Author Topic: other music  (Read 25434 times)

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #30 on: March 01, 2012, 04:08:06 PM »
Ada, your point is very well taken but it goes both ways.  I don't know how many times our party of friends have shown up to share civil conversation, maybe share the latest jokes, maybe talk about our latest challenges and triumphs, maybe talk about the weather, but we were thwarted by an itinerant musician with a loud amplifier.

In this case, there were 3 people in the pub when we started.  We drew in an additional 70 or 80 strangers.  Several people (including the original 3) request that we play louder.

Danny Boy is also one of my favorites.  Some of the more traditional Irish crowd had professed to dislike it, but if played well this can be a very beautiful and dramatic tune.  I usually play it as a medley with The Bonney Banks of Loch Lomond.

It really is a pity that the crowd did not know who had played.  They could not bother to turn their heads and acknowledge the musician?  That is their loss.

That being said, in this region the only person to carry an instrument is the musician.  Some musicians are adament about this, others are much more outspoken.  It is a huge measure of trust if a musician allows someone else to handle or carry his/her instrument, and that does not happen very often (even among married couples).  They must have an unusually trusting relationship.  I would wish them all the best, but I am guessing they already have it.

Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

ada

  • Logologist
  • **
  • Posts: 93
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #31 on: March 01, 2012, 05:02:39 PM »
Dear anon-mous,
Yes.  Maxine would let both Mike and me carry her violin, and like all professional violinists' instruments it was very valuable, and we understood the honour.  For two decades Michael and I helped with her Violin school concerts.  Both Michael and I learnt to play violin as adults, but the children's playing romped past us easily.  I got to book 4 Suzuki, (Vivaldi), before I finally gave up. Sometimes Maxine and I had to make over 100 posies and bouquets in an afternoon. 
All this is past history, as they both died within a couple of years of each other a few years ago.  Of course I miss them and feel too sad still to attend live music.  You remind me of these good times.
ADA

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #32 on: March 05, 2012, 03:04:11 PM »
Dear ADA,

I did not mean to touch on a raw nerve, or cause you any pain.  You have my sincere apology if I have done this.

- A
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

ada

  • Logologist
  • **
  • Posts: 93
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2012, 12:53:58 PM »
Dear Anon-mous,
There was no way you could know of my loss, so no apology needed. I am a bit cross with myself for being stuck so.   I am reassured that there is a constant stream of enthusiastic folk to keep the music living on. 
It was a wonderful world I was allowed to share for a long time. Stunning soirees where I could sit close to top professional musicians messing around.  One time it was a group of Hungarian gypsies, who didn't speak English but were happy to play all day so long as we kept them fed.  Another time a top violinist borrowed my violin and played such beautiful music with it that I was  astonished such music could ever had been locked up there inside it.  Lots of memories like that.
cheers, ADA

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #34 on: March 07, 2012, 03:19:53 PM »
Dear ADA,

As an uninformed and ignorant outsider, I really must offer my opinion.  Please take it for what it is worth.

I am guessing that neither Maxine nor Mike would wish you to be in a perpetual state of mourning.  After a while, that becomes a nasty way to waste your limited time on this planet.

I wholeheartedly recommend that you get out more often, maybe attending performances not related to classical music.  Maybe other music?  Maybe live theatre?  Try a few things and see what feels right.  Try something entirely new, then give it a second chance.  You need to do this.

Although you do not really know me, please trust me in this.  I have been down a darker path, and I promise you it isn't worth it.

-A
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #35 on: March 13, 2012, 02:57:30 PM »
On a more amusing note, the new band has come along rather nicely.  Many of our major local musicians would really like to hear more of us, and have put down their instruments to listen.

We had some difficulties in scheduling our first "official" performance, so we are playing our second performance first.  ;)

Our second performance is scheduled for Friday, and our first performance is scheduled for Saturday.  If anyone out there expects this to proceed in an orderly fashion, they don't know me very well.

Then again, there is the warm-up performance before the real performance on Friday.  I guess we might be playing our third performance first, then moving on to our second performance, followed by our first performance the next day.

FYI:  My guitarist told me she is a stroke victim.  I told her she is mistaken; she is a stroke survivor.  At present she is playing at a level beyond what she had previously accomplished.  I am most willing to take a chance when I see a spark of what could be.  Between the two of us we are playing music the other Celtic groups cannot, but they do enjoy listening to us.  This is a tale of victory!

Cheers!
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

rogue_mother

  • Eulexic
  • ***
  • Posts: 2164
  • I CAN'T BREATHE!
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #36 on: March 17, 2012, 10:34:29 AM »
A -- thinking of you and your guitarist this evening as you do your "second" performance. I am totally bummed out that your venue is far enough away that we can't just hop down to Roanoke and grab a listen. RF and I enjoy listening to hammered dulcimer; we own multiple recordings of such music, though not particularly Celtic in its orientation. Good luck tonight and tomorrow! From your accounts of the band's formation and rehearsal experiences, it sounds like all will be well.
Inside the Beltway, Washington, DC metropolitan area

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #37 on: March 18, 2012, 05:04:16 PM »
Thanks, RM.  It went well, indeed!

I think this new band might be well on its way to making a name for itself.

Today's performances went particularly well, especially the last one.  It's really good to have the best performance in front of the largest crowd.  :)

Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #38 on: March 26, 2012, 11:09:46 AM »
By the way, this crowd started out as a very hostile audience.  I turned up the amp and announced the name of the band, and many hands went up with the request "check, please".  Further cursing ensued, directed toward the band they had not yet heard.

I told my guitarist (Sue) that we need to play something good, and quickly.

Within the next 30 seconds many jaws dropped.  Those who had requested their checks wanted to stay around to hear the music.  Checks were declined, more beers were ordered, and the party got into full swing.

We drew in some other people, and after the first one or two tunes it was SRO.

Cheers!
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #39 on: May 01, 2012, 12:59:51 PM »
A few days ago we played a benefit for a local elementary school.  This was an unexpectedly international audience; this community has taken in refugees from four continents.  Many had not heard Irish music, but they did seem to enjoy it.

This coming weekend we are playing at an ice cream parlor.  This sounds a bit odd, but many bands are not able to book that venue.

- A

 :-H
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #40 on: May 07, 2012, 09:39:28 AM »
The performance went rather well. 

Note to self:  It is always a good idea to get a young child to volunteer to bang around on the instrument between tunes.  Audience participation is well worth the effort, and kids are the best.

Aside from that, we played our normal set list of Irish tunes and then my fellow band member wanted to play something entirely different.  OK, let's do this!  Live audience, no practice.

I told her that this is in the key of G, she will probably recognize it.  We did a minuet.  A few minutes later we had everyone including the junior high and high school crowd on their feet applauding Bach.

This worked out well, so she wanted to play something else that was not on what had been our normal set list.  We played the House of the Rising Sun.  This is a song about sin.  Played on the hammered dulcimer, it sounds like really old sin.  I added some chords to sound like the finger of God coming down in judgement.  The place fell silent, a chill sent down their spines.  They were shivvering on a hot day.

- A
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

birdy

  • Eulexic
  • ***
  • Posts: 3370
  • Brooklyn, NY
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #41 on: May 09, 2012, 10:55:27 AM »
One of my favorite songs!  I even remember some of the words, which is rather amazing considering my tin ear and inability to remember lyrics.

Maybe in honor of the birthplace of Chihuahua, you could consider "Waltzing Matilda" for a future performance - one my grandfather always sang to my baby brother.

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #42 on: July 12, 2012, 12:50:28 PM »
Waltzing Matilda did not work very well, might need some more work, but the Tennessee Waltz worked very well.

It appears that we will most likely be recording in the next few days (weeks? months?).  I wouldn't mind posting an audio clip of what we have been up to . . . maybe a preliminary "director's cut"?
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)

ensiform

  • Paronomaniac
  • ******
  • Posts: 459
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #43 on: July 13, 2012, 07:23:17 AM »
You really do lead a very active and interesting life, a-non!

a non-amos

  • Glossologian
  • **
  • Posts: 1053
    • View Profile
Re: other music
« Reply #44 on: July 13, 2012, 12:47:39 PM »
I have come to realize that this might have other implications.

One of our tunes was written as a round in three parts, but I had given up all hope of playing it as a round.  Where am I going to find two other hammered dulcimer players willing to put in the practice time for little reward?

No worries.

I can lay in a track of the first part, the second part, and so forth.  This might become a round in five parts.  I might be able to make it into a fugue.  We will see how (or if) it works.
Carpe digitus.
(Roughly translated, this is possibly the world's oldest "pull my finger" joke)