Today's musical interlude
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@kluurs said in Today's musical interlude:
Larry - sounds like a douche of teacher who was so dismissive of your goals. There's been issues at Juilliard and other music schools where the school is not preparing the students for the world in which the student hopes to make a living.
An author I just read encouraged students to skip getting an MFA - told them to get an interesting job - and just write - and get together with like minded people to share ideas. In some ways, that's the way a lot of musicians who have had great careers found their way. McCartney and a sizable number of successful musicians have found their way without such.
That teacher should have encouraged you - told you, you're wasting your time here. "If I were you, I'd work with ...... or if you really want school that's suitable, here's a better choice." A classical background is great for those who want that - but not for everyone.
One of my favorite stories was listening to Little Richard talking about working in a diner washing dishes - while working on his music. He said he felt he was a successful musician a long while before anyone else might have described him as such. When he was a dishwasher, he was singing and banging on the pots and pans and enjoying his life. Getting paid for doing what he loved - was amazing to him.
I'm a lousy musician by most anyone's estimation - recognized early on that I didn't have what it takes - and so I made a career elsewhere but play for my own enjoyment. I love it. I suck at it - but I still enjoy myself.
Thanks Kluurs, and you are correct.. I had some real douche bags for teachers.
This thread didn't really go the way I had planned... I never expected it to become a referendum on "what is classical". I was hoping for a discussion about Gino Vanelli's work, and his range. Apparently his "classical music" work offended the sensibilities of the purists...
The Brother to Brother composition and performance is sheer genius. Obviously it's not "classical music" (yet) but the complexity of the arrangement, the work by the drummer, Joe Vanelli's keyboard work, the chord structures, Gino's vocals... all combine to create a musical masterpiece on par with anything or anyone from the "classical era". It had been my hope that that would have been what got discussed, not a defensive argument about why I dislike the snobbery and elitism that comes with "classical music". But it wasn't to be, and I come away from the thread more convinced than ever of my lifelong opinion...
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Oh hell..... yes, Brother to Brother IS "future classical". Ne thing that I found particularly revealing was when Klaus referred to the second Vanelli piece as "pop rock with some classical orchestra instruments used" or some such. I don't want to start another argument, but damn.... that is about as uninformed as it gets. There's not a damned thing "pop rock" about that piece, and if you heard "pop rock" in it you're displaying a kind of musical narrow mindedness. I'll shock your sensibilities some more - not only is there nothing - NOTHING - N.O.T.H.I.N.G - "pop rock" about that work, there's nothing "pop rock" about the first piece either!! Brother to Brother IS a serious work, intended to be a serious work, it has movements, themes, and - just as Liszt used modern instrumentation (the piano) to move music forward, modern instrumentation is used in Brother to Brother.
THAT is at the very crux of things - to some, if it isn't frumpy old farts from 300 years ago it's not "serious", and some look down their noses at it long enough to dismiss it as "pop rock"..... what I would love to see is for the truly serious musical work of today to be given its due, and not dismissed as mere "pop rock" that is somehow unworthy of being considered on par with the snoot music.
If you think it's just fluff..... let's see YOU do it.....
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@klaus said in Today's musical interlude:
@larry said in Today's musical interlude:
I come away from the thread more convinced than ever of my lifelong opinion...
I guess that is the result of basically every thread you participate in?
No offense Klaus, but you personify the very asshole musical snob I've been talking about. If you only knew just how ignorant you are..
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@Larry said in Today's musical interlude:
@klaus said in Today's musical interlude:
Hm. There's nothing wrong at all with the music, but I for one would not classify the latter song as "classical music" but as pop/rock played with some classical orchestra instruments.
One of my professors caught me hanging out the second floor classroom window after the bell had rung, yelling down to one of the cheerleaders practicing on the football field below. It pissed her off. She yelled at me and told me to get in my seat. Then she proceeded to say something almost as dumb as you just said. She said "no one is capable of composing classical music today". I told her I'd write a piece for her by the end of class. She said no, she didn't want to be bothered by me "plucking" on the piano during class. I told her I didn't need a piano, I'd write it without one, and play it for her at the end of class.
At the end of class I played for her what I'd written in my head, got a standing ovation from the class and gave her my best "fuck you" smile
You made me smile again.
Iād love to hear this ā would you post a video of you playing it for us?
Also, I really enjoyed the Gino Vanelli ā a couple of his hits were in the background soundtrack of my teen years, though I was never into his music. Massive talent.
For a musical interlude, I just stumbled upon this. Delightful. Rest In Peace, Billy Preston
Link to video -
@Ivorythumper said in Today's musical interlude:
@Larry said in Today's musical interlude:
@klaus said in Today's musical interlude:
Hm. There's nothing wrong at all with the music, but I for one would not classify the latter song as "classical music" but as pop/rock played with some classical orchestra instruments.
One of my professors caught me hanging out the second floor classroom window after the bell had rung, yelling down to one of the cheerleaders practicing on the football field below. It pissed her off. She yelled at me and told me to get in my seat. Then she proceeded to say something almost as dumb as you just said. She said "no one is capable of composing classical music today". I told her I'd write a piece for her by the end of class. She said no, she didn't want to be bothered by me "plucking" on the piano during class. I told her I didn't need a piano, I'd write it without one, and play it for her at the end of class.
At the end of class I played for her what I'd written in my head, got a standing ovation from the class and gave her my best "fuck you" smile
You made me smile again.
Iād love to hear this ā would you post a video of you playing it for us?
Also, I really enjoyed the Gino Vanelli ā a couple of his hits were in the background soundtrack of my teen years, though I was never into his music. Massive talent.
For a musical interlude, I just stumbled upon this. Delightful. Rest In Peace, Billy Preston
Link to videoWhen I was in college the cassette player hadn't even been invented, much less portable video ewuipment... even if there had been I wouldn't have done that in the classroom where a spontaneous thing happened. I didn't video tape me and the cheerleader later that day either, and that was much more interesting...
Billy Preston- the "fifth Beatle". He's good. Reminds me of an old friend of mine named Don Lewis. Don played small clubs, was a one man show, and he could pack the room. He also did a lot of work over the years with Quincey Jones, who used Don on a couple of Michael Jackson albums. He went on to be a product specialist, first for Hammond Organ Company, then for Roland.
Link to video -
@Larry
Surely you remember it and can play it for us! ? -
@Ivorythumper said in Today's musical interlude:
@Larry
Surely you remember it and can play it for us! ?Actually, no. It wasn't that important.
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I am pretty sure someone posted here:
"Most modern day orchestras are nothing more than 1700's-1800's cover bands!"
But yes, music does evolve.
US country music 1950's is very different from 2010's country music. Does that make one country music and the other not country music? Ummmm, probably not.
For most people (of course not every one), the ages from maybe 10-30 set your musical tastes and personal understanding of what a certain "genre" if music should sound like.
