Toby wrote:-
> Ah, but you and I think that this is true. It might have to do with > frames of reference. In Nova Scotia there are tons of musicians. Scottish > music is basically in the water out there. It's an ever present cultural > factor. It's the voice of the common people. Tiny little kids can step > dance. Everyone and their brother either plays the fiddle, sings, pipes, > plays piano or guitar. Or else they're a hockey player :-) > Everyone knows what the music should go like, even if they don't play. > They know when you're really on a roll. The people, even in little house > parties get energized when things start really coming together. You > always know it, there's a buzz, dancing starts, cheering starts. They get > amped, which in turn gets the players amped. Some of the most incredibly > powerful recordings I've ever heard have come from house parties. > Good traditional music should be as energetic, unpredictable and > over-the-top exciting as a rock-and-roll concert. Anyone should be able > to feel that on a gut level. As soon as that gets lost, then it just > becomes a bunch of notes. > Sue doesn't agree with us, if I am interpreting her statement correctly: Yes, yes and Yes. But, I have had many of these experiences in Scotland and in Ireland, never in the US, not to the same extent, anyway. Sue is right, about everything, accept it! How I miss the sessions and ceilidhs in people's houses. Sigh. But I have great patience with my students and people I meet and teach in workshops elsewhere. There is a huge shortage of trad. teachers in this country. As Sue pointed out, students and potential students use recordings and anyone they can get their hands on, basically, to learn more. My thanks to all US festival organisers who put in the big effort to pass along Scottish traditions. And if it wasn't for well publicised competitions, I suspect that the numbers of people playing trad. instruments would be far fewer in the United States. Sharon Knowles. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
