For me the "Bands" turned the key in the ignition - Steeleye Span blasting out Dowd's Favourite and The Hag With The Money at full volume with devil-take-the-traditionalists electic instruments.
Nowadays the fuel comes from the sessions, especially ones away from home. Playing with complete strangers who quickly become friends due to a shared love of the tradition.
The intended destination is to be able to pick up any new tune and play it instinctively - but that's a few hills over the horizon.
Looking forward to a few fun pitstops on the way, mind.
I LOVE the music I make, and yes, I can and do, enjoy hours of my own playing inspired by Planxty, Deanta, Dervish, etc.
I guess I have the best of both worlds...good sessions to attend, and paid gigs. I love both the comradarie of the sessions, and the drive of the band. It's all good!!
I started listening to diddly diddly music in a nostalgia for the happy days in Scotland and Ireland, then picked up a whistle. I'm not Scottish or Irish, but isn't it the same with Irish immigrants in England or the States? Consider many tunes have place names: isn't this because the players can travell around in their imaginations while playing music?
I'm enjoying haveing tunes with others in the sessions in Tokyo, but still often play just for myself too. Some tunes I learned in west Clare and Edinburgh, or played with friends in England don't come up here. I'll try to popularise them taking time though.
My music is mostly music driven. I could not sit down in the kitchen and entertain myself for the whole evening, for I would die of boredom (at the moment I can solo out 6-7 Irish tunes on a decent level of ability, and backing the microwave oven gets tiresome after some time).
Bands? I like them, but do not even dare to think I will ever play like 'em. They are professionals.
Fun... yes, I do play for fun. Music gives me a time to cool off between the jobs. I meet nice, if strange, people.
But
The main drive for me is to discover how the music and harmony suddenly unfolds when you do not play alone, but with some other musicians. It's having a joy of discovering, how a melody reveals suddenly something you wouldn't expect it would, mixing of ideas, complementarity. And above all harmonies. Harmonies harmonies.
Well, in terms of who do I want to sound like - I want to sound like me! But I admit freely to being obsessed with how fiddlers play, most especially Kevin Burke. However, as I'm a box player this is perhaps as much a way of finding my own style, as anything, being mainly influenced by fiddlers.
But I guess what I really want to do is get something that's inside me out in the open in such a way that others can feel it too, without the awful tangle that comes from trying to put emotions etc into words.
Whoever you have modelled yourself on, you have to find your own style then develop it from there.
Listen to as many different styles as possible, and take some elements from each, by all means, but if you keep imitating your latest heros, you will never develop your own style.
As a solely dance musician (plus more sessions of late), I modelled my style on (dare I say it), Jimmy Shand. Although he is much derided nowadays, his style was crisp, clear articulation and a constant and unchanging beat, with a superb backing trio that you never noticed, as they were always perfectly together.
One or two things to aim at there in the session as well as on the stage.
Following on from bc_box_player, once you have a house style, strangers can join the group for the evening knowing what is going to happen, and you can fish out a new arrangement and everyone in the band will play it in the same style.
That question calls to mind Thomas Hardy’s lovely poem, “The Darkling Thrush”, which describes the singing of an old thrush in the gloom of the growing dusk (darkling) in mid-winter at the end of the nineteenth century.
At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.
The poem suggests some kind of irrepressible primeval urge common to all living creatures that prompts them to make music even in the midst of the most depressing circumstances, as for example life itself, “this brief tragedy of flesh”. Recently on another thread here, “Whimsy and humour”, I related a little anecdote told by my late uncle on his deathbed describing a visit he had paid to an old friend of his when he was on his deathbed. This old friend was sitting up in the bed playing the accordion with holes cut in the blankets to accommodate his arms. It struck me as a very “Beckettian” image of the same thing. It seems that we have to resort to symbolic forms such as poetry drama and music itself in trying to “eff the ineffable”.
Phonsie , you'll have to stop listening to those old Leonard Cohen records , you're beginning to cheer me up....I think it all started in primeval times ( think back to Platos allegory of the cave.. picture homo sapiens staggering into a furry elk duvet, a build up of gas from guzzling some mighty feed of prime brontasaurus ( or a neighbour?).... the pressure in the anal passage then resulting in a prolonged B minor note of flatulence ( The Long Note?) the fart reverberating around the cave .. the very first drone .. even Seamus Ennis would have been impressed ... the rest , as they say, is history.
Because of my association with driving on the other side of the car here in the U.S., many times I saw cars driving by me in Ireland with the driver (passenger actually) looking around and not watching where they were going. It would be very disconcerting -- especially if they were coming anywhere in my direction. I never seemed to get completely used to seeing that.
Heh - the funny thing for me on that, Jack, is that I never had any troubles with driving in Ireland or England except for one time -- on long stretches of road where I could see some ways ahead of me, and another car would be approaching from the opposite direction. I'd almost always have a brief flash of... "eeek! I'm on the wrong side of the road!" panic. I actually had a harder time when I came home and went back to driving on the right hand side of the road.
I didn't have any problem this time at all. (except for trying to drive in South Dublin) And once I realized that any U-turns or turning around of any kindl should be clockwise -- it was as natural as driving here. I did have a moment back here at home where I slammed my hand into the driver's side door trying to shift gears, and I was headed down the wrong side of the road at that moment as well. (It was just pulling out from my driveway for the first time.)
Driving in South Dublin was like rolling aroundl in a pinball machine; I couldn't go the direction I wanted because of one-way streets and traffic signs, and next thing I knew -- I was driving under the arch at Christ Church and I have no idea how I got there.
I drove yesterday and it rained. I drove today, and it didn't rain. One thing's for sure - it was definitely me who was driving. (Just to stay on the subject of the thread, and give the definitive answer to Jim Troy).
Yeah, I think you've driven it down a bit of a bohareen there, Jack. Meanwhile I'm still on the Via Dolorosa with "my cheap violin and my cross" (to qoute the aformentioned L Cohen) though erconwald's post did give me a good laugh - getting down to fundamentals can be a salutory corrective betimes.
It's both the Music and the Band for me. The Band challenges me to improve and expand my abilities. There is nothing however, like the euphoria of hitting the groove on a song and just letting go, letting your spirit play the music.
...." ???? what's with all the punctuation .........,
Jim Troy ??? :[) .................................. it's like reading - Tristram Shandy!!! .........
Who's Driving ?
Re: Who's Driving ?
For me the "Bands" turned the key in the ignition - Steeleye Span blasting out Dowd's Favourite and The Hag With The Money at full volume with devil-take-the-traditionalists electic instruments.
Nowadays the fuel comes from the sessions, especially ones away from home. Playing with complete strangers who quickly become friends due to a shared love of the tradition.
The intended destination is to be able to pick up any new tune and play it instinctively - but that's a few hills over the horizon.
Looking forward to a few fun pitstops on the way, mind.
Eno
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by bc_box_player
Re: Who's Driving ?
I LOVE the music I make, and yes, I can and do, enjoy hours of my own playing inspired by Planxty, Deanta, Dervish, etc.
I guess I have the best of both worlds...good sessions to attend, and paid gigs. I love both the comradarie of the sessions, and the drive of the band. It's all good!!
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by ketida
Re: Who's Driving ?
I started listening to diddly diddly music in a nostalgia for the happy days in Scotland and Ireland, then picked up a whistle. I'm not Scottish or Irish, but isn't it the same with Irish immigrants in England or the States? Consider many tunes have place names: isn't this because the players can travell around in their imaginations while playing music?
I'm enjoying haveing tunes with others in the sessions in Tokyo, but still often play just for myself too. Some tunes I learned in west Clare and Edinburgh, or played with friends in England don't come up here. I'll try to popularise them taking time though.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by slainte
Re: Who's Driving ?
For feck's sake, Jim, I'd have to write about as much as Dow has in his profile to even begin addressing this question.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Who's Driving ?
*gasp* No way. No one could possibly write as much as Dow's profile!
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Not even me!
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Who's Driving ?
My music is mostly music driven. I could not sit down in the kitchen and entertain myself for the whole evening, for I would die of boredom (at the moment I can solo out 6-7 Irish tunes on a decent level of ability, and backing the microwave oven gets tiresome after some time).
Bands? I like them, but do not even dare to think I will ever play like 'em. They are professionals.
Fun... yes, I do play for fun. Music gives me a time to cool off between the jobs. I meet nice, if strange, people.
But
The main drive for me is to discover how the music and harmony suddenly unfolds when you do not play alone, but with some other musicians. It's having a joy of discovering, how a melody reveals suddenly something you wouldn't expect it would, mixing of ideas, complementarity. And above all harmonies. Harmonies harmonies.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by EastPole
Re: Who's Driving ?
Well, in terms of who do I want to sound like - I want to sound like me! But I admit freely to being obsessed with how fiddlers play, most especially Kevin Burke. However, as I'm a box player this is perhaps as much a way of finding my own style, as anything, being mainly influenced by fiddlers.
But I guess what I really want to do is get something that's inside me out in the open in such a way that others can feel it too, without the awful tangle that comes from trying to put emotions etc into words.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by kris
Re: Who's Driving ?
Whoever you have modelled yourself on, you have to find your own style then develop it from there.
Listen to as many different styles as possible, and take some elements from each, by all means, but if you keep imitating your latest heros, you will never develop your own style.
As a solely dance musician (plus more sessions of late), I modelled my style on (dare I say it), Jimmy Shand. Although he is much derided nowadays, his style was crisp, clear articulation and a constant and unchanging beat, with a superb backing trio that you never noticed, as they were always perfectly together.
One or two things to aim at there in the session as well as on the stage.
Following on from bc_box_player, once you have a house style, strangers can join the group for the evening knowing what is going to happen, and you can fish out a new arrangement and everyone in the band will play it in the same style.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Who's Driving ?
I think for me I am stimulated by the challenge it presents.as I am a relative newcomer to the violin, but not necessarily to listening to the music.
Playing can be as intellectual, frustrating, fun as I want it to be at any given time (or any combo therein)
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Who's Driving ?
That question calls to mind Thomas Hardy’s lovely poem, “The Darkling Thrush”, which describes the singing of an old thrush in the gloom of the growing dusk (darkling) in mid-winter at the end of the nineteenth century.
At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.
The poem suggests some kind of irrepressible primeval urge common to all living creatures that prompts them to make music even in the midst of the most depressing circumstances, as for example life itself, “this brief tragedy of flesh”. Recently on another thread here, “Whimsy and humour”, I related a little anecdote told by my late uncle on his deathbed describing a visit he had paid to an old friend of his when he was on his deathbed. This old friend was sitting up in the bed playing the accordion with holes cut in the blankets to accommodate his arms. It struck me as a very “Beckettian” image of the same thing. It seems that we have to resort to symbolic forms such as poetry drama and music itself in trying to “eff the ineffable”.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Who's Driving ?
phonsie..that's some pretty lighthearted stuff seeing as it is coming from Thomas Hardy..even Jude sang a wee bit in the choir for a short time
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Who's Driving ?
Phonsie , you'll have to stop listening to those old Leonard Cohen records , you're beginning to cheer me up....I think it all started in primeval times ( think back to Platos allegory of the cave.. picture homo sapiens staggering into a furry elk duvet, a build up of gas from guzzling some mighty feed of prime brontasaurus ( or a neighbour?).... the pressure in the anal passage then resulting in a prolonged B minor note of flatulence ( The Long Note?) the fart reverberating around the cave .. the very first drone .. even Seamus Ennis would have been impressed ... the rest , as they say, is history.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Red Robin
Re: Who's Driving ?
Well, I suppose I had it coming.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Who's Driving ?
"Ye know, Ferrrgus, I'd be bettin' I could make an instrrrument outta that...!"
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Who's Driving ?
Because of my association with driving on the other side of the car here in the U.S., many times I saw cars driving by me in Ireland with the driver (passenger actually) looking around and not watching where they were going. It would be very disconcerting -- especially if they were coming anywhere in my direction. I never seemed to get completely used to seeing that.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Who's Driving ?
Heh - the funny thing for me on that, Jack, is that I never had any troubles with driving in Ireland or England except for one time -- on long stretches of road where I could see some ways ahead of me, and another car would be approaching from the opposite direction. I'd almost always have a brief flash of... "eeek! I'm on the wrong side of the road!" panic. I actually had a harder time when I came home and went back to driving on the right hand side of the road.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Who's Driving ?
I didn't have any problem this time at all. (except for trying to drive in South Dublin) And once I realized that any U-turns or turning around of any kindl should be clockwise -- it was as natural as driving here. I did have a moment back here at home where I slammed my hand into the driver's side door trying to shift gears, and I was headed down the wrong side of the road at that moment as well. (It was just pulling out from my driveway for the first time.)
Driving in South Dublin was like rolling aroundl in a pinball machine; I couldn't go the direction I wanted because of one-way streets and traffic signs, and next thing I knew -- I was driving under the arch at Christ Church and I have no idea how I got there.
Uh... did I just hijack this thread?
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Who's Driving ?
I drove yesterday and it rained. I drove today, and it didn't rain. One thing's for sure - it was definitely me who was driving. (Just to stay on the subject of the thread, and give the definitive answer to Jim Troy).
Jim
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Worldfiddler
Re: Who's Driving ?
my head
and any other heads can come along too for the ride, no pressure
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by lisaniska
Re: Who's Driving ?
Yeah, I think you've driven it down a bit of a bohareen there, Jack. Meanwhile I'm still on the Via Dolorosa with "my cheap violin and my cross" (to qoute the aformentioned L Cohen) though erconwald's post did give me a good laugh - getting down to fundamentals can be a salutory corrective betimes.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Who's Driving ?
It's both the Music and the Band for me. The Band challenges me to improve and expand my abilities. There is nothing however, like the euphoria of hitting the groove on a song and just letting go, letting your spirit play the music.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Piperlad
Re: Who's Driving ?
Playing with other people, or for dancers.
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Cath
Re: Who's Driving ?
...." ???? what's with all the punctuation .........,
Jim Troy ??? :[) .................................. it's like reading - Tristram Shandy!!! .........
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Cath
Re: Who's Driving ?
Jim (Troy)'s OK now....he just lapsed into a comma, but he's fully recovered now.....
I'm just leaving.............
Jim
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Worldfiddler
Re: Who's Driving ?
you sure he's not having a period ?
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Cath
Re: Who's Driving ?
Sentenced by his own mouth -- punctuated by only brief periods of lucidity...
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Who's Driving ?
LOL -- have you settled, Jimmy Troy? Or is this only a brief foray back onto the Net before disappearing again on us?
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Who's Driving ?
Jim has to use his neighbor's connection right now till he settles in and holds court here on the Yellow Board.
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by Phantom Button