The perils of playing that fave busking pitch once too often!!
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Highland piper not moving on
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buskerSean
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- Tell us something.: I am a walrus, I am a tea pot. John Lennon said that but people see him as a guru. Well,tell,you what he also almost became a piper asking Paddy Keenan to teach him. (bleep) got bored & went on the sitar and the rest is history.
- Location: Devon, England
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AaronMalcomb
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Thanks for posting, Sean. It looks like democracy in action. I see both sides being a busker myself but a very self-conscious one.
I hate repetition and monotony as much as the next person. I have taken some steps to make myself more welcome and successful at the local market where I play.
For one, I won't play the GHB. I tried it a couple times but unless you are used to it, it is distractingly loud. Sure, my piping mates and I can have an uninterrupted conversation while multiple pipe bands are playing but we hear the things everyday. I find border pipes to be much better suited. They cut through the din without a lot of volume.
I try to bring a large repertoire. If at all possible I avoid playing Amazing Grace, Scotland The Brave and all of those unless I get a specific request and even then I occasionally try to BS my way out of playing them. Like in the Oxford story the buskers at my market are allowed to play a set then break before playing more. Once I play a tune or selection of tunes I prefer to wait a couple sets before playing those tunes again that day.
The trend in Highland piping is to almost never play a tune more than once in a row unless required in competition. I will play repetitions of dance tunes like is done in traditional music and I think it's actually more enjoyable for the listener. If they aren't familiar with the idiom then hearing the tune repeated helps them get the melody before switching to another one. But as above, once played I wait a couple sets before touching those tunes again.
If nothing else, I've got to say I like the batik bag cover he's got. Very groovy. And that was an enjoyable set he played on the podcast (Mrs Martha Knowles and Lucy Cassidy). He's no Gordon Duncan or Fred Morrison but he's better than most busking GHB-ers.
I hope you keep us posted on the progress of this story.
I hate repetition and monotony as much as the next person. I have taken some steps to make myself more welcome and successful at the local market where I play.
For one, I won't play the GHB. I tried it a couple times but unless you are used to it, it is distractingly loud. Sure, my piping mates and I can have an uninterrupted conversation while multiple pipe bands are playing but we hear the things everyday. I find border pipes to be much better suited. They cut through the din without a lot of volume.
I try to bring a large repertoire. If at all possible I avoid playing Amazing Grace, Scotland The Brave and all of those unless I get a specific request and even then I occasionally try to BS my way out of playing them. Like in the Oxford story the buskers at my market are allowed to play a set then break before playing more. Once I play a tune or selection of tunes I prefer to wait a couple sets before playing those tunes again that day.
The trend in Highland piping is to almost never play a tune more than once in a row unless required in competition. I will play repetitions of dance tunes like is done in traditional music and I think it's actually more enjoyable for the listener. If they aren't familiar with the idiom then hearing the tune repeated helps them get the melody before switching to another one. But as above, once played I wait a couple sets before touching those tunes again.
If nothing else, I've got to say I like the batik bag cover he's got. Very groovy. And that was an enjoyable set he played on the podcast (Mrs Martha Knowles and Lucy Cassidy). He's no Gordon Duncan or Fred Morrison but he's better than most busking GHB-ers.
I hope you keep us posted on the progress of this story.
This is the same guy.
http://youtube.com/profile?user=oxwordworkerindistre
Although I love the pipes, I do realise that a lot of people really hate the sound. Busking on the big pipes requires consideration from the player.
If that guy was playing outside my workplace every day, it would drive me crazy.
Mukade
http://youtube.com/profile?user=oxwordworkerindistre
Although I love the pipes, I do realise that a lot of people really hate the sound. Busking on the big pipes requires consideration from the player.
If that guy was playing outside my workplace every day, it would drive me crazy.
Mukade
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Pat Cannady
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After thinking it over for a day or two it seems to me that
a) the fellow is not bad. He needs to work on playing steadily and fight the temptation to play faster ever faster.
b) The Cornmarket is rather a small high density area with lots of reflective surfaces, so his sound is going to CARRY. Bad news for anyone who a) doesn't care for pipe music and b) can't get away from it due to employment-related obligations.
c) SOME of the people who are complaining are simply bigots, and their hatred/contempt of anything Not English is apparent; SOME are horrible class snobs; MOST of them are normally reasonable, kind people who are simply complaining about being forced to listen to it while working.
Considering how much I detest being forced to listen to "light rock", "smooth jazz", or "urban contemporary" while at work I can sympathize with the lattermost group. The others can go stick it where the sun doesn't shine.
d) some of the people defending the piper need to grow up. It's OXFORD, for crying out loud.
e) Our good man would be better off playing borders pipes or even small pipes in that same space.
f) Hate to say it but he probably does need to get "a proper job" at least long enough to buy a decent set of borders pipes and get used to playing them.
a) the fellow is not bad. He needs to work on playing steadily and fight the temptation to play faster ever faster.
b) The Cornmarket is rather a small high density area with lots of reflective surfaces, so his sound is going to CARRY. Bad news for anyone who a) doesn't care for pipe music and b) can't get away from it due to employment-related obligations.
c) SOME of the people who are complaining are simply bigots, and their hatred/contempt of anything Not English is apparent; SOME are horrible class snobs; MOST of them are normally reasonable, kind people who are simply complaining about being forced to listen to it while working.
Considering how much I detest being forced to listen to "light rock", "smooth jazz", or "urban contemporary" while at work I can sympathize with the lattermost group. The others can go stick it where the sun doesn't shine.
d) some of the people defending the piper need to grow up. It's OXFORD, for crying out loud.
e) Our good man would be better off playing borders pipes or even small pipes in that same space.
f) Hate to say it but he probably does need to get "a proper job" at least long enough to buy a decent set of borders pipes and get used to playing them.
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buskerSean
- Posts: 554
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 9:19 am
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- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I am a walrus, I am a tea pot. John Lennon said that but people see him as a guru. Well,tell,you what he also almost became a piper asking Paddy Keenan to teach him. (bleep) got bored & went on the sitar and the rest is history.
- Location: Devon, England