Dear musicians, I had a couple of beers with a (Finnish) lutenist, who only reads this list, doesn't write. We were talking of music - of course ;-)
To whom do you play, to whom do you perform? He tended to think he plays to himself, mainly and basically only to himself. This is a very interesting question! To me "to play" is to send a message to the audience. To me "playing to myself" would be as being gentle to myself. As if I were touching gently to my left hand by my right hand... You know the difference to touch anothers hands? (BTW, I guess RT could find very rude analogies in his style?) But perhaps you could also think playing is as serving ice cream to yourself? Pleasing only yourself? To me playing music, anyhow, is always performing! To me there really is music only when there is a "sender" and "listener". And perhaps that is why I am so lazy in practising? ;-) How do you feel, do you "share gentleness" to others, or do you "eat your own ice cream", when you play? Arto
