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here here.. :) Andre, I'd hate to see you go.. as well, I am a bit confused as to the motivation... it seemed to me that you asked great question and we had a flameless discussion about it.. hehe... so, at the risk of opening a can of worms, can you clarify? peace -cpr >-- Original Message -- >From: "loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com> >To: "LOOPERS DELIGHT (posting)" <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> >Subject: DON'T GO, ANDRE >Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:39:30 -0700 >Reply-To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com > > >A letter to Andre LaFosse: > >you just wrote: > > >> It actually has something to do with a quote which I learned from Rick >> Walker, ironically enough: >> "There is no us and them; there is only us." >> So when I hear about - for instance - somebody using a DL4 to loop under >> a solo, who is "not a looper per se," it raises questions for me. It >> makes me wonder where the distinction between the "them" of this >> DL4-touting singer-songwriter is made, to differentiate him from "us." >> It makes me wonder what the common defining traits are of the 500-odd >> people who are on this list, reading this thread right now, that would >> imbue them with a "true looper" designation, that's missing from our >> Line 6-soloing emmisary of the "them" delegation. > >I find it sad, Andre, that your mind is so made up about these matters that >you wouldn't even read the response letter I sent to this list >as soon as I read your last post. My response posted before this response >did. I'll quote myself briefly but you can refer to the whole letter if >you'd like ( WHAT's A LIVE LOOPER, ANYWAY?). > >r. writing: > >"I typed that rather hastily, 'Dre. I should have said that he doesn't >CONSIDER himself a 'live looper', which would distinguish >him, in that sense, from someone who actively thinks of themselves as live >loopers, like myself or Matthias Grob or Per Boysen >or, perhaps, you.............It's a hair split of course and, as with all >categorizations, intrinsically >innacurate and made merely to make the point that live >looping techniques have insuated themselves into the live performances of >lots of musicians who, five years ago, wouldn't have used them." > > >My intent with that post was actually to say that I was excited that a more >mainstream pop artist has been influenced by all the energy that everyone >has put in here at Loopers Delight. I had no intention of being 'Us and >Them' about it. I was clumsy with my rhetoric so I'm sorry you missed that >intent. > >Being a human being I am very, very far from perfect; very far from living >up the ideals that I try to live up to. I'll be the first to admit it, but >this is historically clear: > > I have tried extremely hard in the last five years of my life since >joining >this list and becoming enamored with the concept of a live looping >community >to be as all inclusive as I could possibly be. Everyone who knows me, >including you, my friend, knows this to be true. At the risk of boring >people with details, I've gone so far as to invite every single person >in >our community and even rectuited young and middle aged talented musicians >who have never even used live looping to be our 'newbies' at looping >festivals. I donated my own looping devices to these artists in an >attempt >to turn them on to the techniques that I've grown to love in live >performance. I've produced festivals of Found and Invented Sound, >Live Digital Video Animation, Voice and Electronics. I've hosted >Festivals >for Emerging Electronica in my region..........played acoustic music at >Singer Songwriter Showcases; fought for the rights of Street Musicians in >my >town...........argued with the mayor and city council to try to keep Arts >Funding from being eliminated in my community.......donated countless >hours >trying to support the establishement of three music venues in this area that >would be open to ALL MUSICIANS and artists and all without every paying >myself a single red cent. I did it, selfishly, so that I would have >a >community that I could belong to. I did it altruistically so that others >would feel better about being artists with some sense of emotional support >for what they do in a culture that practically spits on the concept. > >To accuse me of being devisive in this community ("Us and Them") is >complete and utter bullshit and after everything I have said and done in >print and action to support your own personal career it really hurts me, >personally that you would say it..............especially in public. > >In many many conversations with you in person and in print over the years, >you have consistently refused to participate because you have been >uncomfortable with the category or the attempt at community building in the >so called Live Looping Community. Because you are so intelligent and >creative and innovative and such an important artist in my mind, that has >always been painful to me, but I have grown to accept it. however. > >you also wrote: > >It makes me wonder a lot of things - like why serious, intelligent, >> critical discussion, which can take into account the 40 or 50 years of >> historical precedent for the subject of the discussion list, always >> seems to make a bunch of everyone's collective undergarments in a forum >> made up principally of adult, middle-aged men. > >This sounds a little ageist to me, my friend, and smacks of the same 'us >and >them' mentality that you are accusing me of. I can only sit back and >chuckle, patronizingly, as I realize that in a mere ten years you'll be one >of those middle aged men. I've gotten my panties in a bunch a few times >myself (because I know I'm a drama queen at times..........lol) but it has >almost always been when I sensed strong injustice,divisiveness or meanness >in people's posts. > >> For the time being, I don't want to be a negative vibe merchant - >> especially to the people whose work and music I've spent innumerable >> hours trying to be supportive and enlightening about over the course of >> eight and a half years. So as wise man once said, "My work here is >done. >Now, I must go." >> Perhaps I'll poke my head back in at some point. In the meantime, those >> who want to know how to track me down. > >I'm so sorry that your personal feelings of not belonging and being >excluded >and not being recognized and not be supported financially by this >community >have led you to this. > >You are one of our brightest stars and, potentially, one of our most >inpspiring ones as well. You have the capacity with your intelligence, >your articulateness and your brilliant command of your instrument to >guide, >instruct, inspire and , even more importantly >to nurture the people at this list. This is a gift my >friend............. >a gift that I wish you would not throw away because you are feeling >alienated presently. > >Don't go, Andre. This little community would be the worse if you did. > >yours, Rick >