RE: [Harp-L] Audience response

[Mike Best <mike.d.best@xxxxxx>]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this message but it sounds like you think this is
a bad thing.  But surely it's a GOOD thing if an audience appreciates a harp
solo, no matter how well or otherwise it is played.  It was only a few days
ago on this very list that we were bemoaning the lack of harp in modern
music.  I reckon we should be grateful for whatever appreciation we can get

I might be going out on an limb here, especially given the amazing
musicianship and technical prowess of many harp-L contributors, but I think
we often place far more importance on the subtleties of our playing than our
audience does.  Sure if you're Howard Levy playing to a small jazz club full
of harp aficionados then by all means pull out every trick and obscure tune
in the book, but if you try this in front of the closing dinner of a shoe
salesman's conference then it's just not gonna work

I play in a few "party" bands and when we are choosing songs we ask
ourselves three questions:  (1) Will they recognise it?  (2) Will they dance
to it?  (3) Will they be glad we played it?   If we score 2 out of 3 then
we're onto a potential winner

But if we added other questions like:  Is it difficult to play?  or, Will
they appreciate our instrumental virtuosity?  then I think we would end up
with a whole different list of songs and our audiences wouldn't have
anywhere near as good a time as they do now

Don't get me wrong, of course we should all try and be the best muso's we
can.  But on those nights when you're tired or cranky or just not feeling
creative and you find yourself repeating variations of the same solo through
a whole set of Chuck berry numbers in A,  just be thankful that the audience
is not as critical as you think they are

Cheers
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Robert Hale
Sent: Friday, 17 August 2012 5:50 AM
To: harp-L list
Subject: [Harp-L] Audience response

What is it that brings an audience to their feet, cheering for a harp solo
that was adequately done, but not particularly fresh, new, or difficult?

Robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx from my iPhone