Re: [Harp-L] Entertainment/ Muse (not exactly harp content...)

["Dave Murray" <dlmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Expectations. If you can't control people's expectations, they control you. 
Jazz, smooth jazz, classical; people expect instrumentals. Country, blues, 
rock; people expect vocals. How would you know it's a country song if you 
couldn't play it backwards and have your woman come home, your truck start 
running and your dog come back to life? If you don't meet, or exceed peoples 
expectations, they will be disappointed unless you are good enough to make 
them think they are on the road to Damascus. That seems to be true in nearly 
everything in life, kind of like gravity or something. Think about when 
Dylan went electric; a crowd that expected acoustic bood him. Expectations.

If I'm not mistaken, the people who say that you don't need vocals are all 
thinking jazz or classical. How many people who play rock, country, or blues 
have no vocals in their performance?

I recently went to a performance where Jason Ricci played and Chris opened. 
I expect instrumentals from Chris, and go back to hear more. I could listen 
to Jason play instrumentals all night, but I also enjoyed Jason's vocals, 
right on down to what he was singing about. Jason may be on the road and not 
reading this thread, but when he pops in on the list I'd like to see if he 
would say that he considers going all instrumental, even though his harp 
playing is his draw.

Peace and music,
Dave