Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Me: ISO encouragement.
You: obliging, back-patting, condoling.
Last week the session I went to (regular Wed. nights) was fantastic! I left invigorated, pumped, psyched, etc.
This week (last night) was the most blase, boring, uninspiring - at least for me. My playing sucked, I couldnt get a good sound out of my flute at all (could have been too much fife playing earlier that night, and couldn't relax my embouchure), no stamina, etc...
Anyone ever have nights like this? What to do to get out of it?
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Hm, this is the first I've ever heard of someone not being able to play well, and leaving a session feeling defeated. I can't imagine what your problem is. This music is so easy, especially on these simple folk instruments, and all the players I've ever sat in with are brilliant, as are the sessions. Why, I haven't played a bum note in over 40 years--the possibility doesn't even cross my mind.....
(Not sure why, but this reminds me of something that happened the other day. My boys and I were running errands and we drove past a shop with an intricate sign of fancy script letters. My 14 year old then asked, "Why would anyone want to hire an 'inferior' decorator?" Why indeed.)
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
FG, I think you'll find the crux of your problem lies in the little giveaway line 'My playing sucked'. I don't know about these fife contraptions, but with the flute it's always a good idea to blow.
And Will, I think you're not being entirely honest there. Even I have played a bum note once or twice. I seem to remember an occasion at Towersey Festival in 1998 I played a Csharp instead of a C Natural at the Beginning of Rakish Paddy. Of course I left the festival immediately and threw myself from the nearest railway bridge. Unfortunately. as a result of Mr Beechings cuts in the railway service some thirty years earlier, the railway cutting was now converted to the Towersey and Thame Rural Cycle Path, and my fall was broken by a slumbering glue-sniffer, and I survived to play another day.
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Common experience, but what makes it *devastating* is a frantic pace of life. "I had to jump through hoops to open up this three-hour window, and now look - it's ruined!"
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Phew! I was thinking of going to that session last night, but stayed home and worked on my taxes instead. It sounds like it was a toss-up. I can't go next week, so you've got until the 27th to get your embouchure relaxed and your stamina back. Better get crackin'!
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Thanks, Gary. There was something in the air last night -- perhaps it was because my wife was home doing what you were doing, and I felt a subconscious twinge of guilt, which didn't allow me to have a good time. Not that I could have helped her anyway - she was just doing her business stuff, but still, the spousal-long-distance-psychic-guilt effect is very strong ...
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Yup. Happened to me last night but it was more from the audience end. The joint was EMPTY!!! But we played on anyways to a crowd of 2 (one being my wife and the other my sister). Oh well I attribute it to the night before the US Income Tax deadline.
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Do you guys play in a vineyard?
You must, because all you are producing is whine, whine, whine.
Moments of musical trancendence are brief and fleeting, but well worth the wait. And even a mediocre session beats an evening in front of the TV.
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Will - re "inferior decorator" , this reminds me - my 7 year old daughter says she can't understand why someone would name a food store "Grocery Store" . "would't it be better to call it a Deliciousary Store ?" she asked
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
I sometimes have those nights... Where do you go for Wednesday sessions? Tinker's Nest is it?
Whenever I have one fo those nights/days/moments, I just think to myself that it's just one of those "off nights" and that I'll be over it after a day or so. See you after my April vacation!
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
On the contrary, I never ever play well...except once and guess what happened? I was at this festival in Towersey, must have been 6-7 years ago. I played so superbly that I went off to have a celebratory sniff of glue by a cycle path. There I was slumbering when some bloke landed on me bonce and woke me up. So guess what did? I was so furious I flew into a rage and said,
"I say, what did you do that for, you rotter?"
I can be pretty formidable when I lose my rag, let me tell you. Needless to say he never did it again.
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Couple of weeks ago one of our sessioneers arranged a special session at a venue to celebrate his birthday, the idea also being that if it worked out well the new venue could become a permanent session on an otherwise blank evening. Unfortunately, at the very last moment he discovered that the pub of choice had no music licence so he urgently searched the area for an alternative. One was found nearby, a pub with an open mic evening.
We (about 10 of us) had to share with an R&B duo who had already booked for the evening, but those two splendid guys were happy to let us have a one and a half hour slot given the circumstances. But we couldn't do anything about the distraction of the pool table in constant use only three feet away from us, or the pub clientele who apparently looked on us as a God-given opportunity for Durty Ol' Town, Fields of Athenry, etc. The food Birthday Boy brought along was great, though.
A memorable session to forget.
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Everybody has an 'off' night occasionally. Anybody who won't admit to it is a liar or not a true musician.
Sometimes I find I suddenly can't play a tune I've been playing for years. But it always comes back next time. It is permissible not to be perfect for every session.
Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Me: ISO encouragement.
You: obliging, back-patting, condoling.
Last week the session I went to (regular Wed. nights) was fantastic! I left invigorated, pumped, psyched, etc.
This week (last night) was the most blase, boring, uninspiring - at least for me. My playing sucked, I couldnt get a good sound out of my flute at all (could have been too much fife playing earlier that night, and couldn't relax my embouchure), no stamina, etc...
Anyone ever have nights like this? What to do to get out of it?
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by FyfferGuy
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Welcome to my life, kiddo. *grin* You just keep playing. You just keep playing.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Hm, this is the first I've ever heard of someone not being able to play well, and leaving a session feeling defeated. I can't imagine what your problem is. This music is so easy, especially on these simple folk instruments, and all the players I've ever sat in with are brilliant, as are the sessions. Why, I haven't played a bum note in over 40 years--the possibility doesn't even cross my mind.....
(Not sure why, but this reminds me of something that happened the other day. My boys and I were running errands and we drove past a shop with an intricate sign of fancy script letters. My 14 year old then asked, "Why would anyone want to hire an 'inferior' decorator?" Why indeed.)
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Will Harmon
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Yes Will, because we all know that diddley is easy! Hasn't Jeremy arranged to have that printed on T-shirts, yet?
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Nell
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Sounds like a classic case of not drinking enough Guinness.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
FG, I think you'll find the crux of your problem lies in the little giveaway line 'My playing sucked'. I don't know about these fife contraptions, but with the flute it's always a good idea to blow.
And Will, I think you're not being entirely honest there. Even I have played a bum note once or twice. I seem to remember an occasion at Towersey Festival in 1998 I played a Csharp instead of a C Natural at the Beginning of Rakish Paddy. Of course I left the festival immediately and threw myself from the nearest railway bridge. Unfortunately. as a result of Mr Beechings cuts in the railway service some thirty years earlier, the railway cutting was now converted to the Towersey and Thame Rural Cycle Path, and my fall was broken by a slumbering glue-sniffer, and I survived to play another day.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Ottery
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Common experience, but what makes it *devastating* is a frantic pace of life. "I had to jump through hoops to open up this three-hour window, and now look - it's ruined!"
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by grego
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Phew! I was thinking of going to that session last night, but stayed home and worked on my taxes instead. It sounds like it was a toss-up. I can't go next week, so you've got until the 27th to get your embouchure relaxed and your stamina back. Better get crackin'!
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by GaryAMartin
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Thanks, Gary. There was something in the air last night -- perhaps it was because my wife was home doing what you were doing, and I felt a subconscious twinge of guilt, which didn't allow me to have a good time. Not that I could have helped her anyway - she was just doing her business stuff, but still, the spousal-long-distance-psychic-guilt effect is very strong ...
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by FyfferGuy
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Yup. Happened to me last night but it was more from the audience end. The joint was EMPTY!!! But we played on anyways to a crowd of 2 (one being my wife and the other my sister). Oh well I attribute it to the night before the US Income Tax deadline.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by saltcast
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Do you guys play in a vineyard?
You must, because all you are producing is whine, whine, whine.
Moments of musical trancendence are brief and fleeting, but well worth the wait. And even a mediocre session beats an evening in front of the TV.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Will - re "inferior decorator"
, this reminds me - my 7 year old daughter says she can't understand why someone would name a food store "Grocery Store" . "would't it be better to call it a Deliciousary Store ?" she asked
Avi
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by improziv
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
One of mine got perturbed once because I was drinving into an "Angel Parking" zone.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by grego
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
My favorite is the kid who asked "why is it a pair of panties, but only one bra?"
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
I sometimes have those nights... Where do you go for Wednesday sessions? Tinker's Nest is it?
Whenever I have one fo those nights/days/moments, I just think to myself that it's just one of those "off nights" and that I'll be over it after a day or so. See you after my April vacation!
Cheers,
Armand
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by armandale
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
On the contrary, I never ever play well...except once and guess what happened? I was at this festival in Towersey, must have been 6-7 years ago. I played so superbly that I went off to have a celebratory sniff of glue by a cycle path. There I was slumbering when some bloke landed on me bonce and woke me up. So guess what did? I was so furious I flew into a rage and said,
"I say, what did you do that for, you rotter?"
I can be pretty formidable when I lose my rag, let me tell you. Needless to say he never did it again.
# Posted on April 14th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Couple of weeks ago one of our sessioneers arranged a special session at a venue to celebrate his birthday, the idea also being that if it worked out well the new venue could become a permanent session on an otherwise blank evening. Unfortunately, at the very last moment he discovered that the pub of choice had no music licence so he urgently searched the area for an alternative. One was found nearby, a pub with an open mic evening.
We (about 10 of us) had to share with an R&B duo who had already booked for the evening, but those two splendid guys were happy to let us have a one and a half hour slot given the circumstances. But we couldn't do anything about the distraction of the pool table in constant use only three feet away from us, or the pub clientele who apparently looked on us as a God-given opportunity for Durty Ol' Town, Fields of Athenry, etc. The food Birthday Boy brought along was great, though.
A memorable session to forget.
Trevor
# Posted on April 15th 2005 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
Everybody has an 'off' night occasionally. Anybody who won't admit to it is a liar or not a true musician.
Sometimes I find I suddenly can't play a tune I've been playing for years. But it always comes back next time. It is permissible not to be perfect for every session.
# Posted on April 17th 2005 by flying tigerpig
Re: Last week's session: Grand! This week, not so much ...
It was a bum session, I'm going to take more charge tonight.
# Posted on April 20th 2005 by Mad Baloney