Try bike racing (not that I was ever any great shakes as a racer, but I did stick it out for three years). Beginners are generally expected to "prove themselves worthy" before anyone will give you the time of day. I've found the lute world far more accepting and supportive.
I showed up at my first LSA in '95 with very modest ability and an old tank of a German "heavy lute". By the end of the week I been gently told how the design of the instrument was limiting what I could do, but otherwise was treated as one of the gang and learned a great deal. I won't claim to have acquired any great skill since, but it certainly wasn't because of a lack of encouragement from fellow lutenists on this list or elsewhere. Guy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vance Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "lute list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 8:27 PM Subject: Re: Size of the lute world > Trouble is-----a lot of them drop out or go underground because the group > that should be supporting them and encouraging them is by far and away as > friendly as a pack of junk yard dogs. As a whole I have never been > exposed > to a group, boasting interest passionately in a particular endeavor, that > is > more driven by ego, pride, condescension, duplicity and judgementalism. > Before you get mad at me read through the posts that have flooded email > servers world wide over the last week or so and ask yourself: If you were > new to the Lute would you feel safe and confident in posting a question to > this bunch of brigands? > > There are some fine people in this group that posses a wealth of knowledge > but in asking a question you have to first consider what side of the fence > you might fall on to and who is going to consider you one of theirs and > one > of his and one of yours. This is absurd and self destructive. I just > wish > every one would temper their opinions with a little good sense realizing > that you or I don't like everyone and everyone does not like you or I. > That's the truth of it BUT!!! we all love the Lute. > > Vance Wood. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Roman Turovsky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Daniel Shoskes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 5:02 PM > Subject: Re: Size of the lute world > > > > > As I was deleting another repetitive pain in the ass flame post in the > ongoing > > > battle between the > > > greedy billionaire lute publishers and the brave Trotskyist > > > proletariat > > > struggling to free the > > > world's tablature I think I noticed an estimate of about 4000 lute > players > > > worldwide. Is this a > > > reasonable estimate? > > No. I estimated a maximum of 3000. > > > > > > > Would these range from serious players to people with a > > > lute in the attic they > > > haven't touched in 15 years? Include guitarists who tune their g > > > string > down a > > > half step? Include the > > > pipa and oud? Those people with a Lute Olsen signed basketball? > > No. It is based on membership lists of lute societies and Google > > sightings > > of unaffiliated players, with an added roach assumption that there is 1 > more > > invisible lutenist to 2 already visibles. Also numbers of lute teachers > and > > luthiers are taken into account. > > The number is expected to grow because several schools put out lutenists > at > > a steady rate. > > RT > > > > ______________ > > Roman M. Turovsky > > http://turovsky.org > > http://polyhymnion.org > > > > > > > > >
