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Re: why we founded this list (So how and when can we get there?)
I'm new on the list. I must say its been quite exciting. I hope these
folks
haven't suffered to badly for my enjoyment but its way more interesting
then
a post on someone else's MIDI timing workaround on a some box I don't own.
I have enjoyed reading and reflecting on many of the posts. I get some
sense
of the past for looping. I've been looping for awhile and I did think I
was
unique, until I found all the sights on line. I saw Matthias' question
...how and when can we get there? Asking how we raise the prominence and
profitability of live looping. I'd like to take a stab at that one.
Hopefully no one will lose an eye.
First just what is live looping. It would seem that it defines the gear we
use and that we use it live like an instrument. I don't think of the group
as a marketing arm of an instrument and software companies. But using
looping gear or a delay is a requirement for live looping. So we all have
that in common.
Next, I'm going to break down live loopers on a continuum. One one side is
a
looper that performs a complete impersonation of a top 40 band on the
other
is an improvisational ambient sound looper. Lets use two dimensions to
define the continuum. First dimension is pre and post looping. Our top 40
guy is all pre loop, using the looping to record parts and play them back
as
recorded. Our ambient guy is all post loop, creating drones and
manipulating
them as they loop back. The second dimension to it is the use of meter and
key. Top 40 guy does everything in meter and key while ambient guy uses
neither.
The point I'm coming to is: If you want prominence and profitability the
quickest easiest way is to move your performance toward the top 40 guy on
the scale. The closer you come the more gigs will be available and a
single
performer can compete with full bands, undercutting their rates as he's
only
one guy. It's not necessarily top 40. It could be blues, jazz what ever
just
an existing genre so you can go out and compete with bands for existing
gigs. Not my personal objective but I do try to be somewhere in the center
on this continuum overall. I must also point out that I have listened to
many of the ambient loopers and they sound at least as prepared as anyone
else. Takes a lot of work to get those rigs ready and a lot of practice to
use them.
I get the impression that its not live looping that Matthias is trying to
promote its also the ambient side of the continuum. I'd think that there
are
limits to this as music without meter or key is a hard sell. I do think
there are enough loopers close to each other, like here in the Bay Area,
to
focus on a local venue. Find a suitable bar or coffee shop and setup a
looping jam once a month or once a week. You take a slow night and make
sure
at least one guy shows up every session. You could help host loopers from
out of town for the sessions. The group can collectively focus on
promoting
the fixed gig.
I also feel that the technology the group is using could be upgraded. The
mailing list isn't as handy as a forum and it would be nice have a more
searchable database of loopers.
Sadly, my next observation is that music is a kids game. To really take
off
it has to be the kids that take to looping. From what I can tell, this
group
is as seasoned as I am. We could be the Sensei to a new looping
generation.
Loop on the one grasshopper ... if you have a one ...
Cheers,
-Ty