On 11/14/2012 10:23 AM, Bill wrote:
Bill wrote:
Swingman wrote:
On 11/13/2012 10:15 PM, wrote:
For the musicians out the

http://vimeo.com/27318359

Sorry, but more $$ in instruments than talent.


At least it was a real "garage/shop band"--they had the clamps and
everything!

They took the trouble to "do it". So you have to give them credit for
that. They probably have day jobs.

I'm a musician. (keyboards, mostly)I'm substantially better at that than
I am at woodworking. While part-time, I've probably played something
like 2000 (paying) gigs in my long demi-career. And yes, I have a "day
job".

I applaud people like those shown in the video, whatever level of
accomplishment they might display. I wish that more people played
instruments, especially in groups. I think that may once have been more
common, when entertainment was less easily obtained.

Beyond the obvious enjoyment it affords the participants, it increases
their ability to appreciate music as played by others, especially live
music. We could use more of that sort of appreciation. Music gets more
and more devalued the more ubiquitous it becomes.

The same thing extends to attempting any sort of skilled activity. I
think that people who don't do much of that miss out on something
valuable. Needlepoint, bread-baking, the oboe, woodworking: take your pick.

As for the video, some of you may have had a similar reaction to the
"talent" level displayed in the pictures I've posted (of my rudimentary
forays into woodworking), to say nothing of my uninformed questions
here. But I'm pretty proud of my simple efforts, and I know they give me
a greater appreciation for craftsmanship in general.

I'm a pretty fair musician, but sometimes the world seems packed solid
with better players. As a younger man, that used to bother me. But I've
attained a certain perspective over time. When I put my hands on the
keys, music comes out. There's a little bit of me in every phrase.
That's no small accomplishment.

If I were in a bar and heard that band playing, you can be sure that
there'd be at least one person applauding: me. Barring some overt
arrogance on the part of the performers, I applaud. That's another thing
that used to be a given, but too many people these days seem to
"forget", even when they were dancing, singing and tapping their feet
during the song.

My two cents? Take up a skill that requires practice (or several), and
applaud the efforts of others whenever the opportunity arises.