I started playing because I enjoy it. Now I play because I have to. Sometimes I feel that the music is inside me struggling to get out through my clumsy fumblings at the instrument, admittedly, but if I didn't play, I'd explode with it.
It's relaxing, enjoyable, frustrating, maddening, fun, an excuse to socialize (and drink), takes up too much time, I wish it could take up more of my time. There's times when there's deep-seated feelings that playing raises and sates. There's times when there's no other reason to play it but for fun. It's all those things and an awful lot more. I don't try to analyze the reasons for why, really, it's just there, like having brown eyes. (Although admittedly I have a lot of fun analyzing bunches of things *about* it.)
For no discernable reason, my life is largely taken up with American Irish culture. I have no idea why or even really how it happened, it just sort of all snuck up on me. One day I turned around and realized that almost everything I do has something to do with it. Well, what the hell. I enjoy it and I make a living at it all. Well, more or less a living. *grin*
As someone (In another thread perhaps) said "When you put that F chord in there it's like a knife in me heart". Well it's the opposite of that and it only gets better with every new tune. Thanks to all who play and sing !!
Bob McIvor
This is a bigger question that just diddling. The question really is, "why do we do anything?" Answer that one and you've solved the problem of defining conciousness. Good luck
I think I can make in the neighborhood of 30K in the first year if I made a career of music. My wife is not going to put up for that and my children would claim child abuse. Therefore I must work. And of course, with one more tiny step, I can't play music.
I am destroyed by your statement Will ;)
I play for the zone. I play for the rush,excitment and sweetness. I play for the audience because they give it back. I play because I want to be awesome. I play to impress myself (lord knows I need to do that every once in a while.)
Does that define consciousness MG? Now you got me off on a philosophical quandry that will pester me for the next ten years. When I finally have an answer that I can live with, Somebody who has thought about it for 5 seconds will throw me to the ground again.
Ref. Bryan's comment on race memory: Finally someone has said what I have held in those deep recesses for a long time. I play for fun, for connection, challenge, for the love of the music above all, but the way I fell in love with Irish music, made it feel like coming home. It pulls my heart. Some tunes make me feel like I am dancing inside, whether listening to someone else or while I am playing.
I also feel like it is a connection with past generations. I believe in genetic imprints/memories, which is why I think I felt like I came home when I got the bug. Maybe past lives? I don't know, but music is something that has run in both sides of my parent's families, and it pops up in only some of the people. I'm the only one that got it in my nuclear family, and unfortunately it looks like none of my sons are choosing to acknowledge anything ( but I didn't admit it to myself until my mid-twenties, just took it for granted).
I play music because I have to live...
L
Mind you, most of the time I work 7 days a week and only dream about playing music....
Actually, I just forgot to put a little smiley face on my previous post. My quip was derived from the bumper sticker, popular here in Montana, that says, "Work is for people who don't know how to fish." In the same vein as "Music is life. Everything else is just details."
I've also always liked the wishful sentiment behind "Hours spent playing music are not deducted from your life's quota." This was actually proven true to me yesterday as we played for a friend's funeral service and reception. Kent was only 62 when he went, so it would seem that some time was certainly deducted from his life, but the hours he spent playing music with the rest of us came back to us and to his family and other friends as we coursed through some of his favorite tunes yesterday. And his wife, sons, daughter, mother, and sister each told us that it brought them tremendous comfort and peace to hear the tunes and to see the circle of music continue through his friends. I know I'll think of Kent every time I play Father Kelly's or Bill Malley's Barndance.
So I play because I'm alive. I am, therefore I play music. I guess I don't need anyth more reason than that.
This reminds me of my favorite remark from Martin Rocheford (as quoted by Jim Coogan): "Ye should forget about work -- work only causes inflation."
Why do I play? Because it's more fun than just about anything else you could do in life, in my experience. There's a bunch of other reasons like racial memory, more subtle forms of communication (communion?) with others, connection to the tradition and a less complicated way of life. But those things get hard to talk about, and then you're into the whole question of whether becoming overly analytical about it will spoil your fun, which would be counterproductive.
Because it's fun. It's fun to play good music, it's fun to have a few jars, it's fun to be in good company. If it isn't fun, don't do it. We only live the once and you're a long time dead. Enjoy it.
After 30 years in the same band, I manage to keep things fresh enough to instill interest from the rest of the crew - it is still relaxation (and much less hard work than dancing).
Regrets? - Yes, I don't have time to play as much at home as I used to.
I have always played because it was more fun than high school studying, then it was more fun than working a clerical job, and after that it became what I did. Now I help others to play (ie., teach) and I play in between. My life's more fun than my husband's, who writes plays, which doesn't directly involve music. I'm lucky music found me. I'm lucky I found Irish music.
My dog (a cocker spaniel) loves to hear me play, he sits quietly with his head slightly on one side, rather the famous EMI ad. The cat (now sadly deceased) always marched out of the room with her ears twitching when I played the cello or violin.
LOL -- Will, I know you've had it, you've got kids and they *know* what causes that.... *grin* Your darling wife must have the patience of a saint. hehehe.
So it's apparently some kind of disease or illness, and the symptoms include the formation of children??? Wow, I learn something from this site every day....Boy, our bodhran player must be really sick--he's got 5 kids.
But don't they have a vaccine or something to prevent sex? If not, I guess I'll just keep playing tunes. Better to just not stop, eh?
I was going to make some kind of a joke about dung beetles gestating and the similar importance of keeping warm up there in the frozen hinterlands of Montana, but your reply hit the funnybone and I forgot what I was going to say....
Why do you play?
Why do you play?
A couple of days ago we were meant to be putting a set together, but the short attention span triumphed, and we began to discuss why we play.
Is it purely sociable, relaxing or what?
Why do we toil for years, spending gargantuan amounts of money, what do you get out of it?
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by Caitriona
Re: Why do you play?
I started playing because I enjoy it. Now I play because I have to. Sometimes I feel that the music is inside me struggling to get out through my clumsy fumblings at the instrument, admittedly, but if I didn't play, I'd explode with it.
It's relaxing, enjoyable, frustrating, maddening, fun, an excuse to socialize (and drink), takes up too much time, I wish it could take up more of my time. There's times when there's deep-seated feelings that playing raises and sates. There's times when there's no other reason to play it but for fun. It's all those things and an awful lot more. I don't try to analyze the reasons for why, really, it's just there, like having brown eyes. (Although admittedly I have a lot of fun analyzing bunches of things *about* it.)
For no discernable reason, my life is largely taken up with American Irish culture. I have no idea why or even really how it happened, it just sort of all snuck up on me. One day I turned around and realized that almost everything I do has something to do with it. Well, what the hell. I enjoy it and I make a living at it all. Well, more or less a living. *grin*
Zina
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Why do you play?
For the fame and glory!
Well... since there's very few people I know that appreciate it like I do... I guess its just like a hobby. I do it because it makes me feel good.
-Troy
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by RTP
Re: Why do you play?
Troy, don't forget the huge sums of cash that come flowing in when you play this stuff! Fame, glory AND riches.
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by cuchulain54
Re: Why do you play?
As someone (In another thread perhaps) said "When you put that F chord in there it's like a knife in me heart". Well it's the opposite of that and it only gets better with every new tune. Thanks to all who play and sing !!
Bob McIvor
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by bmcivor
Re: Why do you play?
Do you believe in such a thing a race memory SPOOKY
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by Bryan
Re: Why do you play?
It stops me wasting my time watching tv and gets me down to the pub!
trevor
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by lazyhound
Re: Why do you play?
This is a bigger question that just diddling. The question really is, "why do we do anything?" Answer that one and you've solved the problem of defining conciousness. Good luck
# Posted on December 12th 2002 by llig leahcim
Re: Why do you play?
I play in order to avoid work.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by ragaman
Re: Why do you play?
I agree with David. Work is for people who don't know how to play music.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Why do you play?
Someone remarked today that it was mainly sociable. It could be as simple as that, but I doubt it.
It was, however, disturbing to think of how we percieve quite a small cultural group as the *world*. =)
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Caitriona
Re: Why do you play?
I think I can make in the neighborhood of 30K in the first year if I made a career of music. My wife is not going to put up for that and my children would claim child abuse. Therefore I must work. And of course, with one more tiny step, I can't play music.
I am destroyed by your statement Will ;)
I play for the zone. I play for the rush,excitment and sweetness. I play for the audience because they give it back. I play because I want to be awesome. I play to impress myself (lord knows I need to do that every once in a while.)
Does that define consciousness MG? Now you got me off on a philosophical quandry that will pester me for the next ten years. When I finally have an answer that I can live with, Somebody who has thought about it for 5 seconds will throw me to the ground again.
Mark
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Mark Cordova
Re: Why do you play?
Ref. Bryan's comment on race memory: Finally someone has said what I have held in those deep recesses for a long time. I play for fun, for connection, challenge, for the love of the music above all, but the way I fell in love with Irish music, made it feel like coming home. It pulls my heart. Some tunes make me feel like I am dancing inside, whether listening to someone else or while I am playing.
I also feel like it is a connection with past generations. I believe in genetic imprints/memories, which is why I think I felt like I came home when I got the bug. Maybe past lives? I don't know, but music is something that has run in both sides of my parent's families, and it pops up in only some of the people. I'm the only one that got it in my nuclear family, and unfortunately it looks like none of my sons are choosing to acknowledge anything ( but I didn't admit it to myself until my mid-twenties, just took it for granted).
I play music because I have to live...
L
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by lees
Re: Why do you play?
Mind you, most of the time I work 7 days a week and only dream about playing music....
Actually, I just forgot to put a little smiley face on my previous post. My quip was derived from the bumper sticker, popular here in Montana, that says, "Work is for people who don't know how to fish." In the same vein as "Music is life. Everything else is just details."
I've also always liked the wishful sentiment behind "Hours spent playing music are not deducted from your life's quota." This was actually proven true to me yesterday as we played for a friend's funeral service and reception. Kent was only 62 when he went, so it would seem that some time was certainly deducted from his life, but the hours he spent playing music with the rest of us came back to us and to his family and other friends as we coursed through some of his favorite tunes yesterday. And his wife, sons, daughter, mother, and sister each told us that it brought them tremendous comfort and peace to hear the tunes and to see the circle of music continue through his friends. I know I'll think of Kent every time I play Father Kelly's or Bill Malley's Barndance.
So I play because I'm alive. I am, therefore I play music. I guess I don't need anyth more reason than that.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Why do you play?
Good Thought Will.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Mark Cordova
Re: Why do you play?
So Mark, are you saying my 5-second thought just saved you 10 years of philosophizing?
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Why do you play?
This reminds me of my favorite remark from Martin Rocheford (as quoted by Jim Coogan): "Ye should forget about work -- work only causes inflation."
Why do I play? Because it's more fun than just about anything else you could do in life, in my experience. There's a bunch of other reasons like racial memory, more subtle forms of communication (communion?) with others, connection to the tradition and a less complicated way of life. But those things get hard to talk about, and then you're into the whole question of whether becoming overly analytical about it will spoil your fun, which would be counterproductive.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Gzeg
Re: Why do you play?
Because it's fun. It's fun to play good music, it's fun to have a few jars, it's fun to be in good company. If it isn't fun, don't do it. We only live the once and you're a long time dead. Enjoy it.
# Posted on December 13th 2002 by Niall L
Re: Why do you play?
After 30 years in the same band, I manage to keep things fresh enough to instill interest from the rest of the crew - it is still relaxation (and much less hard work than dancing).
Regrets? - Yes, I don't have time to play as much at home as I used to.
# Posted on December 14th 2002 by geoffwright
Re: Why do you play?
I have always played because it was more fun than high school studying, then it was more fun than working a clerical job, and after that it became what I did. Now I help others to play (ie., teach) and I play in between. My life's more fun than my husband's, who writes plays, which doesn't directly involve music. I'm lucky music found me. I'm lucky I found Irish music.
# Posted on December 15th 2002 by fiddlefingers
Re: Why do you play?
to annoy the neighbors and the dog
# Posted on December 15th 2002 by jrathbun
Re: Why do you play?
My dog (a cocker spaniel) loves to hear me play, he sits quietly with his head slightly on one side, rather the famous EMI ad. The cat (now sadly deceased) always marched out of the room with her ears twitching when I played the cello or violin.
trevor
# Posted on December 15th 2002 by lazyhound
Re: Why do you play?
because,every once in a while,everyone just nails a tune and thats pure magic.It's even better than sex!
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Musicofireland
Re: Why do you play?
What's this "sex" you mention? Is that something that happens between tunes?
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Why do you play?
LOL -- Will, I know you've had it, you've got kids and they *know* what causes that.... *grin* Your darling wife must have the patience of a saint. hehehe.
zls
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Why do you play?
So it's apparently some kind of disease or illness, and the symptoms include the formation of children??? Wow, I learn something from this site every day....Boy, our bodhran player must be really sick--he's got 5 kids.
But don't they have a vaccine or something to prevent sex? If not, I guess I'll just keep playing tunes. Better to just not stop, eh?
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Why do you play?
*snorting too hard to reply*
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Zina Lee
I was going to make some kind of a joke about dung beetles gestating and the similar importance of keeping warm up there in the frozen hinterlands of Montana, but your reply hit the funnybone and I forgot what I was going to say....
# Posted on December 18th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Why do you play?
In the same vein, I was told the reason for playing is because it's a better excuse than a headache.
=)
# Posted on December 19th 2002 by Caitriona