There's More Than Meets the Eye at a Demolition Derby

[Eupher]

An observation as to what has been happening to our classic American culture. It's not gone completely -- yet.

From the article:

Young people often cite their busy lives as reasons for not joining, yet that excuse was not used by their fathers and their fathers before them, a series of generations that joined service organizations such as the Lions Club or the Kiwanis or the Elks or the Rotary. As they diminish and their members die off, one more cultural touchstone goes with them, and one less community has its volunteer fire department funded, or a baseball field for the local kids, or lunch on a Saturday for a family experiencing food insecurity.

Townhall

[ExGeeEye]

An observation as to what has been happening to our classic American culture. It's not gone completely -- yet.

From the article:

Townhall

It never was a part of my family's culture, growing up.  We joined, at most, a local church, and in their latter years my parents didn't even do that.

I'm a life member of the VFW, but I joined while stationed in Germany and had no church outside of Sunday morning, so I had social time to do VFW stuff.  I don't think I've been in a VFW post since then.

I only know one family that is part of a social organization, Rotary.  I'm glad they, and anyone else who does similar, find enjoyment and meaning in it.

Maybe, if God grants me anything like retirement, I can expand time spent in both church and VFW activities.

[Eupher]

It never was a part of my family's culture, growing up.  We joined, at most, a local church, and in their latter years my parents didn't even do that.

I'm a life member of the VFW, but I joined while stationed in Germany and had no church outside of Sunday morning, so I had social time to do VFW stuff.  I don't think I've been in a VFW post since then.

I only know one family that is part of a social organization, Rotary.  I'm glad they, and anyone else who does similar, find enjoyment and meaning in it.

Maybe, if God grants me anything like retirement, I can expand time spent in both church and VFW activities.

I think that people today, irrespective of age, have many more choices in which to dedicate their available time. Kinda like in music, before recordings. If you wanted to hear music, you had to go to a performance (town band, of which there were thousands back in the day) or create your own performances (piano in the home, for example).

I heard an interesting anecdote a few days ago. The composer and conductor John Philip Sousa eschewed being recorded, believing that if recordings became popular, that would negate the demand for live music. Consequently, there are only a few films of Sousa and his band. Turns out that he wasn't wrong -- why go to a live performance when you can have almost the same thing on a CD or digital player? Musicians have been dealing with that problem more and more over the past 60-70 years.

[ExGeeEye]

Turns out that he wasn't wrong -- why go to a live performance when you can have almost the same thing on a CD or digital player?

I hear you... nothing beats a live performance of your favorite music.

IF, IF, IF...

Anyone around you plays it and you can afford to attend.

I'm 57, and I've never seen Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed live.  The one time my local orchestra put it on, seats were in the $50-ish range unless you wanted to sit way in the back of the balcony and get about the same experience as... a televised event with a decent sound system.

I just bought, at a flea market, a nearly pristine pressing of Beethoven's "Christ on the Mount of Olives", the 1963 recording listed on the work's wikipedia page.  I had never heard OF it.  I am a bit eager to listen to something "new" played on a record older than myself, that I found by chance and paid $1.25 for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_on_the_Mount_of_Olives_(Beethoven)

[Eupher]

I'm 57, and I've never seen Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed live.  The one time my local orchestra put it on, seats were in the $50-ish range unless you wanted to sit way in the back of the balcony and get about the same experience as... a televised event with a decent sound system.

I'm very lucky. I was able to perform Beethoven's 9th on bass trombone, about 7-8 years ago. There's a very exposed section with the bass trombone and men's chorus at the beginning of the 4th movement. Glorious! (Well, I hope so. I wasn't paid much, but would have paid to play it.)

I just bought, at a flea market, a nearly pristine pressing of Beethoven's "Christ on the Mount of Olives", the 1963 recording listed on the work's wikipedia page.  I had never heard OF it.  I am a bit eager to listen to something "new" played on a record older than myself, that I found by chance and paid $1.25 for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_on_the_Mount_of_Olives_(Beethoven)

Beethoven's only oratorio. As I recall, he was highly critical of the libretto even after it was rewritten. Hope you enjoy the recording!

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm very lucky. I was able to perform Beethoven's 9th on bass trombone, about 7-8 years ago. There's a very exposed section with the bass trombone and men's chorus at the beginning of the 4th movement. Glorious! (Well, I hope so. I wasn't paid much, but would have paid to play it.)

Beethoven's only oratorio. As I recall, he was highly critical of the libretto even after it was rewritten. Hope you enjoy the recording!

As an aside, one of the most rewarding classes I took as my core curriculum in college was something akin to "History of Music".  Learned a hell of a lot about classical musicians which I never heard as a child while listening to 60's/70's rock.

To this day, I can still distinguish between Wagner, Bach, Beethoven and many others just based on the intonation of the style and way the music is performed.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Sometimes I feel like this place is too high brow for me.

😜

[dutch508]

Sometimes I feel like this place is too high brow for me.

😜

Music is just math for stoners...

[Eupher]

Sometimes I feel like this place is too high brow for me.

😜

Quick story. Mrs. E (who is a violist/violinist) and I were hired to play a New Year's Eve gig with the Jackson (TN) Symphony. I'm in the back of the orchestra in my seat warming up, as is the tuba player and one of the other trombone players. At this point, all 3 of us have a pretty impressive puddle in front of each of us (from the water condensing inside the horns, which much be released - not because of weak bladders, dammit!). Mrs. E (who never pays attention to anything in the back of the orchestra) came walking from backstage through our area, saw the puddles, and said, "You guys are knuckle-dragging Neanderthals."

EXACTLY RIGHT. I fell in love with her all over again. 

[Eupher]

Music is just math for stoners...