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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
 Posted - 06/07/2008 : 07:16:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by noeau
So why are we chasing rainbows?
Because they are so dazzlingly beautiful; they captivate us.
But if we recognize their transitional fragility, and that over-analyzing rainbows (putting 'em in your pocket, as you eloquently put it) might diminish their magical appeal...
Same thing with music. Study it enough to spread the magic, but don't be too concerned with boxing it up and putting it on the shelf. |
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pifarrell
Aloha
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2008 : 10:36:29 PM
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Last night was just amazing. Including the musicians we had over 300 people which is the most we've ever had at a folk night, raised rather a lot of money.
I played the first two songs and when I said I was going to play a Hawaiian guitar tune I saw people looking at each other and mouthing "Hawaiian?" I explained a bit about slack key and launched into "Molehu". When I finished, for a couple of seconds you could have heard a pin drop, then a huge wave of applause came and I got rather nervous because that meant all the audience were now listening to me.
We set the hall out like a club with tables and chairs and we run a bar, people go back and forward to to the bar and it's all relaxed and informal, but for the rest of my set no one went back or forward, they sat and watched me (I started sweating just typing this). Anyway, after I finished with "Maunaloa" the place erupted.
I spent the rest of the night being buttonholed by various people saying how much they liked it, asking where they could get slack key CD's, guitarists in particular wanted to talk to me about it. The reaction was incredible
I think the reason is, these are all traditional music enthusiasts and they had heard something completely new to them which is very unusual in folk music, and slack key does seem to have that effect on people who hear it for the first time.
It was an excellent night, one of the bands brought along three teenage Irish dancers who were superb, it was certainly one of the best nights we've ever had.
After we wrapped up, a number of us went to the pub down from the hall for a few drinks and people still wanted to talk to me about slack key. I think I may have created a rod for my own back because I'm going to have to learn more for the next folk night.
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bigeedjit |
Edited by - pifarrell on 06/07/2008 11:18:42 PM |
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pifarrell
Aloha
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 12:14:14 AM
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Thanks Duke. Yes you are clairvoyant.
It actually occurred to me last night that you had said that. |
bigeedjit |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 12:47:25 AM
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| Peter - congratulations. Here's my 2 cents worth -- slack key is nothing but fancy guitar picking if you do not have the right attitude in your heart and soul for it. You have that right feeling inside you. I can tell because first of all, you came to Taro Patch. Second of all, you were taken well enough with the music to learn some fairly tough tunes. Thirdly of all you were nervous about it, because you knoew there was something special you wanted the folks to "get". Fourthly of all, you cared enough to want to share the beautiful music. Sounds like it was a success all round, both for you as the presenting artist, and for your audience who have now been touched. And how exciting it is to have more people asking about the music, a whole world away. You did good. Thank you for spreading the music. Make sure your friends know about mele.com. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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pifarrell
Aloha
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 01:08:35 AM
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I can't disagree with any of that Wanda.
Because I was playing to people who'd never heard slack key tunes before I became more nervous about it as the set progressed and I really wanted to "get it right" and I still can't believe I got through it without any mistakes.  |
bigeedjit |
Edited by - pifarrell on 06/08/2008 01:19:19 AM |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 01:14:45 AM
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Congratulations.
It is a thrill to expose the slack key sound to friends and associates isn't it! I have just begun doing it myself except to a classical guitar audience. |
Bob |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 07:44:53 AM
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| I just want to add my congratulations on your successful slack key debut! I've been enjoying this thread and couldn't wait to see how it went. Wanda said everything just right, especially about "that right feeling inside you" when you play this music that we all love. Now I can't wait for the next folk night! And I second Bruddah Duke's nomination of you for "Slack Key Ambassador of the United Kingdom"........perfect! |
Aloha,
John A. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 08:31:45 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by pifarrell
Last night was just amazing.
- - -
When I finished, for a couple of seconds you could have heard a pin drop, then a huge wave of applause came and I got rather nervous because that meant all the audience were now listening to me.
- - -
We set the hall out like a club with tables and chairs and we run a bar, people go back and forward to to the bar and it's all relaxed and informal, but for the rest of my set no one went back or forward, they sat and watched me (I started sweating just typing this). Anyway, after I finished with "Maunaloa" the place erupted.
- - -
I think I may have created a rod for my own back because I'm going to have to learn more for the next folk night.
Like they say, "the first one's free," because they know that once the drug hits your system, you're a hooked customer. Congratulations on experiencing such a fantastic "first one." |
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Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 08:53:26 AM
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| Brilliant! Well done! Congratulations, Peter! |
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pifarrell
Aloha
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 09:23:39 AM
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Thanks to all for the kind comments.
I tell you Duke, that was a scary moment when I finished playing "Molehu" then when they started applauding it got scarier |
bigeedjit |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2009 : 1:15:49 PM
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I almost forgot about this thread.
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Edited by - sm80808 on 03/03/2009 1:22:02 PM |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 09:07:36 AM
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I have heard some people say that playing a "contemporary" style and calling it "Slack Key" will help to promote awareness of Slack Key as a whole.
I don't really buy into that.
It is more than likely that if you played some "contemporary slack key" to an uninformed listener around around my age, they would associate "Slack Key" with music that is slow, bland, boring, or at best "relaxing" or "good to nap too"... which is far from the case of most traditional Slack Key music.
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 10:23:45 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by sm80808
they would associate "Slack Key" with music that is slow, bland, boring, or at best "relaxing" or "good to nap too"... which is far from the case of most traditional Slack Key music.
On the other hand, George Kahumoku once told me that if your audience dozes off, you're doing something right.
(Apply that to teaching English and I used to be absolutely brilliant in my 8:00 a.m. classes. . . .)
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 1:03:32 PM
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quote:
On the other hand, George Kahumoku once told me that if your audience dozes off, you're doing something right.
Once, in the middle of teaching one of his classes at George's camp, George dozed off.
Now that what I call teaching! |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2009 : 1:49:07 PM
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Slack key is confusing to some people, including me, because a lot of the recorded slack key is instrumental solo guitar. So isolating what make it Hawaiian, outside of the repertoire and II-V-I turnaround, is difficult. If you pull the non-Hawaiian slack key standards (Like "Silver Threads Among the Gold" into the mix, the definition becomes even murkier.
For this reason, instrumental slack key is not my favorite type of Hawaiian music. When I hear the language spoken or sung, it transports me to the place where the composer sat down and wrote the song.
Jesse |
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Topic |
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Defining Slack key
