioned in the lyrics.)

And "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is another.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: TIA
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 05:13 PM

Guest: pointing out that you won't insult my intelligence is a sneaky way of attempting to do so, but I forgive you.

Back to the original question...

Trained for conservatory on trumpet as a youth, but had a secret collection of Kingston Trio. Ditched the classical performance idea and went through a decades-long reggae fling. Now it's nothin but trad (on the banjo for crissake -- and I'm sure my childhood teachers are spinning in their graves). Reggae is now saved for very long drives. Always wished I could write songs (even timeful ones), but it's apparently not in me.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: GUEST,nice guest
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 07:30 PM

>>Reggae is now saved for very long drives. <<

I learned that trick, too. It is AMAZING how it shortens the drive.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 09:36 PM

Scottish Bagpipe music in a marching band led on to Jazz clarinet in the New Orleans or Trad style.Then the intro to Folk music and I was lost.Sold my best Tenor sax to buy my first decent guitar (a Levin Goliath),then drifted into Assorted banjos and mandolins.The whistle was there from the start.Trad English and American songs and tunes,Contemporary ditto,Skiffle,Blues,Music Hall,Light Classical,and
still a bit of jazz (mostly on the whistle ).
Will that do??

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: TIA
Date: 11 Dec 02 - 10:00 PM

Will that do? What, no Gregorian chanting or Sufi? Shame on your narrow musical heritage.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: Jimmy C
Date: 12 Dec 02 - 11:11 AM

I grew up hearing my parents sing Irish/ Scottish and English folk songs. such as "I know Where I'm Going" "Nut Brown Maiden" "Barbara Allen" " I know my Love" etc, so the feel for Folk was there from the beginning. We had a good supply of old 78's by Delia Murphy, John McCormick, Michael O'Duffy and others. The first records I purchased however were of Little Richard - Bill Haley - and Enrico Caruso ?. This feeling for folk music never died and when the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem burst on the scene . followed by The Dubliners and others, all other types of music went on the back burner.

It has been almost exclusively folk music ever since. Irish/Scottish/English/Australian/American/Canadian/Cajun etc)although I still enjoy Little Richard, Creedence Clearwater and Wilie Nelson and others. Not very keen on New Country though.

Subject: RE: Musician Origins... Before folk/trad?
From: GUEST,BDog
Date: 12 Dec 02 - 12:59 PM

Various excursions into choir, pop, rock, dance band, ceilidh band, and one long excursion into folk song

TIA. Please, don't even suggest it. Leadfingers doing Gregorian chants! God help us!!! :->

Brian