[Tango-L] Why dancers should judge musicians in Tango not otherwise

[Jeff Gaynor]

Igor Polk wrote:

>This is just my thought that dancers should be the ones to tell what music
>is good for tango dancing and what is not.
>
>  
>

?! (cleaning off monitor) I've really got to stop reading these posts 
when I drink coffee.

>Why. Obviously, most of us can not play nor to conduct an orchestra.
>The difference is that I believe we feel the music much deeper than
>musicians.
>
This coupled with your previous post

>"Pity it is that nobody cornered
>Canaro and the others and had them write a How-To book... Of course,
>since these guys were in it as a business they would not be happy about
>giving up their secrets either I suspect."
>
>
>>- What secrets do you need, a musician?
>>Take original records of Canaro himself and listen. There is no more in this
>>that what one would hear.
>
I guess imply that music is far too hard to be left to us musicians. The 
recent post about a 3 year study program to become a tango musician in 
BA must also be missing this too.

>We feel the music with the whole of our body. 
>
Are you sure you feel it the same way I do? When was the last time you 
got chills listening to music? How about a bit of vertigo? Some pieces I 
really have to lie down for (Prokofiev Piano Concert #2 comes to mind.) 
Ever hear a piece that made you just stop in your tracks? Mozart was 
famous for improvising music that would literally pertrify anyone in 
earshot. (Very famous incident of this happened when he was just a tyke: 
he shut down a whole Franciscan monastery when got bored and hopped on 
the organ  
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/mozart/images_imagined/Cherub_Genius_pic.htm.) 
I appreciate you like music, but I take strong exception that you know 
how I feel when I listen to it. Sorry. Being able to perceive music as a 
musician does is not a skill acquired lightly and MRI scans show a vast 
difference in brain activity between musicians and non-musicians. 
*Maybe* you get this too. Maybe.

Dance music has to be written with a strong and obvious beat or dancers 
won't be able to find it. That is why I decided to write some because it 
imposes very strict technical demands on the author. No phrases of odd 
length, no weird meters, no strange chord progressions. None of the 
favorite toys that always up the interest level. You have been so 
spoiled by the greats -- who make it *seem* effortless -- that you think 
it is effortless.

If an onlooker sees you dancing and you tell him you've been practicing 
for years. What do you do when he responds thus: "but it's just walking, 
you don't need to practice. I can walk better than you." He is right, 
that tango is basically walking, but that little bit of truth is wide of 
the mark. This is, in essence, what you did in your posts. I know you 
meant well, but that is not at all how it came off.

Properly, I think that if one is writing dance music one needs feedback 
from dancers -- this probably what you wanted to say, right? I know it 
is far to easy for me to write something that only I can dance to 
because I can find a beat where most people can't. As I dabble in 
penning some from time to time I *do* ask the community for their 
indulgence and am extremely thankful for the help I receive. (BTW Thank 
you one and all again for your comments on my pieces. You're really 
great people.) Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll get it right 
even. :o>

Cheers,

Jeff G