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Re: PrePrepared vs. Improvisational
I have to agree to disagree with Mark Sottilaro's contention that
looping festivals are only for loopers and not for audiences.
I do see your point and I think there is an element of what you say that
is true, however,
in point of fact, you have, factually, been to very few of the
festivals that I"ve personally produced. I know because I"ve invited
you to come several times,
unsuccessfully.
So, at least with these festivals, you haven't been witness to the
tremendous growth in both musical and artistic sophistication
that has occurred at a very regular pace in at least the Y2K Series
(and the many, many festivals I've played at in Europe, the UK, Japan
and Mexico).
I've seen some astonishing and beautiful performances at many of these
festivals....................performances that would have wowed any
discerning audience.
I'm sorry that you seemed to have largely eschewed attending them
because you've missed a lot of growth in the community.
At the same time, I am perhaps the only person actively producing
looping festivals who is very aggressively into putting complete
'newbies' on to
stage in the early hours of the
festivals.....................sometimes, musicians who have never even
performed EVER in a live setting.
I've done this very self consciously, and from the standpoint of an
audience, I can be acused of 'watering down' the overall high level of
the entire
performance at the festivals.
I've done it, however, very self consciously, because I believe that
there is room in the world for communal support.............there is
room for
rank beginners to play on the same day (if not the same time) as
complete professionals.
I've been very proud of this policy and I think that the incredibly
supportive and communal spirit of our larger community sets it apart
from any
musical movement in popular music, since the San Francisco Psychedelic
movement of the late sixties.
One of the things I brag about to journalists or even to really
accomplished live loopers when trying to entice them to either cover or
come to the festival
is the fact that some of the world's best live loopers are in the
audience cheering on the 'newbie's at 12 noon.
One of the things I love to brag about is the fact that frequently, one
of those newbies puts on such an interesting or original or provocative
show
that the 'oldbies' are blown away and
inspired..........................I think of Lindsey Walker's quirky
singer songwriter set last year. I was totally
inspired by it.
That said and done, I completely understand why other live looping
producers have chosen not to use this approach.
Looked at from one perspective, it can be seen as 'diluting' the
professionalism of the festival to do it.
But noone can sit through 30 hours of live looping artists and one
unusual aspect of the festival is that everyone plays for only 30
minutes, so the whole thing
can be a smorgasborg of styles and techniques......................you
find someone uninteresting so you gravitate outside and have a
fascinating conversation
with a very sophisticated live looper from another country that turns
you on and makes the artistry grow and get better.
So Mark, I'd specifically love to invite you to not only come and
perform this year, so we can see how you've grown as a live looping
artist, but so that you can see
what's grown in the ensuing years....................a lot has, I
assure you. We'd be better as a community for your performance,
involvement and support.