Funny Conversation

[Tom Yum]

Many many moons ago, I had a conversation with a much older adult about music. It went something like this:

Q: What kind of music do you like?

Me: Oh man, I like alot of different kinds of music. Classical, jazz, funk, some old school rap, alternative...

Q: Oh, but you don't really like classical. You probably don't understand it...

Me: I think I do...

Q: You're not high status. Your parents aren't high society, so how could you like classical music...

Me: ...well, I played trumpet for about 10 years. My favorite classical pieces came from German and Russian composers of the 19th and 20th century. The marching band I was in placed in top five state wide positions all four years I was there. Our orchestra got selected to play in a national concert up in one of the nations best music schools and invited us to travel up north to perform.

Q: Yeah, but its all mechanical to you. You don't really feel the music when you listen to it, you just go through the motions like a mindless (asian) robot...

Me:...well I did play in a small jazz ensemble for a year at the University level, did it in highschool also, got a chance to do solo improv a few times....there were sooo many awesome musicians I looked up to...

Q: You still don't really know music Tom! And on top of it, if you were so good, you would be doing it now professionally!!!

Me: Do you mean I don't understand music composition or theory? Man, I had a really good time doing it and I'm glad I did...

Q: Who do YOU think YOU are?!?! Just because you played an instrument at some school and a so-so university doesn't mean you understand music at all...

Me: Okay, okay, okay...wow, I didn't realize I offended you......bye.

(Tom goes walking on egg shells and keeps mouth shut not to offend)

[blitz]

Gah man you reallly need to stop being so nice... I'm not saying you should have punched him, but you should put people like that in their place.

[Toudiyama[NL]]

Huh, Q asks you what music you like, and then he tells you you don't really like it, what is he clearvoyant?(sp?)

what was Q's music experience because the way he is reacting makes a statement like: "I DO understand music"

[Tom Yum]

Toudiy - Q was a good person overall, but this is a conversation that kind of stuck out for me. Q had good taste in music and even dabbled a little in piano, but never performed in a group (you don't really need to anyway as a piano player). Q was also a dignified person of high social status; very well mannered, neat and classy for all intents and purposes.

Blitz - Thinking about it, most persons whom were full-time music majors could own me on the trumpet; I just did it for fun and was just on the outskirts of their abilities - so I knew my place amongst the pro's.

Q, however, wasn't one of them...so I just let it slide.

[Sagacious Lu]

Gah man you reallly need to stop being so nice... I'm not saying you should have punched him, but you should put people like that in their place.

Punching him is definately a viable option, although under the circumstances it would be more appropriate to bash him over the head with a tuba. Besides, the smart people listen to jazz, not classical music


*Just in case anyone didn't pick up on it this is not a serious post. I would never condone mistreating a valuable tuba this way*

[Tom Yum]

Punching him is definately a viable option, although under the circumstances it would be more appropriate to bash him over the head with a tuba. Besides, the smart people listen to jazz, not classical music

I think more creative people listen to jazz. Studies show that classical music can increase a child's IQ.

*Just in case anyone didn't pick up on it this is not a serious post. I would never condone mistreating a valuable tuba this way*

Tubas are good at two things (musically):

1. The moment before the storm or after the destruction (Shostakovich symph no 11).

2. Being happy, jolly ooompas

[Sagacious Lu]

I think more creative people listen to jazz. Studies show that classical music can increase a child's IQ.



Tubas are good at two things (musically):

1. The moment before the storm or after the destruction (Shostakovich symph no 11).

2. Being happy, jolly ooompas

Tubas are also great for putting down some funky-ass bass heavy dance music if they're in a New Orleans Brass band... but you still took my post way to seriously Whatever his redeeming qualities may be that guy souds like a jack ass.

[Tom Yum]

Tubas are also great for putting down some funky-ass bass heavy dance music if they're in a New Orleans Brass band... but you still took my post way to seriously Whatever his redeeming qualities may be that guy souds like a jack ass.

Didya play the tuba, Lu?

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Was he by any chance an old chinese fellow? I dunno about you but in my family they tend to criticize us youngsters :/.

[Tom Yum]

Was he by any chance an old chinese fellow? I dunno about you but in my family they tend to criticize us youngsters :/.

Nope.

But what you said is true.

[Sagacious Lu]

Didya play the tuba, Lu?

No, I don't play any instraments. I do a lot of listening though.

[Tom Yum]

Nice band pic!

[osopardo]

The first mistake one makes in such a discussion is allowing or conceding to the assumption that "classical" or symphonic music is somehow superior to other forms of music. This is anglo-european cultural snobbery at it's worst!

I could effectively argue that there are many examples of other types of music which are certainly more historically rich, more intelligently created, more structurally complex and more emotionally and spiritually connected and accessible than anything which has been expressly concocted for the enjoyment of a moneyed nobility and/or clergy by some powder-wigged, anglo-saxon white european male.

[Tom Yum]

The first mistake one makes in such a discussion is allowing or conceding to the assumption that "classical" or symphonic music is somehow superior to other forms of music. This is anglo-european cultural snobbery at it's worst!

I could effectively argue that there are many examples of other types of music which are certainly more historically rich, more intelligently created, more structurally complex and more emotionally and spiritually connected and accessible than anything which has been expressly concocted for the enjoyment of a moneyed nobility and/or clergy by some powder-wigged, anglo-saxon white european male.

I like jazz.

Its completely different than classical, although jazz has been influenced by classical music (i.e. Ragtime) and military music. What makes jazz different from classical? Feeling and intuition.

There's feeling in classical too and the conductor has his own interpretation, but in jazz its more up to the individual performer. There's more freedom.

Looking at "April in Paris" when the trumpet solo comes up, all I've got are key changes and no notes, which makes classical musicians pee in their pants...lol.

At the same time, you'll have a tough time getting a pure jazz horn player to nail some of the technical stuff in Haydn's Concerto for trumpet, take the octave jumps, maybe some of the upper range stuff too...not every jazz horn player is a "screecher"

[Tom Yum]

Letting the conversation flow...

Wynton Marsalis is a man respected by many in the classical realm but more famous for his jazz (sorry if this is a no-brainer for cajun folks). I'm sure he's been critiqued by academics, but for those of us with two feet on the ground his technical skills are as amazing as his improv and dynamics in jazz.

He nailed flight of the bumblbee in under 1:00.
He nailed Haydn's trumpet concerto.
He nailed all of the movements in the Carnival of Venice.

For non-horn players, to play flight of the bumblebee in under 1:00 is probably the equivalent of running a mile under 6:00 and shooting bulls eyes at targets at the same time...lol.