[disclaimer: if you are under 15 or over 25, you may not know what in all the worlds I am talking about]
I got into Pokémon (both the GameBoy game and the trading card game) probably about two years or so before I got into Irish music. I was 9 or 10, I can't quite remember. There are many comparisons I could draw between the feeling of excitement for a beginner entering the world of Pokémon and the world of Irish music -- the "Aah, all these people are so much better than me, there's so much to learn, but one day, one day" sensation that we all know and love. But that is not the comparison I wish to talk about today.
It has struck me that the life of a Pokémon trainer and the life of an Irish musician bear striking similarities. He starts out his journey with one pokémon (he starts out knowing only one tune). Then he progresses to different towns (meets more people/goes to different sessions), and on the way, he catches more pokémon (learns more tunes) and trains them up (becomes better at them).
This is all very well and good, but then I can go on. Challenging gym leaders is like entering regional and provincial Fleadhanna, and facing the Elite Four is, of course, the All-Ireland. And then once you've beaten them, you're the Pokémon Champion (All-Ireland Champion) -- "the Best", even though there are many, many people much better than you. The attitude conveyed in the song -- "I wanna be the very best"; "Gotta catch 'em all!" -- seems to be an all-too-prevalent attitude within Irish music: "gotta learn all the tunes, gotta play them all with very high proficiency, gotta be the best". What of living alongside with the Pokémon, rather than catching them and training them up? What of learning about them, and appreciating them for what they are? I think maybe Ash Ketchum had some of this when he didn't force his Pikachu to evolve, even though as a Raichu, it would be much more powerful. Likewise, there are brilliant young ITM players who don't care too much for awards and the like.
So who are the Professor Oaks of the ITM world? Who is its Team Rocket?
Also, which tunes do you think correspond to which Pokémon? (I think Out On the Ocean is clearly Lapras)
rofl.
it must be like pluggin' a disintegrating dyke, dfwb.
You *must* be over 25.
It is just reflecting the change in society, my man, that's all. Be thankful that you can read about it here, not have to live it.
lol.
Play some tunes - they always stay the same anywa'
I've gotta agree... I'm of the age where I've admittedly played all the old pokemon games on the gameboy (even watched the show for a time... blech), and did indeed try to "catch" them all.
I almost did catch 'em all once. I had a totally undefeatable squad (with two L100 pokémon -- one of them got with the 'missingno' cheat ) and even caught a Mew, not using a cheat (it's in the game, but there's a trick to finding it)!
So yeah, I basically rocked the world of Pokémon about ten years ago...
And now I rock the world of Irish music, HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Ahem.
I'm getting there, though. I'm breaking into Celadon Cave the back way, without beating the Elite Four....
The back way, huh?... I never knew about this... and catching Mew... Wow, I feel like such a nerd, but don't be surprised if you get an e-mail through this site from me asking how to do those ;-P
Just like Irish music, there's hundreds of pokemon.... But unlike Irish music, the pokemon only have two names at the most
I'm of a slightly earlier generation, when Nintendo games were little more than glorified calculators. So, who's the Donkey Kong of Irish music? Who's the Donkey Kong Jr.? Who are the evil birds? The snakes? Who are the fruit?
My son aged 7 is devoted to Pokemon while I'm trying to interest him in ITM. I showed him this thread and he's still laughing - but in a good way. I think he's viewing Maggie in the Woods and the Kerry Polka in a newer positive light. BTW he thinks Cranidos is the Battering Ram.
Irish Music and Pokémon
Irish Music and Pokémon
"I wanna be the very best": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbhbLrSQKyY
[disclaimer: if you are under 15 or over 25, you may not know what in all the worlds I am talking about]
I got into Pokémon (both the GameBoy game and the trading card game) probably about two years or so before I got into Irish music. I was 9 or 10, I can't quite remember. There are many comparisons I could draw between the feeling of excitement for a beginner entering the world of Pokémon and the world of Irish music -- the "Aah, all these people are so much better than me, there's so much to learn, but one day, one day" sensation that we all know and love. But that is not the comparison I wish to talk about today.
It has struck me that the life of a Pokémon trainer and the life of an Irish musician bear striking similarities. He starts out his journey with one pokémon (he starts out knowing only one tune). Then he progresses to different towns (meets more people/goes to different sessions), and on the way, he catches more pokémon (learns more tunes) and trains them up (becomes better at them).
This is all very well and good, but then I can go on. Challenging gym leaders is like entering regional and provincial Fleadhanna, and facing the Elite Four is, of course, the All-Ireland. And then once you've beaten them, you're the Pokémon Champion (All-Ireland Champion) -- "the Best", even though there are many, many people much better than you. The attitude conveyed in the song -- "I wanna be the very best"; "Gotta catch 'em all!" -- seems to be an all-too-prevalent attitude within Irish music: "gotta learn all the tunes, gotta play them all with very high proficiency, gotta be the best". What of living alongside with the Pokémon, rather than catching them and training them up? What of learning about them, and appreciating them for what they are? I think maybe Ash Ketchum had some of this when he didn't force his Pikachu to evolve, even though as a Raichu, it would be much more powerful. Likewise, there are brilliant young ITM players who don't care too much for awards and the like.
So who are the Professor Oaks of the ITM world? Who is its Team Rocket?
Also, which tunes do you think correspond to which Pokémon? (I think Out On the Ocean is clearly Lapras)
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by Joe CSS
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
You need to get out more Joseph!
Saying that, I just downloaded a GBA emulator and for the past 6 hours I have been levelling up Charmander to level14!
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by I ♥ Dow
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
rofl.
it must be like pluggin' a disintegrating dyke, dfwb.
You *must* be over 25.
It is just reflecting the change in society, my man, that's all. Be thankful that you can read about it here, not have to live it.
lol.
Play some tunes - they always stay the same anywa'
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
I don't understand. What does Pokemon have to do with home brewing?
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
I've gotta agree... I'm of the age where I've admittedly played all the old pokemon games on the gameboy (even watched the show for a time... blech), and did indeed try to "catch" them all.
# Posted on July 11th 2010 by JosephC
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
I almost did catch 'em all once. I had a totally undefeatable squad (with two L100 pokémon -- one of them got with the 'missingno' cheat
) and even caught a Mew, not using a cheat (it's in the game, but there's a trick to finding it)!
So yeah, I basically rocked the world of Pokémon about ten years ago...
And now I rock the world of Irish music, HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Ahem.
I'm getting there, though. I'm breaking into Celadon Cave the back way, without beating the Elite Four....
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by Joe CSS
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
The trick with the truck? Ahhh those were the days. I would have to say that Mewtwo is the Monaghan jig.
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by pipersgrip
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
The back way, huh?... I never knew about this... and catching Mew... Wow, I feel like such a nerd, but don't be surprised if you get an e-mail through this site from me asking how to do those ;-P
Just like Irish music, there's hundreds of pokemon.... But unlike Irish music, the pokemon only have two names at the most
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by JosephC
Re: Irish Music and Donkey Kong Jr.
I'm of a slightly earlier generation, when Nintendo games were little more than glorified calculators. So, who's the Donkey Kong of Irish music? Who's the Donkey Kong Jr.? Who are the evil birds? The snakes? Who are the fruit?
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Irish Music and fossball, pinball, air hockey ...
Pong is probably the earliest video game I can remember. I wouldn't compare it with Irish music. MIDI tunes ~ absolutely!
# Posted on July 12th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Irish Music and Pokémon
My son aged 7 is devoted to Pokemon while I'm trying to interest him in ITM. I showed him this thread and he's still laughing - but in a good way. I think he's viewing Maggie in the Woods and the Kerry Polka in a newer positive light. BTW he thinks Cranidos is the Battering Ram.
# Posted on July 22nd 2010 by fionan