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Author Topic: For whom do we play?  (Read 6820 times)

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JimmyM

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2018, 08:33:30 AM »

great question -though not one i worry about too much (:)

I'm not a professional musician so i dont HAVE to play to eat BUT its one of the most rewarding things In my life. Its brought me such joy and through playing I've met such wonderful people that i honestly cant imagine not playing. Now my children are grown and gone my life pretty much revolves around making music. ( i take an instrument to work every day and play/practice during my break)
I love playing for dancers and in sessions but I'm more than happy to sit in my music room and practice or just play stuff for my own pleasure.
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Tiposx

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #21 on: October 05, 2018, 08:57:59 AM »

Playing out was a "bucket list" thing for me - after over 20 years hiding away with a guitar and bass. Then I  got to play along (badly)with a mate on his concertina. I took up the melodeon (cheaper than a concertina) 18 months ago and found I could get a tune out whilst playing along with him. I never thought I would play in front of others, even though it was my dream.  This summer I had a chance encounter with a narrow boat pilot who had a melodeon on the deck. I had drunk a couple of pints over lunch and felt relaxed -I had a go on his box on the towpath with people passing by. It felt great!
So by now I have played at a couple of sessions. There is nothing to compare with the lift I felt when others joined in with the tune I started.
So my answer is ambiguous  - I play for myself, and for and with others.
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nigelr

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #22 on: October 05, 2018, 09:04:02 AM »

Taking up the melodeon was initially very much just for me - almost an academic exercise in trying something different.  However, it has opened many doors to new things and now I find my focus is very much on playing for dance, something that I would never have thought likely or even possible 5 years ago.
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baz parkes

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #23 on: October 05, 2018, 10:50:20 AM »

Mmm..as ever Steve gives us food for thought...I bought my first melodeon at Cambridge Folk Festival in 1977...I'd thought about a set of pipes but the belt wouldn't go round my waist :|bl,,,
Since then I've played for both border and Cotswold morris teams...and of the two always preferred Cotswold and will still find myself getting in touch with my inner Cotswold when noodling in the bedroom....
Modified to add I forgot North West...and playing The Old 95 interminably from February to June as we practise for Mobberley Rose Queen Festival
I've played in the same ceilidh band for some 30 years, and as others have said there's a great buzz from looking at a room full of dancers and knowing you're contributing to them having a good time.
I enjoy small sessions...not because they're exclusive but because you can hear everyone else, and yourself. I don't really enjoy being the 23rd melodeon in the room...

Possibly the gig that has given me most pleasure recently was playing for Pass the Parcel at my youngest grandson's 3rd birthday party...
« Last Edit: October 06, 2018, 01:34:54 PM by baz parkes »
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Andrew Kennedy

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #24 on: October 05, 2018, 11:06:08 AM »

Quote
and will still find myself getting in touch with my inner Cotswold when noodling in the bedroom....

Pass the mind bleach, please.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #25 on: October 05, 2018, 06:21:43 PM »

Many thanks for all the great responses on this thread!
My personal take on my original question...

Is it solely for our own enjoyment, or for others' enjoyment, or a mixture of the two?

... is largely a mixture of the two. Yes - I do perform on stage occasionally. Those of you who have been to Witney, Mendlesham, etc. may have seen me as part of the tutors' concerts. But I am an 'average' sort of soloist; I know my limitations and of course I am not up there with the top names and never am likely to be at this stage in my life. (Hmmm... perhaps if I'd started playing melodeon when I was a teenager....)

However, I do teach, both on a one-to-one basis and in group workshops and that seems to be quite successful, and mostly fulfilling for me.

People have mentioned playing for dancing and that really resounds for me. I can especially relate to Theo's experience:
I love being able to look over a group of smiling dancers and know that if I wasn’t playing they wouldn’t be dancing.  Give me a great buzz.

I've done quite a lot of that over the years, both in ceilidh bands and playing for dance sides - mostly for Sheffield-based womens' side 'Lizzie Dripping' and its occasional off-shoots, and also as a guest musician for womens' clog side 'Duke's Dandy'. It is personally very rewarding.

The very best playing for dancing which happens for me sometimes is one solo musician and one solo dancer. That is indeed magic and can be a sublime experience for both people.

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arty

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #26 on: October 05, 2018, 09:19:56 PM »

Well, I made my debut today and, to my horror, it was a really beautiful, sunny day, so the al fresco area outside the restaurant where I had arranged for us to play was packed. The nerves were bouncing around my stomach like a loft full of bats.
A big gulp of air and we started with Stephane Delicq's "Les Amities". That went well and to my great surprise, just about everyone clapped. I couldn't believe it and it felt good ! Then a man came up and asked many questions about my accordion. Next tune, "La Discrete", this was harder because I could see that people were actually listening and there was a lady holding her phone up, I guess she was filming. That made my nerves much worse and I stumbled, recovered and stumbled again but I managed to keep going - phew, I don't think anyone noticed except the lady accompanying me who was very supportive and encouraging.
And so it went on...I did make several mistakes, to be honest but I was very pleased that I managed to keep going each time. All those mistakes I put down to nerves, my hands really were shaking at times and when your hands are nervous, they can easily hit the wrong button or even slide off the side of the button! I hope that those nerves will diminish as I play more and more in front of people.
I really was very happy that there was so much interest in the music we played, the instrument itself and people obviously enjoyed what we were doing. We will definitely do it again soon because I am sure my playing will get better as a result. One other thing - isn't it a joy to play outdoors!

For whom do we play?......after today, I would have to say that the experience has shown me an extra dimension. Is it good to listen to? Not just is it good to play at home on my own? I found it a stressfull thing to do but, when it was over, I had to admit that I had really enjoyed it. Can't wait to do it again!
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #27 on: October 05, 2018, 09:32:41 PM »


And so it went on...I did make several mistakes, to be honest but I was very pleased that I managed to keep going each time. ... I found it a stressfull thing to do but, when it was over, I had to admit that I had really enjoyed it. Can't wait to do it again!

Nice one Arty. Congratulations on "coming out", as a musician.
I don't know if anyone's told you, but mistakes that seem glaring to the player are, often, not spotted by an audience. Brilliant job there...you did exactly the right thing and played on through the stumbles. On a good day they turn into variations you wish you could reproduce. On a bad day...nobody died. Probably nobody apart from your partner noticed.

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Greg Smith
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playandteach

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #28 on: October 05, 2018, 11:23:46 PM »

Maybe this is relevant, Arty. When you are stressed by the audience reaction, try to remember that the focus is the music: the same music you practised - the same music that got you really interested. If you can manage it, try to get re-immersed in the line of the melody.
You are performing the tune, not performing for the audience or even to the audience. The tune will reward you for the investment and support you. It is both something to hold up for admiration, but also a shield to shelter behind. Once the performance becomes about you, you have let the tune down.
This is of course not my experience as a melodeon player, but as a clarinet player. I'm sure it holds true, though.
Well done, and I'm really glad that you are coming back for more.
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Anahata

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #29 on: October 06, 2018, 12:19:30 AM »

I did make several mistakes, to be honest but I was very pleased that I managed to keep going each time. All those mistakes I put down to nerves

And managing to keeping going, you can put down to being well prepared.
Well done, keep at it!

The nerves will go away, mostly, but whatever happens, don't let them stop you doing something you enjoy.

Playandteach makes a good point about concentrating on the music, not the audience. A great book I read a long time ago (I think it was called "Psychology For Musicians") said if somebody says how well you played you have failed: if they say how beautiful the music was, you have succeeded. I've taken away from that the idea of selling the music to the audience. 'I love this tune and I want to share it with you, show you why I like it and make you love it too' works far better than 'look how clever I am'.
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Pearse Rossa

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #30 on: October 06, 2018, 12:55:41 AM »

The Séamus Ennis story, Henry Bohannan and the Fairy Piper, which I'd not listened to for years, is particularly charming (at least I think so) and I decided to transcribe it for the enjoyment of you all. It raises some interesting points.

The story is an allegory. The context is colonial subjugation.
Henry Bohannan*suffers angst and depression. He represents Éire.
The piping competition/duel represents the conflict between the oppressed and the oppressor, and triumph
over adversity.
The title of the tune "The lark in the morning", is also symbolic of a new dawn and hope.

*Bohannan is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Buadhachanáin, a double diminutive which means 'victorious'.

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richard.fleming

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #31 on: October 06, 2018, 01:30:46 AM »

It's the music. It needs to get played and someone's got to do it otherwise it's dead.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #32 on: October 06, 2018, 09:13:31 AM »

The Séamus Ennis story, Henry Bohannan and the Fairy Piper, which I'd not listened to for years, is particularly charming (at least I think so) and I decided to transcribe it for the enjoyment of you all. It raises some interesting points.

The story is an allegory. The context is colonial subjugation.
Henry Bohannan*suffers angst and depression. He represents Éire.
The piping competition/duel represents the conflict between the oppressed and the oppressor, and triumph
over adversity.
The title of the tune "The lark in the morning", is also symbolic of a new dawn and hope.

*Bohannan is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Buadhachanáin, a double diminutive which means 'victorious'.

Yes - I can see that there is an allegorical interpretation which can be applied to the story.

However, Henry's choices of (a) music to please himself and nobody else, or (b) music to please everybody but to take no value of it for himself, explore something much more general and older - why and how we show our artistry, emotions and expressiveness, linked in with ideas of selfishness versus altruism perhaps; also personal feelings of self-worth and low self esteem. I think those sorts of concepts are part of the wider context of the story.

Edited to change clumsy sentence construction.
« Last Edit: October 06, 2018, 09:22:42 AM by Steve_freereeder »
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Steve
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #33 on: October 06, 2018, 09:15:39 AM »

Excellent news arty, well done!
Thoughtful comments too from Anahata and  playandteach, thanks both.
Q
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #34 on: October 06, 2018, 09:24:15 AM »

Excellent news arty, well done!
Thoughtful comments too from Anahata and  playandteach, thanks both.
Q
Also congratulations to Arty from me too! Enjoy your achievement and do it again soon!
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Winston Smith

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #35 on: October 06, 2018, 09:55:23 AM »

Whilst I wouldn't pretend to know anything about colonial subjugation or symbolism in popular music (for surely Bohannan's writings must have been popular in his day?) I cannot help but feel that all this retrospective analysis using modern-day standards and implying modern-day patterns of thinking and terminology is quite red-herring-ish! Why can't we just enjoy the music (or not) at face value?
It reminds me of the endless praise of a certain Mr Lennon for his great wisdom and vision in writing "Imagine"; in my opinion a worthless "pop song" written by a pretentious bore!
And, whilst others are at perfect liberty to disagree, asking "For whom do we play?" is an entirely different question as "For whom, or what, do we write music/songs?" and is therefore leading the discussion well off-topic. (I know that I'm often guilty of this as well, point taken!)
« Last Edit: October 06, 2018, 09:58:46 AM by Winston Smith »
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malcolmbebb

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #36 on: October 06, 2018, 01:55:22 PM »

Those who play for dance - and in particular Morris or other social dance, for which no remuneration is expected - do have a clear audience, because were it not for us they wouldn't be dancing (the same being true for recorded music, somebody had to play for the recording).
However, that obscures the question of why we're there poised, box in hand, to do the playing in the first place. When we (or certainly, I) spend significantly more time learning and rehearsing the tunes than the dancers ever spend practising. And we're there for that, too.
Not to mention cost of instruments, travel, and the extra responsibility to turn up.
One obvious answer is that it allows non dancers and ex-dancers to remain in the team as valued members rather than spare hangers-on, which leads to the real answer - we enjoy doing it. Otherwise we just wouldn't. Altruism has its limits.
Just being part of the scene is pleasant, but as my confidence builds and I find myself more playing solo, I am discovering a real buzz - even at practice - at being out in front enabling - and controlling - a bunch of people having fun and putting on a good show. And that buzz is all mine.
But, looking back, I got into Morris because I liked listening to the music, and I got into playing because I wanted to be able to play it for my own pleasure. For me. 
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Dick Rees

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #37 on: October 06, 2018, 02:38:33 PM »

I'll be playing my once a month public outing tomorrow, two hours of tunes for Sunday brunch at a friends cafe/coffee shop/music venue.  I'll be playing for the folks who are no longer among us from whom I have received the music...and the cook who'll be feeding me when I'm done.
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #38 on: October 06, 2018, 06:59:23 PM »

I* was going to say what Malcolm B said, but he's said it for me. Agree with everything he says.
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Greg Smith
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Jesse Smith

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Re: For whom do we play?
« Reply #39 on: October 07, 2018, 02:15:11 AM »

I mostly play for myself, as there are no "English" or general traditional sessions in my area (Irish, yes, but that's not my focus). So mostly it is for the pleasure of feeling myself improving and becoming more fluent and comfortable with the instrument.

But a couple of weeks ago I did have the opportunity to play with others, at the Northeast Squeeze-In "free reed gathering", and it was an amazing experience. It really showed me what I am capable of in ways that surprised me, but also where my current limits are. For example, I was very pleased to discover that I could sight-read at speed from music in group workshops, at least on the slower tunes, but only in the lower octave. So I need to work on getting more familiar with the fingering in the upper octave of the melodeon.

The most amazing part of the weekend was getting to sit in with the impromptu contra band that forms to play for the dance. I was only familiar with a couple of the tunes. We had a half hour rehearsal and then it was just a matter of trying to hang on to the tune and try to make a net positive contribution! On some tunes that I was able to sight read and play along at full speed, on a few I had to cheat and only play the first note of each bar, and on the fast ones I just vamped the chords on the backbeat. If you've seen "Back to the Future" I totally felt like Marty McFly sitting in with the band at the school dance! (Except that I did not take a "Chuck Berry / Van Halen melodeon solo".)

The point of telling the story I guess is to say that although I mostly play by and for myself, it was really delightful to have the opportunity to contribute to something larger. I really envy those of you who play in bands and I hope eventually I'll have the opportunity to do so.
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