[Tango-L] (no subject)

[Chris, UK]

Korey wrote:

> I'm doing the math in my head to work out the "contentment" ratio
> ... my point is just to give some voice in this forum to  
> the hundreds of dancers who do seem to enjoy dancing to these  
> groups. ... I count about 300 for and 5 against.

That's 300 who didn't state an opinion versus 5 who did? Your survey 
technique does your case no favours, Korey.

If on the other hand we count the ayes who speak for themselves, we've 
got about 2 for and 5 against. Which is pretty much Michael's original 
point.

> just to show another view, which in fact I believe to be a majority  
> perspective - live music is a delight to dance to! ... 
> Perhaps there are others reading this who can corroborate?

Indeed lets hear from them. Preferably the dancers on the receiving end, 
rather than organisers on the selling end.

> These musicians are, by and large, warm, generous, accommodating,  
> people, who put uncompensated effort to play in a difficult and  

Full marks for effort, but to be blunt, this issue is not about effort 
but results. It makes no difference how hard the musicians try if the 
end result is not good enough for dancers. And the fact you see a room 
full of people dancing to a live band does not alone mean it is good 
enough - people who've got to the effort to come out to a ball with live 
music are going to make a big effort to enjoy it even if the band is not 
as good as they'd reasonably expected.

> if you want to improve the situation, hire more live music, give your 
> local band more practice,

Please no, do not inflict more bad live music on festivalgoers in the 
hope that with practice the band will improve. Let them practice at home.

Lucia added:

> the ignorant and the uneducated "connoisseurs" carry the day. 
> Without  having the slightest idea of  what good music and dance is,
> nor  making the effort to learn, they  endorse the "novelty" and the 
> "sincere effort" of bad musicians

> here's one simple way to fight back - do not dance to music you 
> don't like...

Well said.

And thank you again Michael for having the guts to call this spade a 
spade.

Chris





-------- Original Message --------

*Subject:* [Tango-L] (no subject)
*From:* Korey Ireland <korey at kodair.com>
*To:* Tango-L <tango-l at mit.edu>
*Date:* Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:25 -0500

Hello Michael, Igor, Neil, Janis, and others concerned about live  
music for tango dancers:

Thank you for sharing your perspective, its important for all of us  
to recognize there is a variety, different tastes, and that diversity  
potentially makes us more robust as a community.  I'm doing the math  
in my head to work out the "contentment" ratio ...but at last nights  
milonga in Seattle I believe there were about 200 people "happily"  
dancing to live music by Conjunto Berretin, I won't claim they were  
perfectly interpreting this energetic and playful ensemble, but they  
weren't doing any worse to my eyes as a dance floor then when the DJ  
played.  In fact, the energy in the room was noticeably boosted when  
the band played.  Then there was the event last week in Mt. Vernon  
where Tango Lorca with special guest Hector Del Curto played for a  
room of enthusiastic dancers (apparently minus Michael and a few  
others).  Again, watching the room with the band playing and later  
with the skilled Djing of Robin Thomas and Robert Hauk, I didn't feel  
a big shift in quality of dance, maybe a small change in energy  
level.  Well, my point is just to give some voice in this forum to  
the hundreds of dancers who do seem to enjoy dancing to these  
groups.  We hear from the few outspoken critics frequently, lets put  
it in context.  I count about 300 for and 5 against.

Not to dispute your claims, they are of course, your experiences, but  
just to show another view, which in fact I believe to be a majority  
perspective - live music is a delight to dance to!  We are extremely  
fortunate that musicians of the caliber of Tango Lorca, Conjunto  
Berretin, and Trio Garufa (among others) chose to devote considerable  
time to learning dance repertory and style.  (and yes, I can assure  
you, they do make a considerable effort to please us!)  Quite the  
contrary of sucking, or being too much work, I often find dancing to  
live music a highlight of a festival weekend.

Perhaps there are others reading this who can corroborate?

These musicians are, by and large, warm, generous, accommodating,  
people, who put uncompensated effort to play in a difficult and  
subtle style that we will recognize as good dance music.  This is a  
style that developed from an economy that employed musicians 7 days a  
week, 2 gigs a night, until we have such an economy I think its a  
little unrealistic for us to expect the same musical conditions, and  
if you want to improve the situation, hire more live music, give your  
local band more practice, and perhaps some positive feedback.  When  
you criticize, blame, or vilify these musicians, you just make them  
less likely to take an interest in our art form, which ultimately is  
an impoverishment for all of us.  Please, think carefully about the  
human beings who are effected when you feel it necessary to flaunt  
your superiority and criticize those who endeavor to inspire us to  
dance.  Your words have an impact on the musicians who can be  
extremely discouraged by the intolerance of dancers, and for those of  
us who dream of some day dancing to live music that is as good as, or  
possibly better then the recordings we love to dance to.  As I  
understand it, dancers came back to tango in the late 30s and 40s  
because a new musical style played by innovative musicians compelled  
them to dance.  I'm sure at the time, there were a handful of people  
who said it was bad, the the status quo was better, change is scary  
and wrong, I imagine we're all happy that no one was swayed by these  
complaints.

Respectfully,
Korey Ireland

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