Notes from the Field

"The tradition in which I participate is that of countless hard working men and women who come home from a day of work that is soul draining and synthetic, and play music as a way to reconnect with my own humanity."

Bravo!

Its true.

Thank you very much for expressing your feelings so accurately and honestly. I am so close to you in make up that we could almust be brothers. Add to all that, my sensitivity to music is so great that I can't keep a dry eye listening or performing truly beautiful music (beautiful to me, that is).

Thanks again for writing this article showing the quiet, music-loving person's side of non-performance.

I don’t compose. I don’t write original tunes or songs. I suppose I could, but I don’t have any really interesting musical ideas, nothing to compare with J. P. Fraley or Astor Piazzolla, or Johann Sebastian Bach, or Georg Phillip Telemann, or Hank Williams, or Ira Louvin, or that wack job of a composer Anon.

To compose or not – that is maybe not the question. The creative process might be as deep (or deeper) “just” by playing. However, I think that we should not always compare us with the great masters, if we do, we will always end up in silence. We play to get closer to the music, to the experiences behind, to the beauty above. For me New Jersey is quite exotic, like Bergen of Norway probably is to you. And of course – our experiences are always unique. That is why we can have poetry. And I would love to hear your composing voice. I think all of us would.

For me, composing is another part of my playing. I compose and play my pieces. When I don’t compose, I don’t play either. No, it’s not Bach or Grieg, but when I play this music, people are listening to what I am sharing. That is my way to connect to this river you describe. And it makes me happier than anything. I have to compose.

As I said – to compose or not is not the question, to connect is. To connect to people, history – the beauty. And we must all find our way to this connection.

Thank you for sharing and expressing your feelings!

I use New Jersey mostly because thats where I am from, in case anyone gets their nose out of joint.

Once while traveling in Ireland, playing in pubs and on the street, I met a fellow from Sydney Australia. He was a courier, which probably doesn't happen any more. He would take different companies' documents and small packages, checked in with his own luggage, and take them to recipients all over the world, for hire. He got to travel everywhere, on other people's money.

I remember I asked him, over a beer or two, what it was like in Sydney Australia. I had romantic adventurous notions. Well his response cracked me up. He said that: "Its a lot like New Jersey, actually. You know - nothing over a couple of hundred years old, nothing you can't see in any city modern anywhere..."

Mind you, he did not as yet know where I was from. He just picked New Jersey himself! Probably says more about him than about his home town, or mine.


My hats off to anyone who composes. Its not just a skill and an art, its magical. I hope my comments were not taken as a disparagement of the activity. I am over awed by those who can compose effective tunes, and I have too much respect for it.

"Music affects me. It does. The world to me is that much brighter and more wonderful for my participation in music.

At the end of the day, however, the musical world is unchanged for my participation in it. I am changed. Music - not so much. "


Jeff, these are contradictory statements. I encourage you to take a step back and look again

We are the instruments: we assume tools and serve the music through our efforts-- no matter how "modest"--and thus serve and transform "the world" (and beyond) by virtue of our experiences. It's a simple process yet shouldn't be underestimated for its profundity. "Logical positivism" does a disservice to the soul--it would have you believe that you are a but vessel devoid of value

" We are the instruments: we assume tools and serve the music through our efforts-- no matter how "modest"--and thus serve and transform "the world" (and beyond) by virtue of our experiences. "

Well perhaps there is some truth to this. But as an engineer I have to apply significant digits, and the innacuracy that results from ignoring my impact on music is so small that, well, that it is too small to see when I take a step back and look for it.

But what does this matter?--whether we impact it profoundly or not at all... Would you expect to impact the sea or the stars?

I believe we are too desensitized to apprehend the beauty and power before us, that is everywhere, but "subtle"--man's sensitivities are conditioned to not be moved by ordinary events...which are all prfound

Or is it the human artifice aspect you're more concerned with? Then, I can see your point

Not sacrifice no.

The best musicians made a mark on the music. In some cases changed things for ever, in most cases changed things a little. The good musicians are at least attempting to leave a personal mark.

Being that I am not a musician, I feel no compunction to do anything original, but just to lay back in the music as it has been handed to me.

First time checking out your blog, Jeff. You're a gifted writer, and if you don't believe you have anything original to say with music, you certainly do with words.

I'm a decent mandolin player and I also make up tunes a lot. I don't do it to try to inch my way into the world of composing,but I do it because I just hear melodies a lot and try to get them onto the fretboard. It's a lot of fun, but at first I did almost feel as if I needed permission. To each his own, though, I say.

I have a laptop & synth rig where I can compose weird, complex & far-out electronica to my heart's content. But first I would have to spend 1/2 hour plugging things in, checking cables, waiting for my computer software to boot up, and of course, Troubleshooting.
I missed the spontaneity of acoustic instruments. Simple: 1. Pick it up. 2. Play it.

I kept telling myself "you don't need a mandolin. You won't have time to play it. You should concentrate on your (expensive) electronica rig. Didn't you already go thru that Bluegrass phase in 1974?"
Finally I couldn't ignore the urge anymore & I bought a mandolin. (mandola actually). I'm so glad I did!! I can't compose any far-out symphonies with it...all I can do is move my fingers around & play Irish & bluegrass tunes that a million other people have played. But there IS something I can do with it: I can take it outside & play. Hopefully soon I can even get out from my computer & go to jams & hang out with real human beings!
So yeah, I definitely needed an acoustic instrument in my life!

There are some definite advantages to jams with real human beings.