19th century music was slow
in the same sense as slow food or slow brands.
For a digital music producer to give a section a more open and airy quality is quick and easy — just twist the reverb knob. For a live performer on an acoustic instrument it’s time consuming and difficult — change your hand position, embouchure, or breathing, and then practice until it’s second nature. But there is a tangible reward for the extra labor.
I could play live music for slow food events like farmer’s markets, though it would be an uphill battle to get the booking and make the music come alive outdoors. I wonder what other real-world events would be good venues?
The following events would be great:
a. folk gatherings, which are often open-air with an attuned audience–a simple dulcimer convention at one end, Kerrville at the other.
b. crafts fairs–the audience is attuned to acoustic music–many of these are in convention centers these days, easy to find because there is a circuit. A “donations” hat might even be fun, with a booth and CD-Rs.
c. historical societies==easy to find things with local interest, such as Pique/CA pieces. Meet indoors. Not much hassle to arrange. Sell CD-Rs afterward for revenue
pro bono:
a. nursing homes–this is one form of music that transcends generations, and you could combat loneliness for older folks
b. public library–most libraries have
space dying to be used by non-profits for free. a non-profit to serve as a sponsor could be up in days and tax-qualified once the IRS clears the paperwork. The idea is to build an audience, which would feed into future paid performances–plus to entertain people who cannot afford to pay normally.
How about for people stuck in LA traffic?
I sing to people stuck in LA traffic all the time. Put the top down and sing along to whatever’s on the stereo at the top of my lungs when I’m stopped dead on the highway. Fortunately most people keep their windows up.
gurdonark, that’s a cool list to run down.
No luck on nursing homes so far, btw. I’ve been trying that one for months. Can’t get them to answer calls. I get the impression the concept is off, somehow.
Lucas, maybe someting along this line would work. I noticed that the Culver City Senior Center at 310-253-6700 runs regular programs for seniors. A free acoustic guitar traditionals concert might be right in line.
and to be a bit more expansive:
http://www.laparks.org/dos/senior/senior.htm
I did get somebody to pick up the line at the Culver City Senior Center. She hung up on me three times but on the fourth she gave me another number to call tomorrow. So, that’s real progress. Thanks man.
It would be cool to do a regular series with good local musicians. The players would love playing in a calm and relatively quiet environment, unlike a bar.
http://www.sbcds.org/contradance/whatis/
You know, the thing to do would be to have a non-profit that was literally not much more than a letterhead and a simple web page, and the ability to co-ordinate it by e=mail.
I’ll bet someone already has that non-profit in place, and it’s just a matter of finding it. I subscribe to the quasi-mystical (but actually entirely rational) theory that
somebody in a city of 6 million is already doing a lot of things, and it’s just a matter of finding them.
amazing quote on contra dance.
fits well with where I am right now (virtual sequencer through I remain):
http://gurdonark.livejournal.com/787459.html
The contradance thing makes me notice the parallel with electronic dance music, where dancing and the music are pretty hard to separate.
The sweetness and mellowness of that http://www.last.fm/music/George+Butterworth/_/English+Idyll+No.+2 piece is great for this rainy dark afternoon.
Were I still in Los Angeles on a rainy day, I’d drive up the 2 Freeway, hop on the Angeles Crest Highway, drive to the Clear Creek Trail just inside the forest, and hike down to the creek below while the raindrops fell on mountain mahogany and scrub oak. Perhaps instead I’d got to Descanso Garden, where one wave of camellia tree is in bloom this time of year, just as another’s blooms fall to earth. A canopy for slow music daydreams.
Lucas,
thanks for the link!
a few thoughts:
– Here in SF I see live music at a wide range of venues – lots of restaurants which focus on local, organic food, especially if they are not overly formal places & have the space (look for ones with large bar areas) might be very receptive and in many cases already have live music from time to time.
– many cities have a growing number of indoor markets which are locally focused (the Ferry Building in SF, the markets at Grand Central Station in NYC etc) and those places often have evening events which include live, acoustic music performers – I’ve heard some amazing string quartets at the Ferry Building
– for many genres of music, especially acoustic/folk there is a thriving community around house concerts – look for people who already hold them (or find someone with enough space and hold your own). My parents hold them on a month basis in Chicago, I’ve had one house concert at my apartment in SF (and hope to have many more)