Re: Subject: Blues vs classical - was: Re: Subject: [Harp-L] The name "blues"

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

<<Are there musicians or genres known for NOT playing from their hearts? >>

I doubt that any musician would like to known for this, whether true or not.


There have been composers of compositions that have asked the musicians not to play with feeling, but to just play totally mechanically. This was to develop a concept to see how it would turn out. 


(Remember reading this, but can not give a specific example off the top of my head).



-----Original Message-----
From: Barry Bean <bbbean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Fri, Jun 20, 2014 12:34 pm
Subject: Re: Subject: Blues vs classical - was: Re: Subject: [Harp-L] The name "blues"


On 6/6/2014 10:58 AM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:
> What I WAS talking about were musicians who play from their hearts-

Are there musicians or genres known for NOT playing from their hearts? 
In my experience, one of the differences between adequate musicians and 
great musicians is the ability to play from the heart regardless of 
whether one is improvising alone or playing in a 60 piece orchestra.


> However--contrary to your experience, I've also met and, as a life 
> long music fan watched certain classically trained musicians 'phoning 
> in' their performances and becoming hopelessly lost without their 
> sheet music while having no sense of what lies behind the music when 
> out of their element.

Let me assure you that I've played with a great many blues, jazz, rock, 
country, and folk musicians who have done the same when they were having 
a bad night. Not every performance is a gem. Some nights you just 
survive the gig.

BB