In 1967 I played Renaissance lute music on a Renaissance lute (9 course
transitional thing by David Rubio) at an open mic joint in S.F. Also
performed impromptu in a number of coffee houses on Haight Street. And
once in a vacant lot in the wee hours in the Fillmore district (back
when it was an African-American slum, where I lived for a time) for the
entertainment of some poor homeless drunks. Good times, actually. My
music was somewhat less appreciated a few years later in a rural redneck
bar in Maine. They wanted country western, and I didn't blame them one bit.
"The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters"
Francisco Goya was no dummy, that's for sure. Make America Musical
Again (Oh, mama!)
Dan
On 1/3/2018 10:51 AM, John Mardinly wrote:
America, being in the throes of "Make America Great Again", is
unfortunately in general hostile to any music that requires more than
two brain cells to appreciate. Fortunately, there are some exceptions.
A. John Mardinly, Ph.D., P.E.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Francisco Goya
On Jan 3, 2018, at 9:32 AM, Ron Andrico <[1]praelu...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Thank you for your New Year's greeting, Tristan.
Much as I would wish the US early music scene to be otherwise, it is
for the most part not what might be characterized as informal,
inviting
nor inclusive. While there are a few soloists and ensembles
attempting
to perform in less traditional venues, the attempts are not really
successful. Ronn McFarlane did in fact play in a bar in Cleveland
once. I had lunch with him the following day and he reported that
there were 10 people in attendance.
I have written about this at some length and will continue to do so,
but the early music scene in the US really caters to
sit-down-and-shut-up audiences who are encouraged to participate in
some weird fan worship culture. There are a few exceptions, and
Mignarda is definitely among the exceptions. We make it a point to
seek out non-traditional audiences, and we have deliberately been
performing in a variety of smaller venues, restaurants, coffee shops,
libraries and in house concert settings for most of our 15 years as a
duo. We also perform in churches and the usual larger venues, but we
like having contact with our audiences.
I am of the opinion that early music will die out with the rapidly
ageing baby-boom generation unless more of an effort is made on the
part of performers to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds
and encourage informal ensemble playing. In the coming year, we will
be initiating a series of local informal gatherings where amateurs
and
professionals can connect and share a love of making ensemble music.
Wish us luck.
RA
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