David Marks on the Drums

[brian]

For the musicians out there:

[Roy]

[Swingman]

[Bill]

At least it was a real "garage/shop band"--they had the clamps and everything!

[Bill]

They took the trouble to "do it". So you have to give them credit for that. They probably have day jobs.

[Leon]

[-MIKE-]

Yeah, my Mom told me, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. That girl is pretty cute.

[-MIKE-]

Ahhh, gee... shucks, Karl. :-)

[Bill]

(I apologize for an accidentally sent message, with no content added)

Based on what I heard, I went looking on YouTube for a Stevie Ray Vaugn version (but didn't locate one). Who did the definitive version of the song? Screaming Jay Hawkins?

[Larry Jaques]

-- While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness. -- Gilda Radner

[SonomaProducts.com]

feel I can kick his ass in the sound stuidio.

[Greg Guarino]

I'm a musician. (keyboards, mostly)I'm substantially better at that than I am at woodworking. While part-time, I've probably played something like 2000 (paying) gigs in my long demi-career. And yes, I have a "day job".

I applaud people like those shown in the video, whatever level of accomplishment they might display. I wish that more people played instruments, especially in groups. I think that may once have been more common, when entertainment was less easily obtained.

Beyond the obvious enjoyment it affords the participants, it increases their ability to appreciate music as played by others, especially live music. We could use more of that sort of appreciation. Music gets more and more devalued the more ubiquitous it becomes.

The same thing extends to attempting any sort of skilled activity. I think that people who don't do much of that miss out on something valuable. Needlepoint, bread-baking, the oboe, woodworking: take your pick.

As for the video, some of you may have had a similar reaction to the "talent" level displayed in the pictures I've posted (of my rudimentary forays into woodworking), to say nothing of my uninformed questions here. But I'm pretty proud of my simple efforts, and I know they give me a greater appreciation for craftsmanship in general.

I'm a pretty fair musician, but sometimes the world seems packed solid with better players. As a younger man, that used to bother me. But I've attained a certain perspective over time. When I put my hands on the keys, music comes out. There's a little bit of me in every phrase. That's no small accomplishment.

If I were in a bar and heard that band playing, you can be sure that there'd be at least one person applauding: me. Barring some overt arrogance on the part of the performers, I applaud. That's another thing that used to be a given, but too many people these days seem to "forget", even when they were dancing, singing and tapping their feet during the song.

My two cents? Take up a skill that requires practice (or several), and applaud the efforts of others whenever the opportunity arises.

[Bill]

+1

I was at a coffee-house one when the table of "ladies" directly in front of the performers asked if they would turn the volume down so that they could talk (amongst themselves). How embarrassing. But if one looks around, most listeners at such events are only casual listeners. Personally, I have always felt some duty to be a respectful listener, though it doesn't seem to be a universally held attitude. Maybe it comes with musicianship?

Bill

[Swingman]

Sure, applaud the effort, but not necessarily the result ... for applause does not necessarily improve the music.

AAMOF, being told the truth about the way you sound, individually or as a band, will get you much further down the road to being a competent musician/band than being applauded for a mediocre performance.

Most anyone can afford to record these days, which is mostly a good thing. (One could argue that the problem comes in knowing when to NOT put 'practice' recordings out for public consumption). :)

By all means, that is NOT to infer that recording yourself is not a legitimate means of improving as a musician, because it is definitely one of the best ways to learn and improve ... mainly because it allows you to hear what you sound like to others, instead of what you think you sound like when you're playing ... _the absolute single thing most important element to becoming a "player"_.

(without exception, the audience will hear exactly what a truly talented player is hearing in his own head while he's playing).

The more those two factors coincide, the better the player you become, and recording yourself is one of the best ways to attain that goal, for all but the sheer musical genius ... who doesn't need it in the first place.

Once again, the problem comes in knowing when to NOT put those practice recording out for public consumption ... and realize that doing so may well come with risk of deserved criticism, as well as any reward. :)

[Bill]

That's a good post too (I like it more than your first critical one)!

For all we know, in the video, we may be looking at the best of 25 takes!

Personally, I might have removed the beer bottles from near the lead singer. I thought maybe they were there for ambiance until I noticed one was half full...lol.

[-MIKE-]

Perhaps that's what she needed to work up the courage to sing with those guys. :-)

[Swingman]

musicianship?

We are coming off a period of about 30 years where even mediocre local musicians could almost make a living in the music business, as long as they exercised the only requirement for doing so .... Nope, not talent, PERSISTENCE.

Even the best around here are now struggling to make ends meet. It is not the economy as much as it is the want of a venue that supports live music. While the economy does play a part in that, the greed of the performing arts societies (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) is to the point that their license price is sufficient to deter most of those venues who would like to present live music.

[-MIKE-]

Greed? Hardly. The fees for venues are not that high. Artists should be paid for their intellectual property when others are performing it, making money for themselves and the venue.

[Bill]

I would blame Kareoke first. I believe bar-owners love that people are willing to entertain themselves, at a considerably lesser cost to them I think. Of course, you may be thinking of larger venues than those I most often frequented.

[Larry Jaques]

I hope you tossed her drink on her or immediately burst into a loud, fast song. What a C. If she wants to talk, why choose a live-music coffee house? Morons.

No, it comes from being a polite, well-behaved person in an increasingly impolite society. Kudos to you for that, Bill.

-- While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness. -- Gilda Radner