I attended Fiddle 2006 in Edinburgh at the weekend. As usual, I had a great time even although there were far fewer fiddlers within the official programme this year.
Anyway, as usual there were lots of very young players on stage and in session. The vast majority are already better than I'll ever be but I couldn't help thinking that some of them weren't very happy souls. Yes, they played lots of lovely tunes and at a fair old lick at times but often with a very glum, even disinterested at times, expression on their faces.
Now, I realise that I'm generalising a bit here and some of the youngsters were very enthusiastic. Also, I agree that they're "still young" and might well be shy and/or lacking in self confidence. However, I also can't help but get the feeling that a not insignificant minority of them are just playing traditional music (and the fiddle) because of their parents' pressure(Sorry, I should say encouragement). The "I've always wanted to be a musician(Go to University, whatever) and never got the chance but, at least , my kids are doing it" syndrome.
Of course, this doesn't just apply to the fiddle but all traditional instruments. Indeed, to music in general.
Now, don't get me wrong. Of course, children and young people should be encouraged to play music but never forced. However, I also think they should also be taught how to enjoy playing music too and to communicate this to listeners and fellow session players.
Assuming you agree with some of the points I've made here, how should we (Lovers of Irish, Scottish etc music in general) help achieve this goal?
John - my daughter (15) plays piano, and there may be an element of her parents pushing her - or more like actively encouraging her, sometimes this is to the point of *making* her sit down to practice. I believe her reticence to practice is a teen-years rebel thing. She has her grade 4 exam coming up soon. As this is fairly imanent, she has allovasudden become fairly obsessive with practice, but not only that listening now to her you can hear her playing with passion, almost as though she is.....
............heaven fobid.....
.......enjoying playing!
One thing we have diagnosed, or rather the difference between what I play and she plays, she has a relatively small repertoire of quite complex pieces to play on a complex instrument, whereas I have a vast repertoire of simple pieces played on simpler instruments. I guessthe answer for her to maintain interest after this exam isfor her to get a hold of lots of easier pieces to play and play just for the sake of it. (Which is what we do anyway!)
I dunno how helpful that is.
I'm sure this has quite a lot to do with it too. Probably, the last place many teenagers want to be is with a bunch of "old fogeys" in a session playing "old fogey" tunes.
This is a real sore point for me. I had stage parents and was pressured like mad. Plus I was in classical music which is extremely competitive. I remember how upset my mother got when I lost a challenge for an orchestra seat. (Expletive), I was 13 years old. At age 18, I never wanted to touch the thing again, and I had lots of problems that stemmed from not really being able to do much except play classical violin. And I didn't touch the thing for about 20 years, even though I cherished the instrument itself for various reasons.
My advice to these parents is give your kids the chance, support it if they're interested, but otherwise, let it go and learn to play an instrument yourself!
I know what you mean. I was up town x-mas shopping along George Street on Saturday and was reminded why I anually eschew the event. A big croud of glum youngsters just stood about, fiddle cases on their backs, not even talking to each other.
Are you sure they weren't just concentrating? I remember one member of our session commenting on pictures someone took while were playing. They thought we looked too glum, serious, what have you. Really we were having a grand old time, but concentrating during playing.
My thoughts are with "loving nudges". My wife and I both love music and it goes back for generations on her side. We definitely wanted our kids involved with music if at all possible. Our son started taking piano lessons at age 7 or 8, and had a great touch, but wanted to quit after a couple years.
Instead of dropping music alltogether we exposed him to all the other instruments there are, and he chose clarinet. After a couple years, he moved to saxophone, and we always did our best to encourage him. Never forced him. I think that made all the difference.
He's 23 now, has a music technology degree, and played a lot of jazz sax in college. Plays a decent piano and clarinet, and added the guitar, bass, and citar to his reportoire. Of course the challenge in this choice is gainful employment. But he loves to play.
Here in the states, we are so performance driven, that I think it robs kids of their childhood sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's music, sports, academics, etc.
"I sometimes need to concentrate too but I don't tend to look towards the ceiling in the process."
I actually do sometimes, especially if it's a tune I learned from sheet music. I'm usually looking up "reading" the tune in my head. Looking up is often something people do subconsciously when they're trying to recall something.
One thing I really enjoy about traditional music over here in the states is that whenever you see a teenager in a session, they're generally there because they have a personal interest in the music. My parents forced me into classical music, so in a way, trad is my rebellion.
I'm 16, and I started playing fiddle a few months ago, but I now wish my parents would have "forced" me to do it when I was seven or eight. Hey, I wouldn't care how they looked or how enthusiastic they are, it'd be a treat to have some kids my age around where I live interested in ITM.
I'm no teenager, but I remember a punter once asked us why we played the music if it made us so miserable. We told him it doesn't make us miserable; it makes us happy. He said if we were so happy then we should look happy. I told him to go watch 'American Ido'l if he wants to see people who give a flying feck about how they look.
This is similar to a reporter complaining about winning athletes in the Olympics not looking graceful.
Anybody remember Russ Conway - the dazzling technique, the flashing teeth ? Didn't he go doolally or something ? The happiness is internal.
And don't put your daughter on the stage ( unless she really really wants to go).
I'm 20, and have only been playing trad for 7 years now... but I've played classical piano for 14. I've loved every minute of it. My parents never forced me either... but then I've never had the urge to rebel.
Young kids.. it's with the work ethic. Kids think that there's something wrong with work. If they have to work, put some effort into something, they don't want to do it. And when they find they aren't getting better.... quit.
If that's too much of a generalization.. sorry.
I find when I play in a session... if I'm making eye contact with another musician... I automatically smile. But I've found not many other musicians make eye-contact. Any opinions on whether eye-contact as an affect on playing?
The best player around my place, and the one who enjoys the music the most (and, accidentally, the one I most enjoy playing with), looks totally brainwashed when he plays anything - but this is because he doesn't really pay attention to what he looks like, rather concentrating on the music than on the impression he makes.
Tessa, it is too much of a generalization for teenagers, I think. Now if you're talking about ten year olds or something, then yeah. But I'm a ranch girl out here in Oklahoma, and when I'm not doing schoolwork, working on various things pertaining to falconry (loads of work to get to do it), doing schoolwork, practicing fiddle, doing schoolwork, taking care of critters around here, and doing schoolwork, I'm usually on the computer talking to you people, lol.
But then again, I'm weird around here according to the other teenagers, I think, so maybe your statement isn't so exaggerated, lol.
We get this phenomenon at our Saturday session. We call it 'tune face', and it takes many weird and wonderful forms. It's now become a major sport to shout at people to 'smile, fer God's sake', and to try to put them off mid stroke as it were. Have you ever tried to smile continually while playing? It ain't easy. Most of us end up looking like Dracula with a stomach ache.
Eye contact? Some of us would rather watch our fingers scuttling up and down the holes / strings / buttons like demented crabs, and/or would be likely to lose the tune if we didn't.
Some musicians do have very serious expressions, even grimaces, while they play but it's usually reasonably easy to ascertain whether they're happy or content about the situation. You can tell by their manner in between tunes and so on.
Of course, as I already said, much of it may just be due to shyness.
As for the Russ Conway grin, I don't like that either. Scottish accordion players on the WHC and other such tartan programmes used to be dreadful for this sort of thing and I hated it.
I hate false moodiness too, though. Many bands and artists like to(or are encouraged) to look moody on their album covers and publicity shots. I've often found this very off putting and have been pleasantly surprised when I've actually seen or met the people in real life.
Most people who know me will confirm that I've always smiled too much and never grown out of the habit. I've been "belted" in school by the teachers, thrown out of classrooms and even off a parade square during my training.
However, the converse of this is that when I'm miserable, sad, irritated, grumpy, generally crabbit etc, it usually shows too.
Obviously, I'm not too good at hiding my emotions, I guess.
Youngsters are like plants. You can plant the seed, water and fertilize, but you can't force a rose to grow into a daisy. Surround them with music, provide the instruments they show interest in, pay for lessons, find them opportunities to play the kind of music that strikes their fancy, but don't force anything on them.
You can never tell where a person's musical interests will take them, but as long as there is joy involved, it is a victory for all concerned. And who knows, even if they pursue different music, once they get old and grey, they may end up returning to the roots their parents loved so well.
yeah, well- I know if my parents had forced me to play or practice or ANYTHING- I would not be where I am today. I have always loved the fiddle, fell in love when I was 3,and never,never looked back; however, there was a long stretch of time up to when I was maybe 8 or so that I wouldn't practice. I just didn't feel the need to. I would go to fiddle lessons once a week, and magically (it seemed) by next week's fiddle lesson, I would have completely mastered the tune I had been learning (and struggling with) the week before.
with out a bit of practice. so I thought that was pretty cool- and I also played in Cape Breton group class once a week and that was pretty much all the playing I needed. Now, I'd get my fiddle out sometimes at home- and fool around on it but that was just occasionally.... I was a cd junkie though, if I was in the house a cd HAD to be on!!!
So i've been rambling, but seriously- don't push your kids into anything!!! Let them decide for themselfs what it is they want to persue and then help them and support them in every possible way- but don't force it!
And anyways, why is it so important that your kids learn an instrument??? Knowledge is completely subjective; and just because I love it and want to make a carreir out of it (after I learn to spell), does not mean everyone else needs to as well.
Here's an extract of the text if you can't access it:
....Helfand's team has discovered a gene that, when altered, can double the average life-span of fruit flies and may one day lead to that long-awaited miracle pill. "This [gene] provides optimism that it may, indeed, be possible to manipulate active life-span beyond the constraints that ordinarily apply in natural evolution," says Seymour Benzer, the geneticist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena who in 1998 discovered a different fruit fly aging gene, dubbed methuselah (Science, 30 October 1998, p. 856).
Preliminary data suggest that the protein encoded by this gene, called Indy for "I'm not dead yet," transports and recycles metabolic byproducts. Helfand thinks that defects in the gene, two copies of which exist in each fruit fly, can lead to production of a protein that renders metabolism less efficient; as a result the body functions as if the fruit fly were dieting, even though its eating habits are unchanged. As such, the discovery provides a "clear genetic link between metabolism and the rate of aging," comments Tomas Prolla, a geneticist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The work may lead to a better understanding of how metabolism plays into aging. It may also illuminate why worms, fruit flies, and rodents, at least, live longer on a spartan diet.
I learned classical (or something like it...whatever you wanna call whatever it is they're teaching in schools) because I wanted to, and my parents are both musicians so they encouraged me. Not forced, but encouraged, and were thrilled when I wanted to switch to Celtic, as neither one plays any Celtic. However, one of my major personal issues is having my parents hear me practice, for whatever reason...or worse, commenting on it, and I honestly have no idea why, but I can't stand having them hear me practice my fiddle, piano, or singing, so it really puts a damper on my playing (I practice constantly when they're not home). But that's just me and my issues.
However, I agree with the person who mentioned that the kids in the States playing trad are the ones who want to...generally (I have met the occasional creepy-robotic-fiddler...but really not many, only one is coming to mind), but they are rare and I feel sorry for them for not getting the joy out of their music...focusing on competitions and performances...for me it's (almost) as much about the people I meet as the music...
i grew up being "strongly encouraged" in classical music, and i was very serious about it, but i also grew up doing contra dancing and listening to new england fiddle. when i found irish music, it just clicked, and now i play as much as i can all the time. i love going to sessions and learning new tunes. there really aren't very many people my age who play over here, so it's always great to go over to ireland where there are loads, but at the same time it's weird to go over and see most people hanging out drinking most of the time when i'm out playing.
i guess basically.. i've seen the same thing, where people don't seem to be absolutely mad for it, and i just don't understand why they'd bother playing
possume, who's the creep-robo-fiddler? is it anyone i know?? yeah, i've seen a few...don't want to get into details- but some kids who's parents play as well are sometimes..overly encouraged, shall we say.
Well I have just been watching a little clip at http://www.custysmusic.com/mall/CustysTraditionalMusicShop/gearoid_o_halmhurain_and_patrick_ourceau_tracin_hi_res.htm
and Gearoid, the concertina player, looks at times as if he is listening to a particularly grisly confession, then he seems to fall asleep, then suddenly he wakes and looks accusingly at us, while from the expressions flashing across the fiddler Patrick's face you would guess he was being forced to carry out a painful and exquisitely delicate surgical procedure on his own fingers.
No trace of this comes across in the music, and I am just about to order a copy of their CD .
I'm 19, and at my happiest in a session, but I doubt that it shows in my face. I probably do look rather glum. Someone once asked me if my parents pressured me into the music, which they didn't. It's entirely my own idea. I don't think they understand why I love this music so much, though they've been suportive for the most part.
Not the happiest of souls!
Not the happiest of souls!
I attended Fiddle 2006 in Edinburgh at the weekend. As usual, I had a great time even although there were far fewer fiddlers within the official programme this year.
Anyway, as usual there were lots of very young players on stage and in session. The vast majority are already better than I'll ever be but I couldn't help thinking that some of them weren't very happy souls. Yes, they played lots of lovely tunes and at a fair old lick at times but often with a very glum, even disinterested at times, expression on their faces.
Now, I realise that I'm generalising a bit here and some of the youngsters were very enthusiastic. Also, I agree that they're "still young" and might well be shy and/or lacking in self confidence. However, I also can't help but get the feeling that a not insignificant minority of them are just playing traditional music (and the fiddle) because of their parents' pressure(Sorry, I should say encouragement). The "I've always wanted to be a musician(Go to University, whatever) and never got the chance but, at least , my kids are doing it" syndrome.
Of course, this doesn't just apply to the fiddle but all traditional instruments. Indeed, to music in general.
Now, don't get me wrong. Of course, children and young people should be encouraged to play music but never forced. However, I also think they should also be taught how to enjoy playing music too and to communicate this to listeners and fellow session players.
Assuming you agree with some of the points I've made here, how should we (Lovers of Irish, Scottish etc music in general) help achieve this goal?
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
John - my daughter (15) plays piano, and there may be an element of her parents pushing her - or more like actively encouraging her, sometimes this is to the point of *making* her sit down to practice. I believe her reticence to practice is a teen-years rebel thing. She has her grade 4 exam coming up soon. As this is fairly imanent, she has allovasudden become fairly obsessive with practice, but not only that listening now to her you can hear her playing with passion, almost as though she is.....
............heaven fobid.....
.......enjoying playing!
One thing we have diagnosed, or rather the difference between what I play and she plays, she has a relatively small repertoire of quite complex pieces to play on a complex instrument, whereas I have a vast repertoire of simple pieces played on simpler instruments. I guessthe answer for her to maintain interest after this exam isfor her to get a hold of lots of easier pieces to play and play just for the sake of it. (Which is what we do anyway!)
I dunno how helpful that is.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
"a teen-years rebel thing"
I'm sure this has quite a lot to do with it too. Probably, the last place many teenagers want to be is with a bunch of "old fogeys" in a session playing "old fogey" tunes.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
This is a real sore point for me. I had stage parents and was pressured like mad. Plus I was in classical music which is extremely competitive. I remember how upset my mother got when I lost a challenge for an orchestra seat. (Expletive), I was 13 years old. At age 18, I never wanted to touch the thing again, and I had lots of problems that stemmed from not really being able to do much except play classical violin. And I didn't touch the thing for about 20 years, even though I cherished the instrument itself for various reasons.
My advice to these parents is give your kids the chance, support it if they're interested, but otherwise, let it go and learn to play an instrument yourself!
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by cathrynb
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I know what you mean. I was up town x-mas shopping along George Street on Saturday and was reminded why I anually eschew the event. A big croud of glum youngsters just stood about, fiddle cases on their backs, not even talking to each other.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Are you sure they weren't just concentrating? I remember one member of our session commenting on pictures someone took while were playing. They thought we looked too glum, serious, what have you. Really we were having a grand old time, but concentrating during playing.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Crysania
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
My thoughts are with "loving nudges". My wife and I both love music and it goes back for generations on her side. We definitely wanted our kids involved with music if at all possible. Our son started taking piano lessons at age 7 or 8, and had a great touch, but wanted to quit after a couple years.
Instead of dropping music alltogether we exposed him to all the other instruments there are, and he chose clarinet. After a couple years, he moved to saxophone, and we always did our best to encourage him. Never forced him. I think that made all the difference.
He's 23 now, has a music technology degree, and played a lot of jazz sax in college. Plays a decent piano and clarinet, and added the guitar, bass, and citar to his reportoire. Of course the challenge in this choice is gainful employment. But he loves to play.
Here in the states, we are so performance driven, that I think it robs kids of their childhood sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's music, sports, academics, etc.
That's my ramblings for the day.... cheers!
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by nofrets
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I sometimes need to concentrate too but I don't tend to look towards the ceiling in the process.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/learninganinstrument/whichinstrument.shtml
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
"I sometimes need to concentrate too but I don't tend to look towards the ceiling in the process."
I actually do sometimes, especially if it's a tune I learned from sheet music. I'm usually looking up "reading" the tune in my head. Looking up is often something people do subconsciously when they're trying to recall something.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Crysania
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
OK. Some of them were concentrating. The others were just glum.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
The glum ones I saw were just ligging about outside.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Lligging even.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by BegF
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
ha ha, I din't spot that one
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Interesting topic Scotsman, I’m particularly interested with
recent addition. I definitely won’t go down the “forcing” route.
I do play and sing to her, and in response she laughs…..which
to be honest is just about the normal response I get from
adults too !!!
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by BegF
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
One thing I really enjoy about traditional music over here in the states is that whenever you see a teenager in a session, they're generally there because they have a personal interest in the music. My parents forced me into classical music, so in a way, trad is my rebellion.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Nathan G
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I'm 16, and I started playing fiddle a few months ago, but I now wish my parents would have "forced" me to do it when I was seven or eight. Hey, I wouldn't care how they looked or how enthusiastic they are, it'd be a treat to have some kids my age around where I live interested in ITM.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Lady-Falconer2008
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I'm no teenager, but I remember a punter once asked us why we played the music if it made us so miserable. We told him it doesn't make us miserable; it makes us happy. He said if we were so happy then we should look happy. I told him to go watch 'American Ido'l if he wants to see people who give a flying feck about how they look.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
This is similar to a reporter complaining about winning athletes in the Olympics not looking graceful.
Anybody remember Russ Conway - the dazzling technique, the flashing teeth ? Didn't he go doolally or something ? The happiness is internal.
And don't put your daughter on the stage ( unless she really really wants to go).
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I'm 20, and have only been playing trad for 7 years now... but I've played classical piano for 14. I've loved every minute of it. My parents never forced me either... but then I've never had the urge to rebel.
Young kids.. it's with the work ethic. Kids think that there's something wrong with work. If they have to work, put some effort into something, they don't want to do it. And when they find they aren't getting better.... quit.
If that's too much of a generalization.. sorry.
I find when I play in a session... if I'm making eye contact with another musician... I automatically smile. But I've found not many other musicians make eye-contact. Any opinions on whether eye-contact as an affect on playing?
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Tessa
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
The best player around my place, and the one who enjoys the music the most (and, accidentally, the one I most enjoy playing with), looks totally brainwashed when he plays anything - but this is because he doesn't really pay attention to what he looks like, rather concentrating on the music than on the impression he makes.
# Posted on November 20th 2006 by Janek
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I love to watch a player slip into "zombie face". Tongue hanging out, face twitching, surrendering to the music .
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by ottoschmelk
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Tessa, it is too much of a generalization for teenagers, I think. Now if you're talking about ten year olds or something, then yeah. But I'm a ranch girl out here in Oklahoma, and when I'm not doing schoolwork, working on various things pertaining to falconry (loads of work to get to do it), doing schoolwork, practicing fiddle, doing schoolwork, taking care of critters around here, and doing schoolwork, I'm usually on the computer talking to you people, lol.
But then again, I'm weird around here according to the other teenagers, I think, so maybe your statement isn't so exaggerated, lol.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by Lady-Falconer2008
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
We get this phenomenon at our Saturday session. We call it 'tune face', and it takes many weird and wonderful forms. It's now become a major sport to shout at people to 'smile, fer God's sake', and to try to put them off mid stroke as it were. Have you ever tried to smile continually while playing? It ain't easy. Most of us end up looking like Dracula with a stomach ache.
Eno
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by bc_box_player
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Eye contact? Some of us would rather watch our fingers scuttling up and down the holes / strings / buttons like demented crabs, and/or would be likely to lose the tune if we didn't.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by nicholas
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Some musicians do have very serious expressions, even grimaces, while they play but it's usually reasonably easy to ascertain whether they're happy or content about the situation. You can tell by their manner in between tunes and so on.
Of course, as I already said, much of it may just be due to shyness.
As for the Russ Conway grin, I don't like that either. Scottish accordion players on the WHC and other such tartan programmes used to be dreadful for this sort of thing and I hated it.
I hate false moodiness too, though. Many bands and artists like to(or are encouraged) to look moody on their album covers and publicity shots. I've often found this very off putting and have been pleasantly surprised when I've actually seen or met the people in real life.
Most people who know me will confirm that I've always smiled too much and never grown out of the habit. I've been "belted" in school by the teachers, thrown out of classrooms and even off a parade square during my training.
However, the converse of this is that when I'm miserable, sad, irritated, grumpy, generally crabbit etc, it usually shows too.
Obviously, I'm not too good at hiding my emotions, I guess.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
"Eye contact?"
For some of us, ear contact is sufficient.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Youngsters are like plants. You can plant the seed, water and fertilize, but you can't force a rose to grow into a daisy. Surround them with music, provide the instruments they show interest in, pay for lessons, find them opportunities to play the kind of music that strikes their fancy, but don't force anything on them.
You can never tell where a person's musical interests will take them, but as long as there is joy involved, it is a victory for all concerned. And who knows, even if they pursue different music, once they get old and grey, they may end up returning to the roots their parents loved so well.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
yeah, well- I know if my parents had forced me to play or practice or ANYTHING- I would not be where I am today. I have always loved the fiddle, fell in love when I was 3,and never,never looked back; however, there was a long stretch of time up to when I was maybe 8 or so that I wouldn't practice. I just didn't feel the need to. I would go to fiddle lessons once a week, and magically (it seemed) by next week's fiddle lesson, I would have completely mastered the tune I had been learning (and struggling with) the week before.
with out a bit of practice. so I thought that was pretty cool- and I also played in Cape Breton group class once a week and that was pretty much all the playing I needed. Now, I'd get my fiddle out sometimes at home- and fool around on it but that was just occasionally.... I was a cd junkie though, if I was in the house a cd HAD to be on!!!
So i've been rambling, but seriously- don't push your kids into anything!!! Let them decide for themselfs what it is they want to persue and then help them and support them in every possible way- but don't force it!
And anyways, why is it so important that your kids learn an instrument??? Knowledge is completely subjective; and just because I love it and want to make a carreir out of it (after I learn to spell), does not mean everyone else needs to as well.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by BE
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Maybe we oldies need a transgenic insert of this gene:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/290/5499/2048
Then we can have all the attitudes of old players but at least look young
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Do we have to "sign in" first?
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by John J.
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Oh? - maybe you do. Sorry - I forget what journals I'm automatically signed in to.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Here's an extract of the text if you can't access it:
....Helfand's team has discovered a gene that, when altered, can double the average life-span of fruit flies and may one day lead to that long-awaited miracle pill. "This [gene] provides optimism that it may, indeed, be possible to manipulate active life-span beyond the constraints that ordinarily apply in natural evolution," says Seymour Benzer, the geneticist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena who in 1998 discovered a different fruit fly aging gene, dubbed methuselah (Science, 30 October 1998, p. 856).
Preliminary data suggest that the protein encoded by this gene, called Indy for "I'm not dead yet," transports and recycles metabolic byproducts. Helfand thinks that defects in the gene, two copies of which exist in each fruit fly, can lead to production of a protein that renders metabolism less efficient; as a result the body functions as if the fruit fly were dieting, even though its eating habits are unchanged. As such, the discovery provides a "clear genetic link between metabolism and the rate of aging," comments Tomas Prolla, a geneticist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The work may lead to a better understanding of how metabolism plays into aging. It may also illuminate why worms, fruit flies, and rodents, at least, live longer on a spartan diet.
# Posted on November 21st 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I learned classical (or something like it...whatever you wanna call whatever it is they're teaching in schools) because I wanted to, and my parents are both musicians so they encouraged me. Not forced, but encouraged, and were thrilled when I wanted to switch to Celtic, as neither one plays any Celtic. However, one of my major personal issues is having my parents hear me practice, for whatever reason...or worse, commenting on it, and I honestly have no idea why, but I can't stand having them hear me practice my fiddle, piano, or singing, so it really puts a damper on my playing (I practice constantly when they're not home). But that's just me and my issues.
However, I agree with the person who mentioned that the kids in the States playing trad are the ones who want to...generally (I have met the occasional creepy-robotic-fiddler...but really not many, only one is coming to mind), but they are rare and I feel sorry for them for not getting the joy out of their music...focusing on competitions and performances...for me it's (almost) as much about the people I meet as the music...
# Posted on November 22nd 2006 by possumawesome
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
i grew up being "strongly encouraged" in classical music, and i was very serious about it, but i also grew up doing contra dancing and listening to new england fiddle. when i found irish music, it just clicked, and now i play as much as i can all the time. i love going to sessions and learning new tunes. there really aren't very many people my age who play over here, so it's always great to go over to ireland where there are loads, but at the same time it's weird to go over and see most people hanging out drinking most of the time when i'm out playing.
i guess basically.. i've seen the same thing, where people don't seem to be absolutely mad for it, and i just don't understand why they'd bother playing
# Posted on November 22nd 2006 by heth
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
possume, who's the creep-robo-fiddler? is it anyone i know??
yeah, i've seen a few...don't want to get into details- but some kids who's parents play as well are sometimes..overly encouraged, shall we say.
# Posted on November 22nd 2006 by BE
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
Well I have just been watching a little clip at http://www.custysmusic.com/mall/CustysTraditionalMusicShop/gearoid_o_halmhurain_and_patrick_ourceau_tracin_hi_res.htm
and Gearoid, the concertina player, looks at times as if he is listening to a particularly grisly confession, then he seems to fall asleep, then suddenly he wakes and looks accusingly at us, while from the expressions flashing across the fiddler Patrick's face you would guess he was being forced to carry out a painful and exquisitely delicate surgical procedure on his own fingers.
No trace of this comes across in the music, and I am just about to order a copy of their CD .
# Posted on November 23rd 2006 by Bernie 29
Re: Not the happiest of souls!
I'm 19, and at my happiest in a session, but I doubt that it shows in my face. I probably do look rather glum. Someone once asked me if my parents pressured me into the music, which they didn't. It's entirely my own idea. I don't think they understand why I love this music so much, though they've been suportive for the most part.
# Posted on November 23rd 2006 by seisflutes