Re: [Harp-L] Re: The Wonderful Internet

["Luke Keefner" <lkeefner@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Think of youtube and the rest of the internet as a form of conversation. 
People say good things and some really stupid things(guilty!). Same as with 
the web. Communication is the essence of the cultural evolution that has 
given us wonderful things like the harmonica, the computer and cider donuts. 
Our children are at present so much more  technologically advanced than us 
old farts becuase of it. I personally thought Buddies Carnegie thing a blast 
to watch, but what do I know. To me most classical stuff sounds like movie 
soundtracks or Bugs Bunny. Luke
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zvi Aranoff" <zviaranoff@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp-L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: The Wonderful Internet


> Hey Robert, I didn't post it on Youtube, I just found it there. I  believe 
> that if you contact Youtube, they'll remove it for you.
>
> As to your main point, I disagree. While the internet enables the easy 
> dissemination of mediocracy, at the same time it enables the easy 
> dissemination of great quality. If it weren't for the internet, 
> particularly Youtube clips, I would have never been exposed to  virtually 
> all of the contemporary masters. I'm willing to bet many  folks on this 
> list would attest to that as well.
>
> Perhaps your statement, "most of the good performances are from times 
> before the Internet or by players who were established before the 
> internet" is factually true, but not because of the nature of the 
> internet, but because the internet is relatively young. There's no  doubt 
> in my mind that the internet a) helps masters that weren't all  that known 
> beforehand gain much greater notoriety (what kind of  following would 
> someone like Howard Levy have without the internet?)  b) helps advertise 
> new talent (where would Jason Ricci be today if it  weren't for the 
> internet?) c) helps to introduce a large number of  people to the harp, of 
> which, some might turn out in the future to be  great players, and 
> finally, d) helps dissemination of a great deal of  information (such as 
> Harp-L!!).
>
> In a word, I'm not ready to shut down the internet because it breeds 
> mediocracy..
>
>
>
>
> On Oct 11, 2010, at 1:45 PM, Robert Bonfiglio wrote:
>
> > I don't think you all got the point;  the subject was the "wonderful 
> > internet," not Buddy Greene whom I've never met and whose name I did  NOT 
> > mention.  The point was that before the Internet, this stuff  would never 
> > have seen the light of day.
> >
> > This is the point and that INCLUDES the stupid encore in Mexico my 
> > guitarist decided to do of James Brown "Sex Machine" (which I have  never 
> > played) after an entire show of music from my CD Harmonica  America.  I 
> > tried to get that removed from the internet but Zvi  managed to post it. 
> > The weird thing is that this the only thing  posted from that concert!!!
> >
> > The whole point is that there is no control over what goes out; I  had no 
> > idea that the Carnegie Hall performance was just a good  natured joke.
> >
> > Would be interesting to me what the response would have been from  this 
> > list if it had been Little Walter and not Bach that had been  the butt of 
> > the joke.  Of course the masses wouldn't know the  difference between bad 
> > LW  and good - and "they were enjoying  themselves" so you can see how 
> > that argument is kind of hypocritical.
> >
> > But I am only trying my hardest in my area to the Harmonica to the 
> > highest standards; one's that are judge by my peers, other musicians  in 
> > classical music.   I use the blues harmonica as my encores, my  little 
> > joke, and never claimed to be a great diatonic player.
> >
> > BTW, I listened to Mr. Greene and he is a wonderful diatonic player, 
> > especially in the blue grass style and country.
> >
> > Harmonically yours,
> >
> > Robert Bonfiglio
> > http://www.robertbonfiglio.com