Style? Moi?

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 3:42 am

An odd thing happened at last night's session.

I missed Tuesday's session at the Newmarket so I went to the Wednesday one at the Woolpack, where I haven't been for a couple of years. Great time had as it was young Rosie's last session before she goes to Newcastle University to study for a degree in traditional music. (How cool is that?)

<You're rambling Barter. Get back to the point.>

After I'd been playing for about half an hour in came Simon the bodhran player (and a phenominally good one BTW). <Rambling again. Gerronwithit!> He said, "When I heard that Barter style playing as I came across the car park I thought I'd come to the wrong pub."

Style? I have a style? What is it? Why is it distinctive? How does it differ from other people's? Is it just a polite way of saying I'm utter sh*te? I'd love to know but I just didn't have the nerve to ask.

Total panic is beginning to set in. I'll have to get Pat (Wjndbag) to break it to me gently.

ninjaaron · Post by **ninjaaron** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:09 am

jbarter wrote:Is it just a polite way of saying I'm utter sh*te?

Yes. Believe me, I'm an American. We know things without having any background because we live in the best country in the world.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:13 am

Hm. Only 3 years till I can apply for citizenship...

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:49 am

you're making a name for yourself!!!!

as to whether it's a GOOD name or a BAD name, I have no idea......

BigDavy · Post by **BigDavy** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 5:41 am

Hi jbarter

I don't know if you need to worry or not as to your playing.

Speaking from the bodhran player's perspective you soon learn to recognise the idiosyncracies of those people you play with regularly and can pick them out even in a large session.

You say Simon is a good bodhran player, you only get good if you listen hard to the people you play with and in doing that you soon learn to pick out individual playing charecteristics.

David

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 5:43 am

Whew! Thanks BD. Now perhaps I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 7:44 am

I'm confused. I haven't had my coffee yet. Is Simon an American? I don't get the American and citizenship things.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:10 am

Cynth wrote:I'm confused. I haven't had my coffee yet. Is Simon an American? I don't get the American and citizenship things.

Ava wants to apply for English citizenship, I daresay.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:14 am

Bloomfield wrote:Ava wants to apply for English citizenship, I daresay.

Now who shall we trade you as a replacement for her?

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:19 am

jbarter wrote:
Bloomfield wrote:Ava wants to apply for English citizenship, I daresay.
Now who shall we trade you as a replacement for her?

That one, on the left, there.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:23 am

Bloomfield wrote:
jbarter wrote:
Bloomfield wrote:Ava wants to apply for English citizenship, I daresay.
Now who shall we trade you as a replacement for her?

That one, on the left, there.

No thanks, we already have our own silly royalty....

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:00 am

Oh, I get it. ninjaaron is saying he hates Americans and avanutria is saying she has only to wait 3 years to not be an American. Yes, I like this new, nicer C&F alot.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:15 am

Cynth wrote:Oh, I get it. ninjaaron is saying he hates Americans and avanutria is saying she has only to wait 3 years to not be an American. Yes, I like this new, nicer C&F alot.

I didn't see anything hateful at all in either of those responses myself, Cynth.

I saw Ninjaaron responding to Jbarter's question...the question was basicallly "should I be worried that I play like crap because a bodhran player recognized my playing from the parking lot".. (paraphrase).

Ninjaaron said "yes", and then followed with a completely spurious justification for his reasoning. Passed through my humor filter, I translate his response as: "Really, I can't answer your question at all, since I don't know how you play, and live in a completely different country, so let me instead offer up this silliness". I don't see any hate professed at all for America or Americans. In truth, if it were there (which, again, I don't see), it would have to be a sentiment something along the lines of "I hate all americans but me" since he professes to live in Wisconsin.

I base my supposition on the part of his statement where he says "We know things without having any background", which to me is where he gives the nod to the idea that he can't really answer the question at all.

Part of Ninjaaron silliness was a bit of faux-jingoism proclaiming how America is the best country on earth. It's a known fact that Beth is over in the UK, and seems to be enjoying the locale quite a bit...and that's really all I read her response as saying, and again, not necessarily a dig at the US. At least, not any more than a conversation along the lines of: "Chocolate ice cream is the bomb" "Nah, vanilla's where it's at!" I just don't see an expression of <i>preference </i> as being the same as an expression of <i>hate</i>

Then again, it could just be me. I try not to read any extra drama into things I read...I find life full of quite enough of it already.

Now, to try to swing things dangerously back onto the topic at hand, I myself cant say if the recognition of Jbarter's style is a good thing or a bad thing...but to me, it definitely means that his playing is distinctive to someone who's been exposed to it for a while. I have a friend who doesn't play the whistle but likes celtic music. I've sent him clips and samples and stuff for a couple of years now, and he's gotten good at picking my playing out from other whistlers. Good thing? Bad thing? Well, that's subjective, I suppose...but it does mean to me that he's been really listenin to the stuff I send him, which I find heartening.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:23 am

Cynth wrote:Oh, I get it. ninjaaron is saying he hates Americans and avanutria is saying she has only to wait 3 years to not be an American. Yes, I like this new, nicer C&F alot.

Hi there Cynth

Sorry you read hate into those posts. Please let me explain mine.

When an American citizen applies for another citizenship, they are not 'giving up' their American-ness. It's a common misconception and one I had to explain to my grandmother as well. The US allows dual citizenship in most instances.

However, holding a second passport will have a nice side effect in that I will not be automatically classified into a certain 'type' of person just by the colour of my passport. The 'nasty American' stereotype is one I have come across a lot in the past year, and was described well in ninjaaron's (hopefully satirical) post. My comment was meant to distance myself from his, which in retrospect would have been achieved a lot better if I had just kept my mouth shut.

Which I will try to do now, so Dale doesn't have to lock another forum.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:33 am

I'd say the fact that Simon heard you from accross the parking lot and still came in, is evidence that your style can't be too dungy.

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