[Harp-L] By the way,,

["Bob Laughlin" <rlaughlin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I apologize to Elizabeth for apparently attempting to toss a "wet blanket" on her joy, concerning this performance of Midori Goto. I have personal issues with what may be called "demonstrative passion", when I suspect there is "added flavor". I'll have my passion genuine, thank you.

In fact, it could very well be that my view is colored by my own tinted glasses. This Midori may indeed be "feelin' it fo' sho' ". I don't doubt that the body mechanics even come into play, in helping to "get into it", as they do in any physical performance on a musical instrument, even the performer's own body, as in dance. I find that dancing and music go hand in hand. Many times, while hearing a musical piece, I "see" dancing, or dancers in my "mind's eye", as perhaps a choreographer would. Certain musical art forms would suffer greatly if there were to be a prohibition on one's freedom to "get a groove on", physically speaking. 

Take reggae music, for example. I came up with the reggae beat before I even knew it existed, as a young man learning to play guitar. It's a rhythm that goes well with certain "bouncy", natural body movements. It's not the exclusive property of someone who smokes weed or wears his hair a certain way, after all. It's a sound, and a rhythm, with a couple of upstrokes thrown into the standard shuffle/pendulum picking on a guitar. It's a "natchul thang".

So,,again, there's no prohibition on wiggling, dancing, standing on one's head or tippitoes while playing. I just have a "personal radar" for anything that is purely and solely derived from a sense of "salesmanship". To me,,it's more about the music than anything else, regardless of one's need to sell oneself to an audience for the sake of pecuniary gain, financial security, tips, etc..

But then, I have that freedom. Music isn't my "bread and butter". I'm not "selling it" to anyone. It's a life-long love. I could care less if someone isn't "diggin' it". I am, and that's all that counts.

BL 

P.S.,,Don't listen to me,,I'm waxing verbose on painkillers tonight, for a reason.