One day at MacDuffs Music

[Paul Erlich:]
> I often get powerful, emotional responses from people and that is
why I believe I am on the right path.

Hmm...

I remember one day at MacDuffs Music (in a previous incarnation as a
music store clerk) when a bass player came in and tried out a few
basses with much skill and enthusiasm... well, as fate would have it,
I just so
happened to be looking for a bass player for my band at that time, and
decided that I would attempt to make a covert (musical) pass at this
(skillful and enthusiastic bass playing) guy... so once he seemed like
he was done trying stuff out, I quickly popped in a cassette of a
piece that I was in the process of working on for said band -- that
would be my covert (musical) pass -- and pretended to go on about my
business. Well after about a minute or so of standing cross-armed
before the tape deck, said skillful and enthusiastic bass player said:
"What is this stuff?" And as I (proudly and enthusiastically) started
to go about telling him, he calmly said, "That's the worst shit I've
ever heard," and slammed the door on his way out... (Fortunately
enough for me, my music wasn't the worst shit I'd ever heard, and I
learned an almost valuable lesson - If I ever planned to sell
anything, then I'd best leave my music home.)

>Sometimes I am argumentative or harsh but I believe that the truth
will ultimately be more beneficial than misconceptions. Not that I
always know the truth, or am always right,

(As I've said before,) I personally believe that the TD benefits
greatly from someone like Paul, i.e., someone whom has both the
technical skill knowledge & know-how, and a nearly daily desire to
wade through all this stuff for any slack in the facts (so to speak).
And as long as this doesn't create an atmosphere where genuinely
interested people are perhaps wary of posting for fear of being made
to appear as though they don't know what their talking about, I
certainly see this ("- Paul the tuning nerd") as a real big plus.

Dan

"D.Stearns" wrote:

> (As I've said before,) I personally believe that the TD benefits
> greatly from someone like Paul, i.e., someone whom has both the
> technical skill knowledge & know-how, and a nearly daily desire to
> wade through all this stuff for any slack in the facts (so to speak).
> And as long as this doesn't create an atmosphere where genuinely
> interested people are perhaps wary of posting for fear of being made
> to appear as though they don't know what their talking about,

But it has.

> I
> certainly see this ("- Paul the tuning nerd") as a real big plus.

Certainly a therorist at the least.

--
* D a v i d B e a r d s l e y
* xouoxno@virtulink.com
*
* J u x t a p o s i t i o n N e t R a d i o
* M E L A v i r t u a l d r e a m house monitor
*
* http://www.virtulink.com/immp/lookhere.htm

I wrote:
>And as long as this doesn't create an atmosphere where genuinely
interested people are perhaps wary of posting for fear of being made
to appear as though they don't know what their talking about,

To which David Beardsley responded:
> But it has.

Well it seems like a pretty fine line to walk... I think it was Kraig
Grady who said (something along the lines of) we should create an
atmosphere where people aren't afraid to admit what they don't know,
or don't understand, and I certainly agree with this. But the TD *is*
a give & take situation, where if you disagree, or think someone or
something is wrong about someone or something, you have the perfect
opportunity (forum) to explain why... again, while I appreciate being
informed about any slack in the facts (by someone in who's abilities
to do so, I have some confidence), others might not (perhaps finding
it a bit irritating, or somewhat oppressive...). But I for one would
much much rather have it than not -- and I've had my share of (mildly)
testy back & forths with Paul on and off list.

> Certainly a therorist at the least.

For which it would seem that the format (or restrictions) of the TD is
perhaps best suited... But this doesn't mean that purely musical &
aesthetic points of view, processes and experiences can't be expressed
and explained... or that audio files, instruments, web sites, gigs,
CDs, etc., can't be promoted, pointed out and posted about... And in
all honesty, I'd have to say that I really don't give much of a damn
what Paul Erlich might do (or not do) musically when I read 99% of his
post - and I think that that's OK... because I don't seem to have much
of a problem differentiating between what I'm looking for, or am
interested in in his posts, and what I'm personally interested in in
my own musical or artistic aesthetics.

Dan

Dan, that must have been a heck of a profound experience :-)

> (As I've said before,) I personally believe that the TD benefits
> greatly from someone like Paul, i.e., someone whom has both the
> technical skill knowledge & know-how, and a nearly daily desire to
> wade through all this stuff for any slack in the facts (so to speak).

Aye ! Never mind that with many of us, our eyes glaze over when confronted
with some of the extreme theoretical banter. Unfortunately that sort of
stuff appears to drive some people into unsubscribing. Now, I certainly
don't pretend to understand all that goes on here, but that's o.k. Maybe
some of it'll rub off. And, I get the digest version, so it's just one email
with all the message topics nicely at the top, so I know exactly what I need
to look at right away, while leaving the rest to glance at when i have spare
time.

There are a lot more microtonalists out there than the 350 or so that r on
this list. And even stranger is how few of those 350 ever speak up, even if
it's with the most basic questions, or whatever. I was dissapointed to see
Neil sign off.

> And as long as this doesn't create an atmosphere where genuinely
> interested people are perhaps wary of posting for fear of being made
> to appear as though they don't know what their talking about,
Yes ! This is a real danger, maybe Nowitzky should put a little note in the
welcome message about how it's o.k. to ask questions of any level, as long
as it has something to do with alternate tuning.

- Drew

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com

tuners!
As enough of the last few post have stated how some of the dialog is "over
their Heads" i would request that instead of sitting back and oohing and
aahhhing that you have the guts to say so! To assume that just because they are
saying things that one does not understand it must be important or valid is
dangerous. It leaves the door open for a self appointed elite to intimidate
others into submission by a specialized language. I am not saying that this is
what is going on. I find time and again that i have to ask for explanations and
would appreciate others to do so as this list is for all of us. I also firmly
believe that one learns much by explaining something to someone else and those
who know can appreciate the opportunity to explain. This is a tuning list of
music practitioners not higher math. some things can be learn by the latter but
those should be put into a form suitable to musicians and composers!
I have to end with a paraphrase from Diogenes of plato. To be taken in good
spirit!
Paul Erlich's philosophy is an endless conversation.
-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com

[Kraig Grady:]
>i would request that instead of sitting back and oohing and aahhhing
that you have the guts to say so! To assume that just because they are
saying things that one does not understand it must be important or
valid is dangerous.

Has anyone actually said, or even seemed to be assuming this? If there
is something that I'm both interested in and don't seem to be quite
understanding, I either wait for it to start making sense (usually
through repeated postings on the same topic, or by taking some
initiative to poke around on my own and see what I can learn about
whatever it is that isn't quite making sense), or (when I feel that
I've got a good chance of understanding or being interested in the
answer) I ask.

Dan