Posts made by Kehaulani

Well, has it dawned on anyone that we've been talking about this for days and not one discussion on music?

A couple of those are right in the pocket of Big Dub's painting technique. You guys might do a collaboration.

Samurai, this is not to be disingenuous at all, but I'm not sure that Rowuk relates to casual players. I think his standards and approach to playing is not aimed at the guy who slouches on his couch and blows the horn while watching T.V., LOL. I'm not making a judgement, just an observation. As Andy Bumatai says, "Don't quote me, I might be wrong."

If I were in your shoes, I'd continue to play and refine your excerpts on C trumpet. Get really relaxed and refined at that tessitura then move it up to a higher-pitched instrument.

You might also take easy tunes you know (after you can play comfortably of C Trumpet) and play them higher. I know this is for "legit" playing, but my understanding is that high-note specialist Maynard Ferguson, when he was younger, played tunes and exercises up an octave. Some moderated application of this might help. Just make sure you can play them properly a the original octave first.

George, it doesn't matter what I say, Dr. Go is emotionally headhunting, so don't worry about it. I doubt that anything is going to change so I just ignore it the best that I can.

Regarding your question, I think I answered it from my POV. The fact that there is little substantial response just illustrates, unfortunately, a point I made on another thread.

An aside about Sammy, I have heard from an extremely qualified musician that Sammy Davis was the most talented person he ever worked with, and he worked with many.

I still remember the first time I ever saw him. It was a character on some 50s 1/2 hour B&W program where he was a member of an Army squad, where the people bullied him.

At the end of the show, some members decided they would throw a dud hand grenade and feign panic and see what he would do. When they didn't scatter, he threw himself on the grenade, willing to give his life up for his squad.

They just stood there looking at each other being humbled and moved by Sammy's unselfishness. It was very moving, and I had an eye on Sammy ever since.

This is all well and good, but I think it's relatively moot until this forum has more meaty topics. Meaty doesn't mean so complex that it's over everybody's head but something that has substance and meaning for posters at their level - their need.

The dearth of responses to such topics says to me that either there is no interest even if useful, or beyond a poster's knowledge.

If beyond a forum member's knowledge, then there is the opportunity for growth that is met with apathy. The alternate is more distraction with superfluous material.

I was drafting a response and then it hit me . . haven't we had this conversation before?

@Dr-GO said in WHY IS THIS BALLAD ....:
@Kehaulani said in WHY IS THIS BALLAD ....:
...And that's not a matter of opinion.

Which is your opinion.

Which you missed, totally. That the Shaggs are bad is not a matter of opinion. One might like them but that still doesn't make them good.

From what I've seen, forums can have rules but they are either obvious (no profanity) or ambiguous. Behavior usually settles into a routine as monitored by moderators and general consensus. Trying to make a comprehensive list of rules seem to me a big bag of worms. Letting water sink to it's own level seems to me the most reasonable.

@GeorgeB said in WHY IS THIS BALLAD ....:

The best or worse of anything is nothing more than one's opinion.

You know, I keep reading that, but I'm not so sure.

Now it's true that some things are just a matter of opinion or taste. But other things just aren't. That doesn't mean that you don't or shouldn't like them, but they're still bad and nothing will change that.

I get a kick out of the Shaggs. I like listening to them from time to time. But nobody in their right mind would call that good. And that's not a matter of opinion.

I conduced the U.S. military band at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, for the 40th anniversary ceremonies with Walter Cronkite and Pres. Reagan. Looking down the sheer cliffs that the Rangers had to scale under gunshot right in their faces, weighed heavily on me and the others in attendance.

I couldn't believe that anybody would scale those cliffs under direct fire at them. More than one guy must've lost it that day and with terror. Common people doing uncommon things. That's my definition of a real hero.

@Dr-GO said in Is It Jazz or Is It Classical?:
Not sure I would agree with this one. Modal use and forms have progressed significantly since Bach's time.

How does that account for how today's musicians would follow classical greats, like Bach, and improvise?

@J-Jericho said in Is It Jazz or Is It Classical?:
I've always heard a great similarity between Bach and Bebop, especially the in rhythms and the improv. Bach would have been an awesome Jazz musician IMO, and I think he would have loved the genre.

Compared to today's midstream music, I think that can be attributed to three fundamental things.

1. The use of the same (basically) fundamental harmonic structure.
2. The use of similar or same embellishments.
3. The use of improvisation, or structured music that has an improvisatory character.

The question is why so many players like it, right? I believe it's because of the chord changes, which are not so usual. The melancholic nature of the melody probably is attractive to some, as well. The form is predictable, 8 bar phrases, so there's nothing special there.

Me personally? I don't think it's ever been a part of my repertoire or that of any band leaders, for whom I've played. To me, it's not bad just nothing special. And for those reasons, I would also be surprised to know that it's that popular.