Thread: Musicians?

Originally Posted by Chugach68

I read somewhere about how the mind works with music and why "old" people don't like the young whippersnappers music. It said in a nutshell that if you listen to predominantly one type of music that your brain is kind of programmed to think that is what music is suppose to sound like. Eventually any other music style or sound doesn't sound right to the brain and is "noise".

This makes alot of sense. At the same time, today's (popular) prefab 'music' is more product than some outpouring of creative urges.

Todays "popular" music serves as an example to prove this. Its pushed down the throats of kids without them even knowing. All the kids shows, nik, Disney, mtv (when they actually play music), etc play more and more of it, programming their brain to like it. I love Pandora, sirrius, slacker because you can hear NEW music that is not mainstream and get a taste of variety along with old skool and everything in-between.

I also realize that lots of music and 'movements' from my generation were just as manipulated and 'driven' as today's music. Fortunately, the older stuff is, indeed, more palatable.

If you really want to ruin your perspective on the California music scene you should read these amazing and well researched articles - Inside The Laurel Canyon
Inside the LC: Part I

Well, do you have to be a paid muso to join this little band? Or can someone like me, a self taught acoustic guitar, Irish whistle (with a preference for Low whistles), Irish flute and didgeridoo join in too? I'm only in it for the fun of music and never have mastered any of my instruments to a pro level anyway. I go in for a variety of music with a leaning for the older stuff (Pre 80's).


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

Or can someone like me, a self taught acoustic guitar, Irish whistle (with a preference for Low whistles), Irish flute and didgeridoo join in too?

Anyone who can play didgeridoo is cool in my book! I'm a classically trained trumpet player (playing 20 years now), focusing on solo and orchestral literature from the 19th and 20th centuries, but I agree with everything that has been said regarding eclectic tastes. I conduct and teach classical music for a living, but I regularly listen to all kinds of stuff- jazz, latin, classic rock, reggae/punk fusion...right now I REALLY like a number of groups who are infusing blues influences with a sort of retro garage band sound- The Heavy is probably the most popular example.

Mick, I also really like The Cat Empire- they may not be new to Australia, but I've only recently been introduced to them. Very cool!

Listening to new music (new to you, anyway) is sort of like trying a new food for the first time- the spice of life, indeed.

Originally Posted by MickR

Well, do you have to be a paid muso to join this little band? Or can someone like me, a self taught acoustic guitar, Irish whistle (with a preference for Low whistles), Irish flute and didgeridoo join in too? I'm only in it for the fun of music and never have mastered any of my instruments to a pro level anyway. I go in for a variety of music with a leaning for the older stuff (Pre 80's).


Mick

It's always better with someone who loves to play - as opposed to someone who will only play when getting paid.

Yep, been playing since I was in junior high. I started on the trumpet in beginner band, made the symphonic and marching. Then switched to baritone and tuba from 8th until I graduated. I was the first bass player in the our school's jazz band (did that for two years). I've played on and off in all kinds of bands (bass of course) over the years, but school has pretty much killed that for now. I play a Memphis pj bass, black passive no name jazz 5 string, and my baby, a warwick corvette 5 string jazz. Hopefully I will be able to afford a warwick thumb NT, and streamer stage II w/ the ovangkol and afzelia neck; the new wenge necks lost some of its depth of tone in the low range to me, and some growl in the mid.

I play the piano.
Learned how to play as a boy, but then I gave it up whilst at university. After ten or fifteen years, I somehow got back to it again, and I'm very glad I did. I'm not very good, really because I just don't have the time that it needs, but I play a bit most days. I like Rachmaninoff and Chopin, but struggle to play most of their music. Even so, I keep at it. I have a digital piano, but I hope one day to be able to afford the real thing!

Another musician here

I always admired people who played instruments as a kid but hated music lessons in school. I found out that most rock stars didn't have formal music education, which inspired me. In my teens I had some friends who were in bands and I tried guitar for a bit, but I figured I'd try something else because the world had too many damned guitar players lol. Then my dad and I went to a Burton Cummings concert which was great and I decided I would try the piano. At some point along the line I thought that you can't really rock and roll without a guitar, so I picked it up again and never looked back after all these years.

So now I play piano, guitar (acoustic, electric, 12 string) and have recently been dabbling in harmonica and ukulele. Pretty much totally self-taught (though nowadays the internet helps a lot, unlike back in the day when all you had was the album and your ear ), but I'm more of a technical player than the majority of guys I've jammed with over the years. I stick to classic rock/pop and some originals.

Looking back on it all I can't imagine life without playing music, which is pretty much my main hobby other than SR's.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Another musician here

I always admired people who played instruments as a kid but hated music lessons in school. I found out that most rock stars didn't have formal music education, which inspired me. In my teens I had some friends who were in bands and I tried guitar for a bit, but I figured I'd try something else because the world had too many damned guitar players lol. Then my dad and I went to a Burton Cummings concert which was great and I decided I would try the piano. At some point along the line I thought that you can't really rock and roll without a guitar, so I picked it up again and never looked back after all these years.

So now I play piano, guitar (acoustic, electric, 12 string) and have recently been dabbling in harmonica and ukulele. Pretty much totally self-taught (though nowadays the internet helps a lot, unlike back in the day when all you had was the album and your ear ), but I'm more of a technical player than the majority of guys I've jammed with over the years. I stick to classic rock/pop and some originals.

Looking back on it all I can't imagine life without playing music, which is pretty much my main hobby other than SR's.

+1 to that. I always wanted to learn the electric guitar, but couldn't stand the fact that nearly everyone told me to learn how to read music and play a heap of songs i hated and didnt want to learn before i could start playing "that rock music". Long story short, at the age of 13 at boarding school coupla olda guys helped me out teaching me how to read tabs (so so simple) and picked up uncles old chevelle electric and never looked back! Learnt scales/keys and theory but still cannot read sheet music. Just improv'd at big band jazz gigs