Re: [Harp-L] re: being a musician

["Chris Michalek" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>So here's a question for you: is a story teller that works in the
>oral tradition less of a story teller than a novelist?
More or less is not the issue. You are speaking of two different fruits from the same class of fruits ie; raspberries and boysenberries. While similar, each is different and will thusly attract it's own fan. In your case it's a matter of whom prefers fruit for the eyes or fruit for the ears.
How do the story teller collaborate if the novelist is deaf and the purveyor of oral delight can't read?
Reading music and knowing theory are not necessary if you're playing alone. Reading skills are not just for studio musicians to play a song in one take. If you're in a band and you have a great tune in your head how do you convey your original masterpiece to the others? Reading and writing music is about communication. Remember the days before cell phones? Let's say you're going down to the park to shoot hoops and you want your live-in-mate who isn't home to join in the fun at a later point in the day. What did you do? You left a note saying "I'm at xxx and I want you to come and meet me at xxxx at xxxx" That's no different then reading and writing music. You're playing music and you decide to play the A section solo but you want the drummer to come in after four bars and then you the guitarist and bassist join you on the B section. Regardless of musical style communication is important.

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bob Cohen [mailto:bcohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 07:00 AM
>To: 'Chris Michalek'
>Cc: rainbowjimmy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [Harp-L] re: being a musician
>
>
>On Apr 11, 2006, at 9:04 AM, Chris Michalek wrote:
>
>> rainbowjimmy wrote: "Most kids in a high school band can do this."
>> And MOST harmonica players can't, this is exactly my point.
>
>And that only matters if you want to do studio work where the
>expectation is that you'll nail the piece on the music stand in one
>take. Otherwise, the whole point of playing a musical instrument is
>to get the sound that's in your head out of the instrument and into
>the ears of your listeners. With that newfangled recording
>technology, it's no longer necessary to write down the notes.
>
>Chris you're attached to your ideas about musicianship. Is Buddhas'
>Groove just a hip, intellectual name for your band? Have you given
>any thought to how a practicing buddhist might deal with this issue?
>
>So here's a question for you: is a story teller that works in the
>oral tradition less of a story teller than a novelist?
>
>Bob Cohen
>