Are there any musicians on this board?

I know hippies don't like books and learning, but I'm wondering if there are any musicians here. And, I don't mean people that play instruments, I mean people that write music. People that don't just fuck around on a guitar or something and call their bullshit 4 bar melodies music. I mean people who're knowledgable musicians... People who know counterpoint, harmony, the principles of orchestration, music theory...

Or am I the only musician here worth their fucking instrument?

 

yeah, i'm pretty knowledgable about music, i still have a lot to learn of course, but i'm working on it

 

A few small points.



1.

A person who plays an instrument is called a musician, a person who writes music is called a COMPOSER.



2.

Without learning we are nothing. I know it’s the idyll to live a life free from the shackles of the consumer economy, but sadly such a life is only really possible if you have the funds already in place. A good education is essential without it you can expect to spend your days living on handouts or worse saying "Do you want fries?” Your only 15 so you won't have kids yet (I’m guessing you don't) I don't have kids, but I have friends who do and for those kids to be denied chances in life because their parents couldn't be bothered getting a good education would be nothing short of criminal, these friends all did get good educations and subsequently their knowledge has been passed down to their children. But this isn't just about knowledge it’s also about the cost of living as I insinuated earlier in this passage. Here in the U.K we have free healthcare, granted it’s under funded, but it’s free. Now in some countries notably America you pay for healthcare, if you had a relative, say a child who desperately needed healthcare and as a result of your abandonment of education you couldn't provide the funds on your fast food crewmembers salary as that was the only job you could get with the qualifications you had and that child became seriously ill how would you feel about books and learning then?

 

You missed the point.

Never did I imply that I'd abandoned education, it's obvious, if you read all of the topic post, that I value education.

I am also aware of the difference between someone who plays and composes, but I don't believe that people who simply play and instrument deserve such a title. Musicians are looked to as artists, and people who play instruments are simply craftsmen. If the word musician didn't carry the weight it does, I wouldn't have a problem with giving the title to people who simply play but, because of the way people treat the word, I feel they are unworthy of it. That is why I use the word musician the way I do.

 

Most of the sixties hippy movement occurred in college.

And yes, there are many competent musicans here.
Also, nobody "simply plays" an instrument. You think there are people who only play other people's songs? For such an educated man, you sure are pretentious.

 

Yes, I do. And I'll do you one better. I KNOW there are people like that. People who play just because their parents want them to. People that don't know much at all about music, but have played the violin since they were four years old. And, even those who play an instrument because they love music... they're not artists either. Their work is mechanical. But, no, discount my experiences and call me pretentious.

Playing an instrument is a craft, not an art. A dexterity based skill. It is not a creative endeavour like authoring or composing.

 

Cat in the Stove: I have found your post to be very irritating. The remarks you made were very arrogant and un-called for. a musician is defined as someone that makes music a profession. If you are a professional musician hats off to you but if youre not just shut the hell up!

In my opinion a musician is anyone that can make an instrument come alive. Sure knowledge and skill have something to do with it but to me artistic sensitivity is the most important trait of any musician. It's 99% heart man. Heart! I know a few people that play instruments that dont even have a clue about reading music, names of chords, pentatonics, notes, etc. but when they play they really play. I consider them musicians. They make music. They truly know how to communicate through their instruments and yes most of them are hippies. Don't be so quick to judge. peace

 

Belive me, all those years of what I am certain to be rigorous violin classes and training included music theory.

Yes, if your talking about session musicians, but we're not.
Sorry to burst your fucking bubble, but many people crate music while actually playing an instrument. Granted, the act of playing an instrument is a skill, but you think they just pull shit out of thin air? They learn music theory, and apply that theory to their music, as they are playing it. What your saying is completely trivial, because no musican limits himself to only someone elses music.

 

They learn the theory you need to know to read music and play properly and nothing else.

And I didn't say you couldn't write music and play an instrument as well.

And, it's completely untrue that there are no instrumentalists who don't write music as well. Those instrumentalists would therefore be bound to playing someone else's work.

 

I am going into my 6th year of band and I am also studying Indian music and learning to play the sitar. I learned to play mallet percussion and drum kit through band. I taught myself how to play guitar, bass guitar, bongos, congas, djembe, dumbek, didgeridoo, and ocarina.

I write Psychedelic/Progressive rock music, a little Jazz, Folk, and World/New Age music as well. My band is called Minerva and we just released our debut album 2 months ago.

Ben.

 

Thats really cool cloudmiverva!

Cat in the stove, its true your remarks were arrogant. I dont see why its such a big deal to you. Let people play other peoples material and dont get caught up in who is labeled a musician and who is not. And I really dont understand your comment "I know hippys dont like books.." There is a book forum on this site and many people post on it.

 

I'm not getting caught up or upset. I don't like it, so I use a different word.

The book board posts about Harry Potter and Stephen King. Rowling and King are pulp authors. They're about as significant as Burger King employees when compared to the great chefs of the world.

 

What the fuck, do you even know what music theory is? "playing properly" is technique. Anyone can learn technique. Theory is involved in making western music.

Where are all these skilled "instrumentalists" who seemingly have no interest in composing their own music? Session musicians are people whoe chose music as a profession. They are artisans, but they did'nt just fall into the job. They picked the profession because they liked playing that instrument. I can guarantee you that when a paid musician goes home at night, he stills plays that instrument, making his own music as he sees fit.
People don't excell at things they don't like, and if someone hates what they do, they are going to fail at it. I doubt that there is any paid musician that does'nt know music theory. They simply would'nt get hired if they did'nt.

Then what the hell are you bitching about?

 

"Cat In The Stove" why have you not posted what instruments enjoy the pleasure of having your skills expressed through them?


Writing is basically knowing intervals between notes, and fitting them inside of a chord structure. Is that not Mechanical. That does sound creative to me.

Improvisation is creative.

 

Those were two posts about two shitty authors, out of 11 pages. Try digging a little deeper asshole

 

I have yet to bitch and/or whine. You're angry. You're upset. I'm not.

Of course I know what music theory is, and I know that learning to read music properly is part of it. Knowing how to understand what is written on a sheet of music is necessary far before technique comes into play.

And I promise you that not every instrumentalist that plays well writes at all. Yes, people who choose music as a profession like playing. They enjoy music. That does not mean they like writing. Yes, after an instrumentalist performs, they play at home, but they're usually practicing... Just because they love music doesn't mean they try or even desire to create their own original work. People who excell at playing professionally are there because they play well. Being creative has nothing to do with that. You're an idiot if you believe that every good instrumentalist writes music as well.

 

so you write music? I bet you have a bunch of good stuff huh? lets see it buddy.

 

You're ignoring me!!!!!!!:$

"Cat In The Stove" why have you not posted what instruments enjoy the pleasure of having your skills expressed through them?

 

My apologies, Sunshine. I missed your post before. As to your question, I play the piano, though not extroadinarily well.

I read over the other post too... I said that writing is a creative effort. I also believe improvisation to be a creative ability. I'm trying to learn to improvise myself.

And, yes, Jezmund, I do write music. Pardon me if I don't share it, because it doesn't meet my quality standards as of now. But, in the meantime, I'm learning more theory, more about the great composers, more composing styles, and other things to help my writing reach those standards.