The Mellotron Group

What is wrong with being amateur, playing for fun and enjoyment?

A professional is somebody that plays for money. I have watched many bands over the years play as if they were doing me a favour, obviously bored with the whole thing.

Despite being drilled, the expressions on those children's face radiated joy. I would settle for that any day.

Mark
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, fdoddy@... wrote:
>
> 
>  Mike has raised the bar so high that mere children have no chance of getting over it...ever.
> 
> A truly great musician is not one who stands out from all the rest, but one who makes all the musicians around him sound better than they really are.
> 
> fritz
> 
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> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas C. Doncourt <tomdcour@...>
> To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sat, Apr 23, 2011 11:55 am
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] OT-Future ax slingers
> 
> 
>   
>     
>                   
> Kind of like most of the early age piano recitals I've seen here in the
> states... maybe one or two of those kids will turn out to be great players
> and be thankfull for the early  music education. Mike raises the bar very
> high but, fortunately , his work stands up to it ----so....
> 
> >
> >             Fritz -
> >
> >        Pity me if you really want to, but I thought it looked mechanical
> >     and sounded almost completely played 'by rote'. It's
> > neither bitter nor cynical - it's what I gathered from the film. I
> >    heard no feel, no attempt to interpret, no real understanding of
> >     what they were playing...nothing. It was like listening to HAL
> > 9000     playing Bach. Perhaps the pitching and timing is stunning,
> > but there     is no heart in any of it.
> >
> >      Then again, the kids playing were of such an age that such a thing
> >  would barely be possible since that sort of musical consciousness
> >  isn't going to be available (or accessible) to any of them.
> >
> >      I heard it the same way I hear so many child prodigies playing
> > music; perhaps brilliant from a strictly technical point of view,
> > but utterly hopeless in terms of any artistry. I am really surprised
> >    that you cannot hear it. The fixed smiles on the faces of the kids
> >     almost lets you see it.
> >
> >      Mike
> >
> >
> >      On 23/04/2011 15:17, fdoddy@... wrote:            Â 
> >                     Mike,
> >
> >                        You actually thought the five children playing was
> >                      soulless?  It's mind numbing
> > how cynical and                       bitter you
> > are.  If there is pity to had, it's on
> >           you, I'm afraid.
> >
> >
> >                        fritz
> >
> >
> >
>