Looper's Delight Archive Top (Search)
Date Index
Thread Index
Author Index
Looper's Delight Home
Mailing List Info

[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

Re: why Kim why?



hey Rick, you seem to have completely missed my point, and taken as some 
kind of insult something which wasn't one at all.

At 12:19 AM 5/26/2003, you wrote:
>Kim Flint wrote:
>"Similarly, I find "Looping Festival" to be like a "Trumpeting
>Festival........
>If the organizers instead decided to call it a "Trumpet Festival" due to 
>the
>coincidence of trumpeters, the public interest would probably drop
>considerably and only trumpet playing
>members of the public would show up (possibly dragging their spouses
>along)."
>
>
>Why then, Kim (creator of LoopersDelight, the largest website for live
>looping on earth),
>have you then attended the last several looping festivals

Is there something wrong with trumpeting festivals? That wasn't meant as 
insulting, just illustrative. you left out some important bits of the 
context. for example I also said:

>It's a nice little clubby affair where trumpeters can talk with other 
>trumpeters about trumpet playing, and listen to others playing their 
>trumpets, and hopefully expand their trumpet playing. It's really more 
>like a trumpet convention, and great fun for trumpeters.

That's why I go. It is fun to hang out with other loopers and talk shop.

Maybe it's semantics, but "Looping Festival" to me is about a specific 
type 
of instrument, not a style of music. That's why I think it is like a 
"trumpet festival" and not like a "blues festival". I don't think there is 
anything wrong with that distinction, and I didn't think I said that 
before. I'm sorry if you read some kind of ill will into my words. It's a 
great thing to go spend some time with people you share an interest with, 
and that is why I find it enjoyable to spend time at these Looping 
Festivals.

However, I do think it is useful to realize that there is a distinction, 
and that the wider music listening public does not listen to their 
favorite 
styles of music because of the instruments used. They listen because they 
like that particular style. Only musicians who play a particular 
instrument 
listen to hear that instrument. That is why a lot of people listen to 
"Rock 
Music", but only guitar players listen to "guitar music." Similarly, I 
think "looping festivals" are mainly interesting to musicians already 
interested in Looping. There is nothing wrong with that at all, as it is a 
great way for those musicians to gather and talk about Looping. But I 
don't 
see how it does much to directly promote looping outside of that realm.


>Perish the thought that we should try and create a mutually supportive
>artistic community
>that self conciously tries to promote people who use looping technology 
>as a
>way to
>further their artistry irregardless of stylistic differences.

Rick, sorry if I wasn't clear and caused you some hurt, but I think you 
have read a whole lot of stuff into my words that isn't there without 
really responding to any of the points I raised. All of what you say above 
is exactly what I do support, and exactly why I created Looper's Delight 
and put so much effort into it. I do it to promote Looping to a wider 
group 
of musicians, and provide a place for musicians to learn more about how to 
incorporate it into their music. It is my hope the Looper's Delight 
expands 
Looping to a much wider group of people, and I think it has so far 
succeeded in that far beyond what I ever expected.

The absolute most important thing to me, and something I've been pushing 
for many many years now, is that Looping is transparent to the style of 
music. Anybody can use looping in their music, no matter what style of 
music they play.   I believe that for Looping to be more widely adopted 
among musicians, it is essential that this stylistic openness be 
maintained.

This is why I get very concerned when some people try to identify their 
own 
specific style as "looping" or "loop music". Such efforts ostracize 
others, 
and I have seen that happen many times on Looper's Delight. Efforts to 
claim the term "Looping" to one style of music work against my goal to 
promote it to all musicians. I believe that harms the cause of spreading 
Looping to a wider group of musicians, and that is why I resist it. Lately 
I've noticed this trend happening again, so I'm making my same old point 
once more.


>I'm honestly deeply grateful for everything that you have given to the
>looping community with the creation of Loopers Delight and the creation of
>Loop IV but
>I'm going to keep working hard no matter how dismissive you are of what we
>are trying to create.

And I also appreciate the efforts you put into this Rick. I'm sorry you 
somehow got the impression that I am being dismissive, because I'm not. 
However, I am very concerned that some aspects of the approach being taken 
may ultimately cause more harm than good. this is why I raise the issue 
for 
discussion.

kim


______________________________________________________________________
Kim Flint                     | Looper's Delight
kflint@loopers-delight.com    | http://www.loopers-delight.com