> Hi Ray,
>
> In your exchange with Harry there are two paragraphs where I think you
make
> errors of judgement:
>
(snip)
> Can't we live and let live? Don't you believe in democracy?
>
> Keith
Keith,
The best work all around work I've seen in the performing arts was in the
Army Chorus which at the time was the best performing and most advanced
chorus in the world. During the Vietnam War. We had superb arrangers
and composers paid by the Army and accompanists and singers who later filled
the opera houses and television studios of America and the world. We
worked and I still work in every medium of music from serious art music to
hip-hop, rap and the traditional musics of other cultures.
Two weeks ago I passed an audtition at 60 years of age for the lead in one
of the great ensembles of the world. If I get hired I'll brag later but
they loved the work. It is a magnificent Circus and that is all I'll say
except they asked me to audition first with improvisational singing. I
improvised a chant in the high plains style of the Lakota people, then sang
a Bartok song, polytonal in hungarian then sang a Cherokee Round Dance and a
Lakota song by Wicasa Wakan. I was also prepared to sing Italian, French,
German, English, Russian songs and the Iroquois Robin Dance. After that
they had me improvise a jazz improvisation with one of NYCity's finest jazz
pianists. I passed and am now waiting to see what happens.
My point is not to toot my own horn but to let you know that I certainly
understand the difference between the conventional and serious masterful
performance in any style of work. I've taught most of the them and have
students performing in every venue. I'm not putting down commercial music
at all. Quite the opposite. It seems the only serious art work being
done at the moment is being done in the recording studio by the engineers
who are superb musicians and who take compositional
drivel and turn it into gold. But that doesn't excuse the public for
being so mono chromatic and musically ignorant that they don't know the
difference. Most of the work you hear is the result of deals being made
between companies and venue providers. They play the public like a piano.
If there is something better you don't hear it, not because that is what
the public wants but because it is what they want the public to want.
Same story as the news about the present war. Control the media and you
control people's imaginationa and opinion. The problem is CONVENTIONAL
thought Keith. Conventional: Unimaginative; conformist.
In the army we did everykind of traditional music in the world since we had
to sing for every country at one time or another. But it was never
conventional. I work with singers in every Western art form and from all
over the world and in every venue. In April I had a singer 15th on the
Charts in the UK. He was a mix of country western and hip-hop with as
rapper named Milk. His name is Jason Downs and he can sing anything but
this is his art and I take it as seriously as the greatest classical music.
I don't value composition more than the art of performance. But I don't
limit myself the way you and Harry imply and certainly I know the business
well enough to expose the lie of supply and demand. That is nonsense. As
for
your comment about Democracy, that is a silly stupid statement. As I said
before, I don't have time for this and I won't answer you again either. Not
on this.
But this doesn't mean I don't like you two or think you are capital fellows.
Just that your comments are not well informed in spite of your success.
I would be happy to answer a question or two about my experience but this
stuff is a waste of time and I don't have a lot of time to write.
Regards
REH
