Re: For TD

Since I can tell that both Paul and Jerry are trying to work out difficult
communications, I applaud their efforts. It can be grueling and unpleasant
for all who are reading, but such is to be expected in a difficult
examination - over the Internet frontier. Academia all too often ignores
anything that might be a challenge to orthodoxy, and that has proved a
serious problem to research and understanding.

That's what I like about this list. As we get to know each other, we
recognize each other as people who are informed and who mean well, with
faces! Different things will piss us off, for example style differences,
bias, passion (from none to overwrought), excessive verbiage, even
geographical location. But let's wake up and smell the coffee. People still
argue about whether the Holocaust ever took place, and yet we poured over
Werckmeister's position on ET during the last year's of his life with as much
scrutiny as we could muster. (Soon there will be more to add.)

Unfortunately, this list reflects the political climate in the U.S. and we're
in an extremely contested primary race. Why wouldn't we reflect our times
similarly to Bach and Handel in their own.

On another tack, we have different religions, so should we fight about it?
How about the significance of the existence question for a supreme sentient
being? For Werckmeister it was significant. Clearly, we each have our
biases towards specific tunings, and conversely against others.

Frankly, I was very disturbed by some of the responses posts issued by people
who one hoped would be more tolerant of difference. Ironically, we have each
found ourselves on the fringe of the mainstream because of our prominent
interest in tuning matters. It is the relentless search for understanding
that Paul and Jerry are trying to achieve which I find most gratifying.
Passionate discussions evidently require delicate handling over the Internet.

Johnny Reinhard

Johnny Reinhard posted:
>
> Since I can tell that both Paul and Jerry are trying to work out difficult
> communications, I applaud their efforts.

Thanks, Johnny. Your plaudits are greatly appreciated--especially when I'm
feeling a bit like I've intruded into a domain where my concerns may not be
widely shared.

> It can be grueling and unpleasant
> for all who are reading, but such is to be expected in a difficult
> examination - over the Internet frontier.

Can you believe what is happening here? People from every corner of the
globe are getting together nearly every day to discuss matters of mutual
concern. Mind blowing!!!!!!

It is really interesting to me that the question I have raised here has
become the "Paul and Jerry Show." While Paul has at times appeared abrasive
to some (including me, at times), he always accepts the criticism he
provokes and goes on in a positive manner to discuss the issues as he sees
them. I have learned to appreciate that trait and value his straightforward
manner. While John Link is primarily responsible for my being here, and he
and others have helped immensely to get me "up to speed" and into the
conversation, it is Paul who has kept my own thinking from wandering into
the fantasy of predetermined conclusions. Do you realize how valuable that
is? I do, and I feel fortunate to be able to benefit from Paul's interest in
exploring the "high third."

> Academia all too often ignores
> anything that might be a challenge to orthodoxy, and that has proved a
> serious problem to research and understanding.

Tell me about it! I get letters of praise and thankful appreciation
regarding my book "The Sounds of Music: Perception and Notation" from the
same college teachers who will not adopt it as a text because it is "out of
step" with tradition. How frustrating!
>
> That's what I like about this list. As we get to know each other, we
> recognize each other as people who are informed and who mean well, with
> faces! Different things will piss us off, for example style differences,
> bias, passion (from none to overwrought), excessive verbiage, even
> geographical location. But let's wake up and smell the coffee. People still
> argue about whether the Holocaust ever took place, and yet we poured over
> Werckmeister's position on ET during the last year's of his life with as much
> scrutiny as we could muster. (Soon there will be more to add.)
>
> Unfortunately, this list reflects the political climate in the U.S. and we're
> in an extremely contested primary race. Why wouldn't we reflect our times
> similarly to Bach and Handel in their own.
>
> On another tack, we have different religions, so should we fight about it?
> How about the significance of the existence question for a supreme sentient
> being? For Werckmeister it was significant. Clearly, we each have our
> biases towards specific tunings, and conversely against others.
>
> Frankly, I was very disturbed by some of the responses posts issued by people
> who one hoped would be more tolerant of difference. Ironically, we have each
> found ourselves on the fringe of the mainstream because of our prominent
> interest in tuning matters. It is the relentless search for understanding
> that Paul and Jerry are trying to achieve which I find most gratifying.
> Passionate discussions evidently require delicate handling over the Internet.

What is _really_ happening now (in case it hasn't been noticed) is that Paul
and I have worked through most of our misconceptions about what the other is
saying and have postured more as working together toward a common goal. This
is not to say we won't continue to hammer out apparent differences or
miscommunications. That's the way (if some haven't realized it yet) to
_really_ get along. Just ask my wife of 46 years.

Johnny, your post is most timely and I'm sure the members will take it to
heart. By the way, what does "For TD" mean?

Jerry

TD is for Tuning Digest. For some reason I had difficulty sending the
original message. Digest subscribers do not receive attachments and for some
reason, when I tried forwarding the message, AOL turned it into an attachment.

Several has asked me to try again and though finally successful, it is a few
days late to the original post which apparently appeared blank to digesters.

Johnny Reinhard