Converting the Philistines

Aerowhip · Post by **Aerowhip** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:02 am

Lucas wrote:
Both flutists play wooden Boehm flutes. It's not always easy to tell but you get a hint from this picture:

Thanks Lucas, for posting this photo. It does show the top of the characteristic mechanism.

And what a delightful face, I might add. Oh and yes, the roller in the background. Silly me, I figured it was some oboe player doing one of those many strange things they do with those pesky reeds...

Lucas · Post by **Lucas** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 1:34 pm

Aerowhip wrote:
Lucas wrote:
Both flutists play wooden Boehm flutes. It's not always easy to tell but you get a hint from this picture:
Thanks Lucas, for posting this photo. It does show the top of the characteristic mechanism.

And what a delightful face, I might add. Oh and yes, the roller in the background. Silly me, I figured it was some oboe player doing one of those many strange things they do with those pesky reeds...

I'm sorry to say this, but it is the oboe player, probably fiddling with a reed. BTW do they do anything else than fiddling with their reeds, these oboeists?

I always got the impression that Rieu's musicians are chosen mainly for their looks, but they are all very good professionals actually.

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:59 am

I didn't know who Andre Rieu was until two weeks ago, when a friend of mine mentioned he'd seen a video of him playing with the Dubliners. His mention on this board makes the fourth time since then I've heard of him. This is an instance of what I call the coconut bra effect.

A few years ago, I happened to read in an article about Josephine Baker in the Washington Post, and how she "wowed Paris in a coconut bra." A couple of days later, I was riding the Metro, and I heard a guy behind me telling his friend he didn't want to get drunk at the party they were at the night before because he was afraid he'd pass out and wake up in a coconut bra. And so it went. For the next month or so, I kept hearing odd mentions of the phrase "coconut bra." I even saw one of the things on a manniquin in a shop window.

This happens every so often. An otherwise innocuous phrase or concept will introduce itself into my consciousness and suddenly be everywhere. Other coconut bras I've had include curling, seitan, antimaccassars, the Eucharist, engine braking, "getting one's arms around" something (i.e. understanding it), and Gary Coleman. it's entertainingly freaky.

On-topic content: when I'm playing guitar, it's incredibly gratifying when people ignore the crowd of uilleann pipes, button accordions, concertinas, and odd little sideways clarinety-looking things to ask me what tuning I'm using. (I lie and tell them standard, of course.)

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:59 am

(Duplicate post, sorry.)

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:10 am

Nanohedron wrote:You won't believe this: I actually had a fellow with no musical studies to him come up and ask if I was playing a cittern! I gaped at him, just about had a coronary from the novelty of it all, and bought him a drink. He was my bestest friend for the evening.

Make sure you listen carefully whenever this question is posed to you, Nano. You wouldn't want the drunk guy sidling up next to you, saying "Is that a cistern?", and when you reply in the affirmative he decides that it would be a good place to release his water, now would you?

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:15 am

Ro3b wrote:This happens every so often. An otherwise innocuous phrase or concept will introduce itself into my consciousness and suddenly be everywhere.

It happened to me too, Rob. About, oh, seven years ago now. Unfortunately the innocuous concept was George W. Bush, and it's yet to go away...

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:47 am

johnkerr wrote:
Ro3b wrote:This happens every so often. An otherwise innocuous phrase or concept will introduce itself into my consciousness and suddenly be everywhere.
It happened to me too, Rob. About, oh, seven years ago now. Unfortunately the innocuous concept was George W. Bush, and it's yet to go away...

At least it wasn't W. in a coconut bra.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:57 am

Wormdiet wrote:
johnkerr wrote:
Ro3b wrote:This happens every so often. An otherwise innocuous phrase or concept will introduce itself into my consciousness and suddenly be everywhere.
It happened to me too, Rob. About, oh, seven years ago now. Unfortunately the innocuous concept was George W. Bush, and it's yet to go away...
At least it wasn't W. in a coconut bra.

[faints dead away]

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:01 am

Ro3b wrote:This happens every so often. An otherwise innocuous phrase or concept will introduce itself into my consciousness and suddenly be everywhere. Other coconut bras I've had include curling, seitan, antimaccassars, the Eucharist, engine braking, "getting one's arms around" something (i.e. understanding it), and Gary Coleman. it's entertainingly freaky.

I used to call this Observational Bias, but I might start calling it The Coconut Bra Effect instead.

Ever notice how many cars on the road are yellow these days?

Just to stay on topic, I once had a guy ask if my fiddle was a banjo. We were in a pub, so I suspect he was three sheets to the wind.

Jack Bradshaw · Post by **Jack Bradshaw** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:32 am

I'm realy feeling disapointed now...all I've ever gotten is "What the hell is that ?"

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:55 am

johnkerr wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:You won't believe this: I actually had a fellow with no musical studies to him come up and ask if I was playing a cittern! I gaped at him, just about had a coronary from the novelty of it all, and bought him a drink. He was my bestest friend for the evening.
Make sure you listen carefully whenever this question is posed to you, Nano. You wouldn't want the drunk guy sidling up next to you, saying "Is that a cistern?", and when you reply in the affirmative he decides that it would be a good place to release his water, now would you?

I wish they would listen.

"No, not 'sitar'. Citternnnnnnnn. SEE eye tee ee are ENN. Cittern."

One fellow actually does jocosely call it a cistern. Box player humor, I suppose. *sigh* After all this time I'm starting to wonder: what was I thinking? A guitar would have made my life just a little bit easier.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:58 am

Nanohedron wrote:After all this time I'm starting to wonder: what was I thinking? A guitar would have made my life just a little bit easier.

You're not dead yet!

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 12:04 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:After all this time I'm starting to wonder: what was I thinking? A guitar would have made my life just a little bit easier.
You're not dead yet!

Yeah. I suppose you're right.

At this point I guess it's sort of turned into an obstinacy of the principle of the thing. Whatever that is.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 12:16 pm

m31 wrote:This all seems too familiar, like when I'm at the checkout counter of a grocery store. A young lass works the cash. She asks, what's this? A squash. What's this? Bok choy. And this? Star fruit. Oh.

Meat and potatoes anyone?

I once had a checkout lady ask me "Is this celery? What do you use it for? Cooking?"

I was dumbfounded.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 12:36 pm

Wanderer wrote:
m31 wrote:This all seems too familiar, like when I'm at the checkout counter of a grocery store. A young lass works the cash. She asks, what's this? A squash. What's this? Bok choy. And this? Star fruit. Oh.

Meat and potatoes anyone?
I once had a checkout lady ask me "Is this celery? What do you use it for? Cooking?"

I was dumbfounded.

What an opportunity to reply, "Ah, I see you're new to the idea."