Some personal observations, If I may:
People in Convalescent and Recuperation facilities come in two
varieties, those who are recovering from debilitating injuries which
limit movement or self-support enough to require that kind of care, but
not hospitalization, or those who are utterly debilitated or dying and
for whom care other than immediate hospital facilities are not required
(or have been refused.)
In general, these two subdivide in three groups as well: those who are
depressed by their condition, and those who are not, whether by a
naturally sunny disposition or Faith.
And the people you will encounter there are not only those in care:
they have families who visit, and the staff are not deaf.
As part of our family's ministry, we visit a nearby convalescent home
(nearby in Rural Southeastern Connecticut means within 30 miles) with
members of our church, which makes a very small group indeed.
We provide
accompaniment for hymn singing, largely. As many of our family as can
come do, and depending on our forces, we also sing a few of our
family-group's songs, among which is Praetorius' Psallite. As with all
performance which is successful, sensitivity to the needs and minds of
the audience is as important as 'flogging our stuff'.
Some of our audience are completely unresponsive in appearance, but
some of them can still hear and understand. They are usually brought
because the staff wants them to have some experiences even if it
doesn't seem like they are. All the rest are their because they choose
to be. Often, we get their families, as well, some of whom make a point
now of visiting extra when they know we will be there.
We have a set time of the month that we come, arranged with the home's
recreation director. This has the benefit that they know we're coming
and we know they're going to be expecting us.
The real point here, though, is that most of these folk are suffering
and/or sad. They don't need an intellectual exercise in melancholie, so
we don't do a lot of Renaissance music: the times, they have a-changed,
and that lovely, noble and serious mode that sounds minor today is
perceived as sad and mournful. That frivolous mode that was considered
so inappropriate for Church and State is now considered the noble and
enjoyable major key.
I am, I have to admit, appalled by 'serious musicians' who 'didn't get
a music degree to play elevator music at faires', who 'can't play that
gig unless I'm paid' and who don't enjoy making music for the pleasure
of making music. It has long been my feeling that, regardless of their
fine speeches, such people tend to become lazy, finding that their
audiences will pay just as much for poor intonation and inattentive
performance as for the finest work possible, and deciding that they
didn't get their music degree to work harder for their pittance than
they have to.
I find Scottish Country Dance, at least as practiced around here, to
have the most delightful aspect of any dance I've encountered: Being a
social phenomenon, the dancers are encouraged to smile to one another,
despite straight backed, formulaeic moves. The result is surprising: if
my joints hurt, they hurt less. If my partner is clumsy, the cheerful
demeanor makes bruised toes more tolerable. And those who watch the set
pieces from the sidelines enjoy the dance far more than if the dancers
are concentrating hard and looking cross. I find this caries well into
music performance, and that those who put themselves to the test of
remaining cheerful while entertaining others tend to be more able to be
entertaining when being paid.
aying paid gigs where you are the center of attention.
I have yet, in 50 years of reading treatises, to find one that advises
the musician to adopt an attitude of "I'm better than these cretins",
encourages inegelant motion, awkward posture and hand positions, or any
such thing. Perhaps, if Stockhausen wrote for lute, a feral mein,
clawed hand, hunched posture and grasping business manner would be
appropriate. Thank God he didn't, then!
Sometimes we forget, playing instruments which are not in common,
modern use, that much of their original purpose was entertainment, and
especially in the Golden Age, both lute and viol were played, in
chamber as well as among others, by amateurs who sought to entertain
themselves and others. Even Dowland, whom many see as the Lute's
greatest composer and performer, turns out to have been employed for
other and much more important work as emissary, diplomat and perhaps
even spy. If you aren't enjoying your music, it's very likely you
aren't alone. If you are too concerned over 'getting it right' to ever
get around to 'getting it out', maybe you'd be better off with a
pastime that pays better or better feeds your soul.
I had a string trio, which became fairly popular among a small
community, for weddings. We got a gig: playing for the dinner part of a
Hail and Fairwell at the Coast Guard Academy. The Academy is the
primary Officer training for the USCG, and they maintain the
professional Coast Guard Band. It was a daunting gig, to walk into a
hall where one of the four greatest military bands has played for a
century, and longer, take out our instruments and play before the top
brass of the sister branch to my own service. We did it anyway because
we were both invited, and hay, getting paid. After an hour of Haydn
trios, a few transcriptions from the viol literature, some Mslivicek
and a few other lesser-known composers, the officers and their wives
eating and drinking, a commander, somewhat deep in his cups asked if we
did requests. We allowed that we might, if we knew it. His request:
Melancholy Baby. Our violinist complied, but only one verse. He wanted
more, and she replied, "I only know that one verse!" and he smiled and
returned to his table. Afterwards, we were complemented on our playing,
which, as an amateur trio, was quite kind. Sometimes, dealing with
potential problems cheerfully and/or subtly is more important to an
audience's likelihood of returning than all your other preparation.
In almost every performance with early instruments, we've allowed time
to discuss the instrument. It is far more important to have the
introduction of an unusual instrument (and the lute is still unusual to
most people) be short and focused on the one thing that makes it
different and the one thing that made it appropriate to its era than
anything else. The one thing you can't afford to do is to is
trivialize those two things: otherwise, what reason does your listener
have to return?
On Jan 5, 2018 5:28 AM, "Tristan von Neumann"
<[1][email protected]> wrote:
Good to know. I had the idea once, but I'm no
ââ
t good enough yet.
Now I'll probably never try.
An explanation coudl be that the sound of the Lute is just too
beautiful, and the pieces timeless. Dying people may get into a
melancholy state that makes them uncomfortable.
A friend played at a Mexican women's prison once. They wanted rock,
but he said "I'm gonna play Renaissance music or no music at all".
After some pieces they wouldn't let him go.
Am 04.01.2018 um 22:57 schrieb John Mardinly:
I played my lute at a hospice once. Went over like a lead
balloon.
Classical guitar was better received.
A. John Mardinly, Ph.D., P.E.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Francisco Goya
On Jan 4, 2018, at 2:38 PM, Tristan von Neumann
<[1][2][email protected]> wrote:
My proposition would be the following:
Assemble a team: three lutists minimum!
If possible, add recorders, Renaissance guitar, cittern etc., a
dulcian
and a trombone, and for the sake of beats some Renaissance
percussion.
If you have a portable organ, get it on stage.
Go to your local jazz club and pitch "Early Music Jazz Jam
Session".
When playing, have the musicians occupy the functions of
respective
jazz musicians.
Jam the hell out of Passamezzi, Romanescas, Bergamascas etc.,
throw in
some song standards like Vestiva I Colli or Can She Excuse, do
virtuoso
solos. I bet the audience will have fun.
Get that stick out of your spine and rock the venue.
Am 04.01.2018 um 20:52 schrieb
[2][3][email protected]:
Having friends in psychology, economics, and
marketing/advertising, we
have had this discussion over beer. And the general
conclusion
was that
most artists (including early music artists) ought not be
lamenting
about why people don't show up to appreciate their art, but
rather they
should be discussing how best to draw in an audience. Think
about
it,
if a graphic artist wants to put on an exhibit, they will
bringing
alcohol, maybe food, hire a musician, and create an
inviting
atmosphere
for socializing. Moreover, symphony orchestras also have
this
problem
and their partial (yet successful) solution are the
multimedia
programs; live performance of film music over film clips of
Harry
Potter, Star Wars, etc.
The fact (sad or not) is that audiences have MANY
distractions
pulling
their attention nowadays. Music alone, no matter how pure
or
inspirational, won't draw an audience as much as music PLUS
something
else - drama or a story, visuals, alcohol, dance, etc. I
think it
would
behoove early music artists to start thinking about this
and
corroborating and creating more engaging programs. And
there are
successful examples of this out there, but there needs to
be
more.
One more thing, I am also reminded of a program done years
ago by
Steven Wade (?) called 'Banjo Dancing' (?). He performed as
one
man
with a banjo. He played, told stories, sang, and had a
truly
engaging
performance. And it drew audiences. There is absolutely no
reason
why
something similar couldn't be done by a lutenist given some
talent and
hard work in creating such a stage performance. And as a
disclaimer, I
am not a professional musician, so these are merely my
opinions,
looking in from the outside.
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