Re: public response to looping

[Chris Sewell <lunamusic@mac.com>]

Interesting conversation. I personally have been looping for about 9  
years now in a variety of settings. I must admit after years of  
practice, 10's of thousands of dollars of gear purchases and 4 years  
of college, I have a philosophical aversion to playing for free. I  
have had ALL the art vs. entertainment conversations. Both here and  
late night session in college. But I've always felt, if you really  
want to, you can satisfy both needs. Sometimes.

In some of the more sophisticated pubs/bars I play in, (I play mostly  
covers), I can play tunes that I like and are interesting, for  
Instance, Grateful Dead songs: a vastly under-rated band among  
ambient enthusiasts, They played 20 minutes of totally improvised  
soundscape's (space) every-night.
So I'll play a tune like Bird Song, and in the middle where they  
would jam, I will uses many of the techniques ambient improvisers  
use. This part could be taken out of the tune I'm playing and stand  
on its own as an ambient piece. But wrapped in a familiar tune in  
becomes part of the entire piece. This of course won't float many of  
y'alls boat, but I can still use Mobius and twist and mangle to my  
hearts content and still go home with $200 in my pocket.

As far as the response of the public, looping is just another  
technological phenomenon they no longer question. It doesn't come up  
ever anymore. But I think you guys are talking more about the ambient  
improvised genre's more then looping itself. Right?

Thanks
Chris


On Dec 12, 2009, at 9:24 AM, paul wrote:

> Definitely doesn't mean that one quits, it does mean that one may  
> need to adjust expectations. If you're looking for fame and fortune  
> this may not be the way to find it. I believe it was Mathias that  
> said somewhere that looping was a sort of self therapy... I liked  
> that a lot! It is certainly that way for me. I play for myself and  
> some other people seem to get something out of it as well and I'm  
> happy for them.
>
> Actually playing the hammered dulcimer gets the same emotional  
> response, I think that may be why I've been trying to blend the two  
> together.
>
> If I'm hired to entertain, then I do a different sort of music  
> altogether.
>
> If I want to make money, then I do plumbing........
>
>
> Paul Haslem
> www.dulcify.ca
> Ontario, Canada
>
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>
>
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>
>
>> I recall a quote from him saying that it was still his favorite  
>> way of making sounds; yet this is the man who went on record  
>> saying "you can't sell ambient music" in England.  No kidding, he  
>> said nine years on!  Doesn't mean one quits though hm?
>