What are you listening to right now?

[stui magpie]

Sounds like great stuff.

One question, does a degree in guitar qualify him to do anything or is it purely a learning exercise?

I did formal assessments on Piano back in the 70's early 80's, think I passed level 3 theory and Prac but have zero comprehension of what that actually means.

[HAL]

What does great stuff sound like?

[Pies4shaw]

Sounds like great stuff.

One question, does a degree in guitar qualify him to do anything or is it purely a learning exercise?

I did formal assessments on Piano back in the 70's early 80's, think I passed level 3 theory and Prac but have zero comprehension of what that actually means.

Like any practical music instruction, the question is ultimately how one plays, rather than any piece of paper one acquires. In that sense, this course is no different from any other degree qualification one gets for practical music. The qualification merely represents that one can play in a particular idiom to.a particular standard (more or less).

More importantly, what this does do is place young people in an environment where they are taught - in addition to their own instrument - sound production, music industry management etc and surrounded by a lot of other talented and (generally) motivated people. In my son's case, it's fair to say that he doesn't really need anyone to "teach" him to play - what he does need is the opportunity to work under direction from stand-out professionals who do different things from him, or the same things in different ways. So, someone who works hard at this particular course and has the requisite skill should come out generally well-rounded (able to play pop, rock, blues, jazz etc all to a high standard) and with the potential to earn a living as a musician in a variety of ways. They should also come out knowing a lot of high-quality people and how to work with others.

Of course, something like this isn't going to be much use to someone who isn't really very musical or doesn't have much executive talent to begin with. That said, I think it's a great opportunity. Back in the day, it was necessary to fumble around in the dark trying to work out how to meet other musicians, if you wanted to play any music that wasn't "classical". This offers a structured opportunity to get immersed in the thing you want to do and obtain the business and social skills required to limit the risk of future starvation.

[stui magpie]

Cool, sounds like a pretty well rounded intro to the music industry rather than just playing and expands the horizons beyond their interests.

He may yet be able to provide for you in your old age.

[pietillidie]

It's Bach, and it's mostly violin and strings by the sounds. I find it great background music to work to, especially the bright numbers.

*Please don't ask me anything about classical music. Well, music generally!

[pietillidie]

Should have posted this last night but I couldn't stop laughing for long enough.

The Boy is doing his degree in guitar performance and, as part of the History of Contemporary Popular Music unit, he had to perform songs from the years 1954 to 1964 in authentic style (ie, no shredding, no tapping and a basically "clean" sound through a small amplifier) in public with other students. I have film evidence of him playing lead (using his Fender, not the beloved Dave Mustaine Signature "V") on "Hard Day's Night", "Johnny B. Goode", "All the Day and All of the Night" and "My Generation". This will be good blackmail material for years to come.

Two of the members of his usual gigging band turned up to watch. Since they think that "classical music" means early Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath before Dio joined, the looks on their faces as the Boy hit Chuck's opening riff were priceless. They were even more bemused when he joined one of the other bands and switched to bass on "Baby, It's You", "You Send Me" and "Pretty Woman".

The Boy will not likely live down his father knowing the words of every song played by every band and singing along loudly. I was A Complete Embarrassment.

Ha, nice story, and very cool degree

I love the rock stuff you post. I've known of the genres and recognise some of the names, but I've never known where to start with that stuff, so the mini tours you post work a treat!

I reckon you'd enjoy the hidden "rock bars" tucked away in basements around Seoul. Grab a beer and hand requests to a long-haired bloke in a Jefferson Airplane T-shirt (extremely radical by Korean standards) with thousands of records and songs at hand, and enjoy. Many a great night out has been had.

This is one of the more commercial bars, but there are some real blinders dotted about the city:

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowUserRevi ... Seoul.html

[Pies4shaw]

I probably would enjoy Seoul, PTID - any place where the DJs have hair like Jorma Kaukonen circa 1969 and wear Jefferson Airplane t-shirts is fine by me.

Jorma, by the way, is still alive and kicking, mostly in the foothills of Appalachia at his Fur Peace Ranch (I kid you not). Here he is, coaxed away from his hideaway, playing electric blues with the Tedeschi Trucks Band a little under a month ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKDkpmwY3uA

Here he is, playing a mostly solo concert in 1979 - a real treat for those who like fine blues/country acoustic guitar playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLyPH4fLt-w

And here he is at the Airplane's 1996 induction into the Hall of Fame, playing his instrumental from Surrealistic Pillow, first recorded by the Airplane before Keven Bartlett had won a premiership (and actually written in 1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbcMa3is-vw

Next, a duet with Jack Casady, when they both had proper hair (effectively a Hot Tuna date, although I don't know whether they were officially Hot Tuna when this was filmed or still part of the Airplane): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77-vQJt ... XIIT36mXGg

Finally, here's one for Easter - a breathtaking cover of Rev Gary Davis' "I Am the Light of This World", from 1974: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUhRpL1IJxU

[Pies4shaw]

It's Bach, and it's mostly violin and strings by the sounds. I find it great background music to work to, especially the bright numbers.

*Please don't ask me anything about classical music. Well, music generally!

If you like Bach's up-beat music, here's one you might enjoy and likely won't have heard: Rachmaninoff's piano transcription of Bach's Prelude from his 3rd Partita for Solo Violin, played by Jorge Bolet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOAgsTTbnJE

The piano sounds, to me, like bells in places.

Despite the title of the yotube entry, this isn't from Jorge's 1974 Carnegie Hall concert but from his 1973 RCA recording of Rachmaninoff transcriptions (the transcriptions were included with the Carnegie Hall recital on a Phillips double-CD set in about 1999).

[npalm]

Thanks for the Tedschi Trucks band link P4S. I hadn't heard of them before.
Excellent.
And I see they're in the country at the moment for the bluesfest but, dammit, I've missed their one and only Melbourne gig last Saturday.
Did you happen to catch it?

[Pies4shaw]

No, I didn't. I made the same mistake as you!

[npalm]

Having missed out on seeing Tedeshi Trucks, I thought I'd check out who else is coming to Melbourne soon.
Again, not some-one I had heard of previously (i'm seriously out of touch) but Snarky Puppy are playing the Forum in June.

I'm not normally into fusion but these guys aren't bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_XJ_s5IsQc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuhHU_BZXSk

[Pies4shaw]

King Crimson, Starless and Bible Black - right now, it's "We'll Let You Know".

I'd put up a link but I know from previous unsuccessful searches that Bob Fripp guards Crimson's studio albums very closely and doesn't permit them to be you-tubed. Which is a great shame, because Crimson's first 7 albums (everything up to and including Red) are works of great beauty and even greater significance and Bob's approach just keeps them from being heard by a wider audience. And I suspect that exposure would actually increase sales.

Actually, it's "The Night Watch", now. Shine, shine, the light of good work shines.

[Jezza]

Aces High by Iron Maiden.

[Skids]

My missus whingeing about how much beer I drank yesterday.

[Pies4shaw]

Aces High by Iron Maiden.

The harmonica and ukulele cover or Kevin Sanchez's acoustic guitar version that proves that if there were no electric guitars in 1982, they would have had to be invented?