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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2011 : 3:19:46 PM
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Whilst washing windows in the suburban wastes of gray Seattle (Slipry1 says that the musician's #1 commandment is "Don't quit yer day job!'), I pondered the present culture that obtains here. With TV, Movies, Radio, etc, it seems to me that the dominant culture is one of spectatorship. The brave few pursue some for of involvement, learning to sing in a tradtion, play an instrument, dance, etc. Any comments? Eh, MempachiMan, you get one doctoral t'esis fo dis o wat?
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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neeej
`Olu`olu
USA
643 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2011 : 4:14:33 PM
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| One gets very peculiar looks when making own music, 'specially from the younger crowd. Try humming or whistling (or...egads!!..singing) while puttering about in public. Not that I let that stop me <VEG> |
--Jean S |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2011 : 5:48:13 PM
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| Things are looking up for the younger set here on the mainlnad. Once again (like the late 50's, early 60'), the music business has become so bad that young people are playing for themselves, rediscovering traditional music and dance. The old timey jams here in Seattle have a lot of teen, 20'w and 30's at them. They even make their own CD's to sell at gigs. Except for the tattoos, they look a lot like I did back in the time. |
keaka |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2011 : 5:49:43 PM
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| That's "mainland", and .btw, the folks that want us to buy their product do NOT want us to do anything but watch. |
keaka |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2011 : 03:34:08 AM
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I love to be a spectator (consumer) of music. I like listening and watching. That is why I am the Kuini No Na You Tube. I am mighty particular, though, in the TYPES of music I like to listen or watch, e.g.NO rap, hip-hop, heavy metal. I buy music. I buy lots of music. For the past maybe 7 or 8 years, though, all I have purchased for me is Hawaiian music. There isn't any other music now days that I care to "consume". The other stuff I like, I bought back in the days when it was "new"...Peter, Paul & Mary; Joan Baez, etc. So I have all the "other" stuff I like. In my limited little world, there is no music business for me other than Hawaiian. That is all I support with my dollars.
On the other hand, I LOVE playing `ukulele and singing, especially with others. It is certainly not nearly as fun by yourself. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to go to Honolulu and visit Duke, Jay, Derek, Shawn, Sam, the Abrigo `Ohana, Carmel,Ozzie, Peter, Peter Boy,Terry and dear departed Uncle Ron, and make music with them. When he has a little BBQ/kanikapila while we are there and everyone jams together, wow! Or go to Waimea Valley for one of the kanikapila there. Chicken skin. At the end when we held hands and sing "Hawai`i Aloha", I had tears running down my face. I stink at `ukulele. I stink at singing. But I do have a song in my heart always and I have to let it out. And you know what? These wonderful people let me do it. When I had laryngitis and tried to croak out "Pua Carnation" and my music sheet blew away from me in the wind and I couldn't quite remember the words, they didn't laugh at me. They kept playing and singing so I could keep up. I was terrified to sing a song in front of so many people and I sounded awful. But the world did not end. And maybe next time I try it again and I won't have laryngitis.
The neatest thing is that at this Waimea Valley kanikapila last August there were plenty children. Some just to be there with their parents, but some were playing music. I will never forget Terry Brown playing `ukulele with his son, Kihei. I think Kihei is maybe 4 by now. He had his `ukulele and was playing right next to Dad. And Kihei had the biggest smile on his face. And Kawika Soon was there with Christina and she had kala`au (hula sticks) and was keeping rhythm. And after that kanikapila, Christina begged her daddy for an `ukulele. And she started playing. And she has sent me videos of her playing songs. And then she graduated to singing while she was playing. And then she played a duet with her dad accompanying her on guitar.
Guys it doesn't get any better than that. Kids want to make music. Grownups do too.
And I think those who like music, any kind of music, all want to play music. Even those who don't, deep down, they dream that it is them up on stage singing like Andrea Boccelli or playing slack key guitar like Led Kaapana, or for some kids, maybe Justin Bieber. But the love for music and the imagination are the things that tie it all together. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 03/12/2011 03:37:07 AM |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2011 : 05:40:51 AM
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| What you said, Aunty. Music is communication 1st, product 2nd. I buy CDs, it's good to listen while doing chores. Folks don't whistle anymore. I do. I tell customers not to expect to recognize the tunes because I sometimes whistle the harmony line or I choose tunes from traditions they might not be familiar with. I whistle because it's hard to play guitar on a ladder. Folks are desparate to learn and be creative, many don't know it. People make music, not lawyers and machines. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2011 : 06:36:38 AM
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Hard to spectate at some artists' live performances:
Celine Dion at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas - cheapest: $163. Front orchestra seats: $921
Josh Groban Tickets at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena (a basketball arena) - cheapest $105.00 - center floor seats $754
I would NEVER EVER spend that kind of money to see someone with ticket prices that high. It is CRAZY.
Think of all the CDs I could buy over at mele.com for that amount of money. And I could hear the music forever. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2011 : 07:10:36 AM
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As a follow-up to Wanda's observation, we can be a one-night spectator at high cost, or choose to participate even indirectly in addressing real problems.
Last night we watched a wonderful film titled, "One Peace At A Time," http://nobelity.org/one-peace-at-a-time/. $300 will buy a house in India to provide shelter from monsoon rains and mud.
Larry |
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Spectator or Participant?
