Howdy All, Growing up i always heard country style music courtesy of my parents. They had Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Bob Wills, Buck Owens & Merle L.P's galore. Loved the Bakersfield sound and it really kicked in when i heard The Beatles covering that style of music on their early L.P.'s. Got a Kay guitar for Christmas in my 6th grade year and have been playing & upgrading ever since. Got into the mandolin 3 years ago and now have an F-Style & an A-oval hole. Am a citizen player, never been in a real band, but play at open mic nights, family gatherings, festival jams, etc. Love the sound that comes out of that little instrument & they are easy to carry around. Taking lessons from Tater and hopefully improving month by month.
Terry On Oct 7, 9:15 am, Val Mindel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, I too have been in the shadows of this, mostly because of iffy > Internet connections. Anyway, now I’m in India, which is the land of > high-speed, although not much old-time or bluegrass music, as Diphansu > has mentioned. > > Music has mesmerized me since I was old enough to save my pennies to > buy an instrument at the local music store. As it turned out, all I > could afford was an ocarina, which was a little mysterious and not > very satisfying. I was maybe 7. School and music school programs > turned out fairly ho-hum, though I stuck with them (my band teacher > was Glenn Miller’s brother, Herb, and he’d sometimes play tunes on his > coronet, which was my first taste of live music that could make you > cry). Anyway I can barely remember a time when I wasn’t playing > something, so clearly there has been a fundamental need all along. > > I’ve often mused about what life would have been like had I not put so > much time into playing guitar, fiddle, mandolin. Certainly many bosses > would have preferred I give them my undivided attention, not to > mention my poor husband and kids. And for all the hours, years really, > that I’ve put in I should be amazing, but, well …. Clearly there is > something there that I just can’t leave alone. So this isn’t > particularly illuminating, just another hand raised to say “yeah, I’m > caught in the web.” Music is an addiction. But I’ve given up fighting > it. > > On Oct 7, 5:06 am, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Hi folks, to start this off I should introduce myself - I'm soon to be > > 29 years old and living in northern Sweden. > > > I started out on trumpet in fourth grade, and kept at it for a long > > time even though I didn't get any good, nor did I like it very much. > > It was a bummer that I didn't get to decide myself what kind of music > > to play. So when I picked up the guitar (at home, tought myself) when > > I was around 16 it was a new world opening up. Suddenly I was writing > > songs, and playing in band. Got into skateboard punk rock and hardcore > > for a long time (1995-1998 roughly). A few years I was erally into emo > > (about 1998-2001). I also got into singer-songwriters, as well as > > older punk rock (Ramones (still love them), Clash, Iggy and the > > Stooges, Black Flag and so on). One particular singer-songwriter I > > liked was Damien Jurado, and I remember reading an interview with him > > where he talked about 'Anthology of American Folk Music' and how that > > anthology had changed his life. Damien had kind of a folk touch to his > > music, and I really liked that. So I started looking around, and > > that's how I got hooked on american folk music. Later on when I saw > > the dvd 'Down from the mountain' and specifically watching Mr Compton > > stepping up to the mic and taking a break on the tune 'Shove that > > hog's foot further in the bed' with John Hartford I knew that was what > > I wanted to do. That sound got burnt into my mind. I had already > > picked up the mandolin (saw a guy in church playing one, got > > interested, borrowed one for a while and was later given an old flat > > top mandolin from a relative of my wife), but hadn't really done much > > with it except playing two finger chords. > > > Since then I'm still listening to all kinds of music, but bluegrass > > did get a special grip on me, and later on old-time and country blues > > (delta blues too). I guess I'm all over the place musically, but > > American roots music (if you pardon the expression) is my passion, > > both for listening and playing. I really like the raw emotion of folk > > music, in that way I think it is similar to punk rock. I also listen > > some to swedish and scandinavian folk music, which has a different > > vibe compared to american folk I think, more ancient and etherial if > > you will (is that a word?). I don't play any scandinavian folk music > > though, but maybe some day... I bought an open back banjo some months > > ago and have been playing around with that since then, but mandolin is > > still my passion. > > > For me, I think music has always been a way to express identity and a > > search for my identity (or maybe rather what I would like others to > > think my identity). I really don't like to admit that, but looking in > > the rearview mirror I find it's true. Nowadays I don't think that's > > the case anymore, but who knows? The reason why I think that is > > because I'm almost a little ashamed of my 'nerdy' interest in folk > > music, sometimes people don't get what about this music that I like. > > Here in Sweden there is interest for American folk, but not that much. > > Pop and rock and electronic music rule the day of the younger people. > > It's just something about it that grips me, don't really know what it > > is. I feel like I'm a part of something bigger when I play an old-time > > fiddle tune on the mandolin, or when I listen to the Carter Family > > playing gospel songs. > > > Also, music is an escape for me. And music speaks to me emotionally > > more than anything else. Like many people on here has already said. > > > Ok that got long. Sorry. Rambler out. > > > /Jonas > > > On 6 Okt, 02:48, mistertaterbug <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > All, > > > It has been brought to my attention that maybe it would be interesting > > > to hear from everyone on the list regarding why there is music in > > > their lives, what was the inspiration in the beginning and what is it > > > now that drives the urge to continue? I mean, let's face it, taking up > > > an instrument is a life-long endeavor, so what is it about it that > > > makes that part of it not an issue, especially considering the human > > > desire for more immediate gratification? What is it about music in all > > > its genres and moods that you all find so irresistible that you have > > > spent so much of your lives pursuing it like an addiction? How do you > > > react when you hear good melodies(I see pictures personally)? Did/do > > > you have relatives that were/are musicians(this includes your kids)? > > > > I once read that when a large group of people join together for any > > > given event, there is a good chance that at least some of the people > > > in attendance are related, however distant. So, I guess that makes us > > > a family of sorts, however distant. Sure, it sounds far-fetched but I > > > believe there is some evidence to the truth of it all. That idea makes > > > it real to me, gives me something I can sink my teeth into that is far > > > more than fads or trends or awards or the rest of it. We are dealing > > > with a living, breathing thing that is kept alive by us because we are > > > in love with it, because when we love it, it loves us back. Okay, I'll > > > shut up before I get too long in the tongue. I want to hear you people > > > talk about how it effects you. > > > > Seriously folks, what drives your passion for this common interest we > > > have? > > > Tater --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
