Members BlueStrat Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 For those of you without a FB account...yes, what we do may really matter. [video=youtube;Dh5lp0p8L0E] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 9, 2012 Moderators Share Posted April 9, 2012 My mother-in-law was visiting from England. We don't really get on so well. Or didn't. One evening I said to her, "Wanna hear something GREAT?!?!?!?" She bristled and rolled her eyes. I put on Glenn Gould playing one of Bach's Clavier Concertos. An Adagio movement. It lasted about 8 minutes. It finished and she had tears in her eyes. "More?" She nodded yes, clearly moved. I put on Albinoni's Adagio. More tears. We spent the whole evening with my wife out working and her mom and I listening to heart melting music. We've been OK ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SeniorBlues Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 There was a time when my grandmother didn't recognize anyone, including my mother who came to see her regularly at the nursing home . . . . and yet she could sit down at the piano and play "Bringing in the Sheaths." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sharkbait Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 That was really touching, thanks for sharing that! Also cool to see Oliver Sacks. He's so great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 When I started playing solo, I realized I needed to work on relating to the audience and just needed in general experience doing that kind of gig. I approached the Bread and Roses organization and they had me do 1 hour concerts once or twice a month in nursing homes and for other shut ins. They didn't pay, in fact I took off work to do these shows. The effect it had on these audiences was really gratifying. They remain some of the most satisfying performance experiences I've ever had. One concert they wheeled in a guy on a stretcher. As I left the hall, he was giving me a thumbs up by raising his hand off the bed. It helped that the music I was playing I'd learned from an old timer who was at his professional peak in the 50's, so the audience related to the music I was playing. If you play solo or in a small group and your jaded, go do a concert in a nursing home and you'll walk out feeling really good about what you do. I always did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim_7string Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 If you play solo or in a small group and your jaded, go do a concert in a nursing home and you'll walk out feeling really good about what you do. I always did. I think that is really the key right there: finding your audience. If you don't like the environment or people you are playing for, find one that you do like (and likes you back)! Pretty simple when you think about it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trevcda Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 Great post, Pat.Years ago, very, very early in my audio career, I was living with a girl who was studying to become an audiologist. She asked me to meet a gentleman with some pretty bad hearing defficiencies. This guy was grumpiest old bastard I'd met in a long time and wanted nothing to do with me or anyone else. We'd managed to get him to talk and figured that one of the things he dearly missed was to be able to listen to music. I got his audiogram information and set about doing my best to create a reversed curve of what his chart indicated. I set him up with a pair of very nice Quart headphones and a system with a good headphone amp to drive them. I wish I'd video taped that first listening with him. His eyes got really big and then welled up as he starting crying tears of hapiness. He was a changed man after that. His disposition did a complete 180 and his relationship with his wife and everybody around him changed along with it. I eventually set him up with an amp and speakers that could handle it and watched as him and his wife danced for the first time in decades. It was horrible sounding, but to watch the two of them was beautiful. I'm sure he's long gone by now, but it's moments like these that make it all worthwhile. I'm fortunate to have had many moments like these in my career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted April 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 There was a time when my grandmother didn't recognize anyone, including my mother who came to see her regularly at the nursing home . . . . and yet she could sit down at the piano and play "Bringing in the Sheaths." I'm pretty sure it's "bringing in the sheaves", which is a bundle of wheat, a metaphor for the message of Jesus in John 4:35. Though I could see where bringing in the sheaths would be good too, since a good rain could wreck them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 Anyone who questions the power of music just needs to watch almost ANY movie scene with the soundtrack missing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted April 9, 2012 Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 I'm pretty sure it's "bringing in the sheaves", which is a bundle of wheat, a metaphor for the message of Jesus in John 4:35. Though I could see where bringing in the sheaths would be good too, since a good rain could wreck them! Here in Montana it is "Bringing in the sheep":) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted April 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 Anyone who questions the power of music just needs to watch almost ANY movie scene with the soundtrack missing.... Yes, or even change it.I watched the end shootout sequence of "The Wild Bunch" with the original score, then with a very dark horror movie type score, and then an almost circus-like happy score. It really changed the whole thing. The last one almost made it seem like a comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted April 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2012 Here in Montana it is "Bringing in the sheep":) You mean "Monta-a-a-a-a-a-a-na" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 If you play solo or in a small group and your jaded, go do a concert in a nursing home and you'll walk out feeling really good about what you do. I always did. I played a senior center gig with a guitar/bass/drums trio on Saturday afternoon. We did all the same stuff I always do, oldies and some classic rock, but at a reduced volume, since we were in the main entrance lobby. When we finished and were packing up, one of the female residents came up and shook my hand and told me she had cried all during the performance because she loved music so much and was so happy to see people playing it and enjoying what they were doing. Those gigs don't pay very much, but with audience members like that, they don't need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 3shiftgtr Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 I get {censored}ed with all the time for talking about being a note warrior. Cuz that is what a real musician is: a note warrior. That is what real musicians are. And it is damn important to humanity. {censored} IMHO...important {censored} is important. Every note is a prayer of some kind; either to your creator or to your fellow man. Doesn't matter your belief. I get a lot of "self important blah blah blah...it's just ego....self righteous blah blah blah..." but music is the most important thing in any room it is in. And music written, performed and played with purpose, intent, passion and craft, no matter what type, is a beautiful gift to the world. And our job as musicians is to put enough FORCE behind the notes to make them RESONATE on a human level in the hearts and minds of the listener. Not everyone gets to do that. And that is POWER. And it moves, motivates, and inspires in ways we can't even fathom. In Lee's case it helped bring a family together....in the old man in the vid's case, it brought him back to life...I bet each and every one of the players on this board can think of an instance when music helped/changed/whatevered. I got a bunch of stories that are amazing and touching and keep me going..... Ok, I'll stop....I feel like I should be wearing a helmet and standing infront of a flag. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 I agree, but think only the really good notes are. Every note is a prayer of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted April 10, 2012 I agree, but think only the really good notes are. A prayer for better notes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RickBeall Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 Very cool, amazing video. You can sometimes forget about the power of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimiv Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 Every note is a prayer of some kind; either to your creator or to your fellow man. Doesn't matter your belief. I get a lot of "self important blah blah blah...it's just ego....self righteous blah blah blah..." but music is the most important thing in any room it is in. And music written, performed and played with purpose, intent, passion and craft, no matter what type, is a beautiful gift to the world. And our job as musicians is to put enough FORCE behind the notes to make them RESONATE on a human level in the hearts and minds of the listener. Not everyone gets to do that. And that is POWER. And it moves, motivates, and inspires in ways we can't even fathom. All true and well said. These guys being the exception: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 Exactly-a clam is definately a prayer for something...................or should be A prayer for better notes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted April 10, 2012 Members Share Posted April 10, 2012 I loved the comment-they are just like led zep-both are bands All true and well said. These guys being the exception:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4D07-AIa-g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sillypeoples Posted April 11, 2012 Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 Anyone who questions the power of music just needs to watch almost ANY movie scene with the soundtrack missing.... Good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted April 11, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 I get {censored}ed with all the time for talking about being a note warrior. Cuz that is what a real musician is: a note warrior. That is what real musicians are. And it is damn important to humanity. {censored} IMHO...important {censored} is important. Every note is a prayer of some kind; either to your creator or to your fellow man. Doesn't matter your belief. I get a lot of "self important blah blah blah...it's just ego....self righteous blah blah blah..." but music is the most important thing in any room it is in. And music written, performed and played with purpose, intent, passion and craft, no matter what type, is a beautiful gift to the world. And our job as musicians is to put enough FORCE behind the notes to make them RESONATE on a human level in the hearts and minds of the listener. Not everyone gets to do that. And that is POWER. And it moves, motivates, and inspires in ways we can't even fathom. In Lee's case it helped bring a family together....in the old man in the vid's case, it brought him back to life...I bet each and every one of the players on this board can think of an instance when music helped/changed/whatevered. I got a bunch of stories that are amazing and touching and keep me going.....Ok, I'll stop....I feel like I should be wearing a helmet and standing infront of a flag. Sorry. [video=youtube;ukjnrXTTvPY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 11, 2012 Members Share Posted April 11, 2012 Best thing about that "Complete" video---is it has nearly 500,000 hits. Those guys could probably tour or make a movie at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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