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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
 Posted - 01/21/2005 : 3:36:00 PM
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Rik,
definitely no mittens; this is kid gloves stuff.
Titus is actually a smaller man than you mentioned, although quite dark-skinned, with long black hair. He is mostly a surfer and the locals ( his relatives run Hula Girl ) say he is only surfing now, not playing. He sings and plays mostly contemporary hawaiian, mjusic, writes a few tunes. He had on dvd for sale which i bought. No slack key on it but a neat surfing video of him, with musical accompaniment. He plays slack key, but it seems that like many hawaiians (not the ones we are familiar with) he doesn't seem to let on...it might make him less cool???
that may be an unfair judgement, especially if you are a young mujsician trying to get heard, and sell a few records; much greater market for the jawaiian and other comtemporary music forms than for slack key. Too bad, but that is the way it is |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2005 : 06:11:32 AM
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My guess is that Rik doesn't own any mittens - or any kid gloves, for that matter...
auntie
He loves those gloves you're wearing in your picture, Karl. |
nancy cook |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 7:56:07 PM
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Auntie Nancy,
This is my 35th winter in Alaska, and I must say I am tiring a bit of the cold. I am thinking of heading south one of these years. An old friend moved "Outside" (anywhere south of Alaska) years ago. He told me he was going to strap a snow shovel on the fender of his car, he was going to drive south and not stop until somebdy asked him "What's that for?"
Think I coul do the same with my mittens? |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 9:36:40 PM
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Yup...
But you have to keep them on past all our friends in the Seattle area, past Mark and the others in Oregon, and from what Julie said about silk undies, I guess you might need them as you pass the Santa Cruz area, but you'd look pretty silly in them down here.
Our city has fireworks a couple weeks before Christmas down at the pier. It's like a gi-normous block party for the city and includes caroling before they start. the advantage of having them then is many-fold including that they can start anytime after about 6PM. But you need to wear a sweatshirt, or sweater. We always know who came from "someplace else" because they have on something besides ski gloves, and they have these funny shawls or scarves... even the guys. Actually, we all know what snow is, most everyone's been skiing, and the local mountains get snow which we can see. But it's one of the few places where you can get good skiing one day and good surfing the next. and if you go south about an hour and a half, great ki ho'alu kani ka pila!! Come on down and give it a try!!
n |
nancy cook |
Edited by - Auntie Nancy on 01/23/2005 9:39:50 PM |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 09:14:17 AM
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Auntie Nancy,
Thanks for the invite, I'd love to slack around with the SoCal bunch.
I guess it is just "up" that gets the snow and cold. Either up in the sky, like your mountains, or up on the map, like Alaska. (once, while showing my mother a map of Alaska, i pointed out to her that the Yukon River flowed north, then west, then south. She said "Oh no, that cannot be,,,,rivers only flow south." "What do you mean, mom?" "Well, nothing can flow uphill." By which she went on to explain, that water would not flow "up" the map!)
Either way, up high, I think even the most seasoned pllayer would have the shakes while playing!
How's that for getting back to the subject. eh? |
Karl
Frozen North |
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OHIO-HAOLE
Akahai
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2005 : 11:49:33 PM
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 Aloha all....been off line for awhile and was surprised to see my topic went into the hot topic level! We'll you all gave great advice and it seems now for me that it is getting easier and the shakes are less the more I play out and with other musicians. I really do fine when I play with the folk group I'm in 3-4 guys at a time singin and playin, It's when I play a solo song and don't sing that I was feeling the shakes and tightness,especially if I didn't now the song that well! But time is healing this...seems the more open mikes and little gigs we get the more relaxed I'm getting. I am jealous though of the guys that can just sit in with us,(never playing with us before!) and just take off! Because we play alot of the great standards like "Blowin in the wind",and "Knockin on heavens door" etc.Some folks just join right in smooth and not shakey at all! Like one of the guys sais...just play and let it happen, have fun! Well playing rhytm guitar to standards is fun, but going into Slack Key and solo is a whole 'nother story! I only know 4 slack songs by heart but it seems everyone stops talking and really listens when I play that stuff, Ohio folks are just getting into alternate tunings and most don't know what slack key is but they sure love it!
Anyway...I did drink some Kava once before a big bar gig and it did stop the outside shaking anyway! Just very glad to hear almost everyone at some time or another has hand shakes from nerves! But it seems as my confidence grows the shakes are less! Mahalo! Ken. |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 12:27:31 AM
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Welcome back!!
I had worse stagefright at our kani ka pila last Sunday than i've experience in years.... bright red, sweating in the wrong places, etc. And I'd practiced and played for my friends knowing I'd have to play for our group down in SD. Whew, but that's over. And Ohio isn't the only place where folks haven't heard slack key; no around here has heard of it either. And reactions from close friends vary from wow, that's neat that you're learning, to "it all sounds the same" to "why would you want to do that when you already play just fine". So it's a delight to find someone, anyone who knows what's it's about. It gets me to drive almost 3 hrs one way just to get together. Of course, so far, everyone I've met is more than just a cut above the rest of humanity - they're super folks.
Maybe after playing this for 40 yrs I won't shake, at least not from stage fright.
Hang in there, just remember it's fun.
auntie |
nancy cook |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 09:40:15 AM
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Ken,
Just read your last posting. Something very important in there -- a little thing about knowing the song you're gonna play in public before you play it. One of the guys I "teach" came back from a really bad experience -- lots of nerves, missing strings, etc. I asked him what he played and after he told me also added that he had only picked it up two days before the open mike. This, in spite of the fact that he had a good dozen songs down cold. Suicide is not painless. |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2005 : 09:03:01 AM
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Raymond,
"Suicide is not painless" That's for sure, but, perhaps knowing that in advance would keep too many of us off any stage, do you think? Maybe "ignorance is bliss" coud just as easily apply...meaning that if you donj;t realize just how scary being in front of people and messing up might be, you just might do it anyway. I know for sure that is why i was able to play on the one night the mic was thrust in front of me, with no idea i would be asked to play, and no chance to remember that sucicide is painless:) |
Karl
Frozen North |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2005 : 11:36:51 AM
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RJS is correct, being familiar with the song while on stage is a no-brainer must, playing continually in front of people, (or dog) will eventually eliminate those "shakes". I'm finding it becoming less & less difficult now playing in front of people the more I do it. When I can play good in front of others like a play when I'm by myself, then I know I have arrived.
Lose the mittens Karl, it'll be easier. Ha. (just kidding bro)
-slkho |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2005 : 5:22:40 PM
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I've played a lot before others, and I still get nervous. Heck Rubenstein (one of the great pianists of the 20th Century,) used to throw up before almost every performance. However, the more practice in front of others, the easier it gets to see the nervousness as energy, not fear or panic. Playing in front of others is not "suicide" -- in fact it is a very rewarding and energizing experience. I for one, will not play a song in public unless I'm sure I know it. Learned that one by experience and don't need to relearn the lesson.
When I wanted to get into playing before others, I used the shoreline in a play where there was lots of people, public parks, convalescent hospitals and senior residences. I highly recommend all 4 venues. |
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catheglass
Lokahi
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2005 : 10:11:07 PM
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Ok, here's another manifestation - I'm comfortable playing my baritone 'ukulele just about anytime, anywhere, in front of whomever.
But when it comes to ki ho'alu, it's total terror. Especially if a microphone is involved. Several of you TP'ers can attest to this. <BEG> What's that about?
I was at the BAMHI classes in Redwood City too, and had Rev. Dennis point that magic finger and say "play". It was hard to get started, but once I began thinking about the song, and what it's about, rather than my playing, it got mo' bettah. |
cathe |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2005 : 12:07:57 PM
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Cathe, you'll be fine honest. Continue to play in front of, and with people with your slack and it will all click.
-slkho |
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