Not OT, Irish Music and political opinions.

[MurphyStout]

Been drinking Pepsi tonight so excuse me.

I was thinking (<-mistake) tonight that all of the good itm musicians I've met and read about have been more of the liberal varietys. I can't think of one politically conservative itm player (that I've met in real life, on the web or that I've read about) who was a master of his/her particular instrument. Definatly not going to name names here cause that would be all bad but I was wondering if it's something about irish music that conservatives aren't good at or if being conservative is being unirish? Maybe it's because I tend to associate with leftleaners or that I live in California so the great players in the pubs that I meet are from California and that's why I haven't come across great politically conservative itm musicians. But then if you think about it, where are the good towns for Irish music? San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Boston; all are leftist towns. You don't here about Mobile, Alabama being a hotbed of Irish music.

Now I'm not meaning this to be a jab at conservatives, (okay maybe a little bit) but seriously is this a true phenomina? Could it be that Conservatives can't accept that they make mistakes and that they can't admit that they are doing something incorrectly, just like they can't in real life? And therefore they cannot fix their problems? I do not know, I'm just throwing this out there.

Pardon my Pepsi

[brianc]

Try visiting Mobile Alabama someday.
The folks there are pretty well honed in American roots music.

So why narrow your scope to just Irish music?

[MurphyStout]

Try visiting Mobile Alabama someday.
The folks there are pretty well honed in American roots music.

So why narrow your scope to just Irish music?

Because this is a website about the tin whistle, an irish instrument. And most of us here are interstead in irish music. I know people around there are pretty good at Appalachain and bluegrass music. I'm not talking about all music, just irish.

[brianc]

Because this is a website about the tin whistle, an irish instrument. And most of us here are interstead in irish music. I know people around there are pretty good at Appalachain and bluegrass music. I'm not talking about all music, just irish.

Hmmm... your title for this thread is "Not OT: ...."

And meanwhile, the "OT: Political ..." thread currently has 5,702 responses, and over 106,000 views.

This is a website about the tin whistle?

[blackhawk]

In my experience, musicians of all types of music (except American country), and actors for that matter, are 99% liberal (look at Hollywood, both movies and television). Why else would Jane Fonda win an Oscar for a piece of garbage like Klute? Because her fellow liberals wanted to honor her for being so politically outspoken.

[brianc]

And then they turn on one of their own when he dares make a film like "The Passion of Christ".

I remember laughing at the hypocrisy of the Hollyweird left when they were criticizing 'The Passion' and Mel Gibson, and saying "It's too violent."

You know what was playing in theaters at the same time?

"Kill Bill 2". (I assume they named it that because it had twice the senseless killing).

[talasiga]

Try visiting Mobile Alabama someday.
The folks there are pretty well honed in American roots music.

So why narrow your scope to just Irish music?

Because this is a website about the tin whistle, an irish instrument. And most of us here are interstead in irish music. I know people around there are pretty good at Appalachain and bluegrass music. I'm not talking about all music, just irish.

This is indeed the whistle flute or "tin" whistle forum but that doesn't make it Irish. There is a separate Irish Traditional Music forum. Neither Ireland nor the other Celtic lands have a monopoly on the whistle flute in its simple system form. These whistles are extant in other European and Asian traditions, many of which are ongoing, living traditions rather than revived ones. Simple system flutes and whistles have been played in India and China and those in between since before people over 4 foot 6 inches sat at the mound of Tara.

So stick that in your Pepsi and drink it.

[Jeff Stallard]

...musicians...are 99% liberal

Exactly what I was going to say. So which causes the other? Does liberal philosophy encourage the arts, or do the arts encourage liberal philosophy?

[talasiga]

...musicians...are 99% liberal

Exactly what I was going to say. So which causes the other? Does liberal philosophy encourage the arts, or do the arts encourage liberal philosophy?

Perhaps you will find more the leftie types playing music in public places
whereas the conservatives in the privacy of their lush homes and elite soirees .....

Music knows no boundaries.

[lixnaw]

[missy]

this is just my own theories........

ITM is basically "folk" music, right? I mean, it's a form of music that is "of the people" and picked up by hearing (for most of it's time) and not orchastratedly transcribed.

The "people" have used music for lots of things - celebrating good times, trying to deal with hard times, birth, death, and political problems such as war, monarchs, etc. Think of songs like "Brian Boru's March". "Chase Me Charlie". And look at songs like "Over the River to Feed My Sheep" that I suppose you would now call an Appalachian song, but has strong Celtic roots.

Now, look at the "folk" musicians (not ITM genre) that have "made" it the past 40 years or so. Bob Dillon. Tom Paxton. John McCutcheon. etc.etc. All have songs about war, death - the same things in ITM. And all are of the "liberal" persuasion.

I think if you really KNOW the background of songs, and are drawn to that, you tend to be the "I'm going to do something and change this" type of person. Hense you tend to "appeal" to those that are more liberal.

BTW - I'm not liberal or conservative - I tend to be more libertarian than anything else. But I guess you could write a lot of songs talking about government having too big of a hand in everyone's lives, right??

[jim stone]

I don't know the people at the top of ITM,
but I know people at the utter bottom, like myself,
who are conservatives. But we tend to lay low--
I don't talk politics much except in virtual
reality, cause the other side tends to
get angry very fast. I think this is widespread:
if conservatives are there you are
less likely to know it.

Read a poem in the paper about the Hollywood
elite:

We resolved to leave the country
If Bush wasn't shown the gate,
But who would enlighten you peasants?
So we're staying, at least till 08!

Elites in this country tend to be leftist,
and it may be that elite musicians are
like this, too. I know that in the academy
the pressure to be a leftist is profound,
both social and in terms of job security.
Unless you are brave and very committed,
you adapt in such a milieu. Few people
care enough to buck 'society.' And if you
hold out, you tend to keep your head
down.

I agree that 'protest' music in the last century
came largely from the left.

[susnfx]

Jack, are you referring to America only?

And I thought I'd heard you'd gone into rehab for that Pepsi problem...

Susan

[BrassBlower]

musicians of all types of music (except American country)

I'm putting on my cowboy boots...

Perhaps you will find more the leftie types playing music in public places
whereas the conservatives in the privacy of their lush homes and elite soirees .....

Music knows no boundaries.

...and picking up my rec****r.

[Unseen122]

I think it has to do with how a conservative will focus more on their job and money and a liberal will focus on what makes tham happy. A conservative finds music as a hobby where as a liberal finds it as a way of life. It is more likely to find a liberal person who plays music for a living where as a conservative would think that is not a real job only a hobby. So the liberal will spemd more time playing their music not only for fun but because that is the way they want to live they will play because it "feeds" their soul not because it is some thing to do or something to collect. To have a real love of music you need an open mind most conservatives are VERY closed minded.