Text 16193, 142 rader
Skriven 2014-08-24 06:42:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: concerts 840
====================
 ML> The psychology of free concerts is interesting.
 NB> Getting something for nothing...?   :)

Well, yes, for the consumer, on that level it's pretty
obvious. But why do the performers do it?

For youngsters, the experience and publicity make them
worth it. For more established performers and venues,
there are other motivators - the educational aspect,
getting people to better understand and apprecciate
serious music; the publicity aspect again, bringing
the venue into the consciousness of potential audiences,
and not coincidentally allowing the musicians to hawk
their wares - CDs, t-shirts, other paraphernalia,
teaching careers, whatnot.

What I was thinking of specifically as well was that
delicate moment when the collection basket gets passed
or passed by. Does one solicit donations before, after,
or at intermission? Does it depend on the projected
feelings of the audience - gratitude, appreciation,
guilt, perhaps even pity? For the first three, I can
admit to being hired every year by a couple of groups
that make a big thing of offering reasonably high-quality
concerts for free, but there's a prominent basket for
donations. This plus dwindling grant moneys have kept
the organizations going for decades, though the situation
now obtains where one of them has dropped its full
orchestra to now a string quintet plus winds and organ.
For the last of these, I've seen street musicians of
appalling quality rewarded with sizable tips, possibly
elicited by their very badness.

==

 ML> The manifest conversation was at least somewhat jokey, though
 ML> the crew don't really enjoy dealing with such things.
 NB> Possibly the fact that you at least recognised the fact that it made
 NB> more work for them along with the solving of the issues at hand helped
 NB> soothe her feelings... ;)

In this case, the service was provided by at least 6 (it
was a very big airplane) flight attendants in concert (ha!),
so the easiest thing, so they could do the proper thing and
address us by name and so on, would be for them to consult
the printed manifest, which then had to be corrected by hand,
assuming someone bothered to do that. They all ended up
calling me by my right name, but then I'm more distinctive
than the rest of the polloi. Or so I like to tell myself.

==

 ML> Too bad - the topic is interesting. I fear, though, that
 ML> the conductor's disquisition referred to solo lines within
 ML> an orchestral piece, rather than the massed sections or the
 ML> music as a whole.
 NB> Possibly only solo lines, but the impression I got was of also within
 NB> the massed sections...  He was saying something about the spontaneity
 NB> being a better good than the possible raggedness would be a bad

But spontaneity times 20 or 50 or 100 can lead to more
than raggedness.

 ...  If
 NB> I hear or figure out who it was, I'll let you know...  It's possibly
 NB> one of the guest conductors from last year's RPO season, and maybe the
 NB> interview I heard will be part of the broadcasts (they just started
 NB> the second iteration of the season) and I'll catch it when it comes by.

That would be very interesting.

==

 ML>> I've always enjoyed being one on a part but detested being
 ML>> alone alone.
 NB>> Some parts stick out more than others... ;)
 ML> Sticking out is okay. Sticking out without support is
 ML> a very tough thing.
 NB> Quite.
 
The protruding nail gets hammered down.
 - old Chinese proverb

But then it's in no worse shape than the other nails, is it?
 - Michael

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.07

      Title: Sourdough French Bread
 Categories: Breads
   Servings:  6

      3 c  All-purpose flour (I use
           -unbleached Gold Medal)
      1 ts Salt
      1 ts Sugar
    1/2 pk Dry yeast
      1 c  Sourdough starter

  In a large bowl... Mix the dry yeast in body-heat water (about 1/4 to 1/2
  cup) Add 2 cups of the flour, the starter, salt and sugar and stir for
  about 10 minutes

  When smooth, cover with a damp towel and let rise for at least 1 1/2 hours

  Stir in one cup of flour, or enough to make the dough rigid.

  Knead dough on a well-floured bread board for 10-15 minutes Roll into a
  long loaf or form into a round ball, depending on your preference Place on
  a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal Cover with a damp towel and let
  rise for at least 1 1/2 hours

  (with this recipe the long rise times allow you to enjoy a ball game, read
  the Sunday paper, trim your toe nails, and mow the lawn)

  Place a pan in the bottom of the oven, and fill it with boiling water
  (this, she told me, is the secret weapon)

  Mix 1/2 t of cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of hot water

  Make several diagonal slices in the top of the loaf to prevent it from
  breaking up when it fills with steam; brush the loaf with the corn starch
  mixture

  Place the loaf (on the bread pan sprinkled with corn meal) in the oven
  above the water pan and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes

  Remove from the oven, and brush again with the corn starch mixture

  Remove the water pan from the oven and refill it with cold water

  Place the bread and water pan back in oven (water pan below the bread) and
  bake for about 25 minutes

  Source unknown

MMMMM


___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Check Out Doc's QWK Mail  Via Web BBS > DocsPlace.org  (1:123/140)