I don't know about this Sue. I have to say that I disagree with the people who are into these contests. Especially the ones who use competitions as a balm to their egos.. IMHO, there's something wrong with that. In Ireland they have trad. music competitions as well and I think those are not good either. I've met some fiddlers *especially* who have some serious ego issues. If anything, they could use being cut down a couple notches.. Then again, I seem to remember this discussion coming up on this list about 6 years ago. I'm actually a competitve cyclist as well, and that sport is psycho competitive. To the level where even amateurs will do some pretty nasty things to each other in order to try to win. I don't let it go to my head whenever I win, because it's just a sport, there's no emotional exposure when you're competing in a sport. It's just a raw test of strength, speed and tactics, those are pretty easily quantifiable. You aren't laying your guts and emotions out on the line like you do when you play music. Music is different then sports. Music is about self-expression. Who is to judge that?
The whole musical competition atmosphere creates a bunch of players who sound like robots. I can't stand listening to those GHP competition recordings, they're dull as cold oatmeal, because they all sound the same. However I am totally crazy about Barry Shears, Paul MacNeil, Gordon Duncan, because they're different, they're taking chances, they're expressing some emotions. They've made the GHP a real musicial instrument to me again. Imagine this, we have a competition to see who is better, Mile Davis, Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillispe. Or who is better, The Smiths, The Cure, or Jesus and The Mary Chain. Or The Beatles, The Byrds, or Cream. It would never happen (not just because some of those guys are dead, or play different instruments). Just the thought of it actually seems amusing. There are plenty of subtle ways of affirming that what you're playing sounds good, and plenty of ways to motivate yourself to continue to improve your music, without having to be officially judged.. For example, you play a gig, and you get asked back to play again. You start getting phone calls to play at different places and they actually pay you, you play a gig and get a nice little write up in the paper, you're playing somewhere and women start throwing things (not vegatables) onto the platform :-) > There are many people in the Scottish musical world who agree > with > you, and competing is not for them. But there are many many people who > love the challenge of competing, and I think we should be careful about > discounting them. If we have "rules" it is because we want the playing > field to be even, and everything understood clearly. It is NOT because > we get off on ordering people around. > > Many people use competitions as a balm to their egos, and it is > > dangerous to have comp rules that would allow the judges too much power. -- Toby Rider ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) "He either fears his fate too much, Or his deserts are small, That puts it not unto the touch To win or lose it all." - James Graham, Marquis of Montrose Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
