>From rcole Thu Jan 16 15:55:48 1992
Received: by sylvester.cc.utexas.edu (5.61/1.34/CCWF 1.17)
id AA06882; Thu, 16 Jan 92 15:55:06 -0600
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 92 15:55:06 -0600
From: rcole (Richard W. Cole)
Message-Id: <9201162155.AA0688--(at)--ylvester.cc.utexas.edu>
To: bas–(at)–cs.UWPLATT.EDU
Subject: Re: The Bottom Line #119
Cc: rcole
Status: R
In response to letter Insult Maximus
I suppose in my youth I might be offended by a request to turn down the volume
but now I can view such a request more philosophically. It would seem to me
that turning it down has nothing to do with the quality of one’s music. For
those who want to hear it they will locate themselves near the band
accordingly (the more volume they want, the close they can move). Why
should we force our music on others who may not want to hear it. Besides that
it may damage their hearing (as mine is permanently).
More importantly, is the effect of loud volume for us the players (I started
with r&r, moved to funk, and now reside with jazz). I’ve found that to
play loud is to remove the energy and expertise of the musicians. If we’re
very loud we’ll assult you with our physical energy and not the energy
of our skill, spirit, and expertise as collective players. I FEEL the
energy of music that drives me to play at low volumes. The lower the better,
that way we WE HAVE TO COOK and you attribute the attention you receive to
your quality as inspiring players who don’t need (I’m sure this will
infuriate many) a crutch.
One other point, the energy found in playing well is available in all forms
of music. A good r&r band can be warming up before a gig with no amps at
all, the drummer with sticks on his (her) knee and all will feel the energy
at that point and know they’re hot. That’s what makes it worthwhile for me.
By the way I used to do gigs in Houston’s Astrodome and people who I
mistakenly thought were waiving to us in appreciation were shooting the bird
and demanding us to turn it down. I look upon it as the indescretion of my
youth.
MORAL: volume does not a good band make, turn it down and find your real
energy.
rcol–(at)–cwf.cc.utexas.edu
