Stephen, I think you are correct. This is essentially what I was getting at about the concert fee for less-than-established artists. Paul O'Dette, Hoppy Smith, Nigel North and Bob Barto are all about the same age. When they were my age, they were already well regarded. Looking around, however, I know of no lute players in my age group who have comparably established reputations. Make no mistake: all of these guys are still making interesting, vital music of the highest caliber. I hope and expect they will continue to do so for many years to come.
But there has to be fertile ground to nourish a new guard, too. The big guys may not be getting all they're worth, but, at the fees offered to the second string players, concertizing can be downright unfeasible. If players can't get out in front of people, it is hard to build a following. Once the four players mentioned at the top of this message become less active, will there be players to take their places? Chris Dr. Christopher Wilke D.M.A. Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer www.christopherwilke.com -------------------------------------------- On Mon, 8/12/13, Stephen Stubbs <fartrea...@gmail.com> wrote: Subject: [LUTE] Re: general public Lute awareness To: t...@heartistrymusic.com, lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Cc: "'Stephen Stubbs'" <fartrea...@gmail.com> Date: Monday, August 12, 2013, 9:24 AM [Stephen] There is an interesting book by Phyllis Tickle entitled The Great Emergence. It deals with modern Christianity and how it is evolving. I think her main theme applies to the lute world as well. The 'traditionalist' or 'fundamentalist' lute group will decline, and a rise of a 'hybrid' (Phyllis had another term for this, but I've forgotten what it was) lute group will occur. If not, the lute will slowly fade away. The lute world needs to reach out to the non-traditional audience. The SCA and the followers of Sting are a prime resource that should be cultivated and encouraged. For What It's Worth "The Other" Stephen Stubbs Champaign, IL USA "Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one." Benjamin Franklin (American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer, and Inventor. 1706-1790) -----Original Message----- [Tom] Are we trying creatively to increase general audience for lute music here, or are we practicing exclusivity? I'm looking at SCA and Ren Faires solely as a group of potential music buyers. Why not encourage the interest and point it in the right direction? To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html