Re: Formal musicians

[pmramey@ix.netcom.com (Paul M. Ramey )]

In <9603182348.AA16857@deneb.cray.com> btd@carina.cray.com (Bryan
Dongray) writes: 
>

>I'm not saying that those with a formal training cannot be as
innovative
>as those without, and it is true a formal training does mean that you
>do not have to "reinvent the wheel". I just believe that without
having
>those long hours being drummed into you on what is "right", a gifted
>person will not be tied down to conventions. OK, a non gifted person
will
>probably produce "bumpy" music.
>

An instructor I once had (in a history of jazz class) said that music
theory was a great thing to know as long as you didn't let it get in
the way of your creativity. I like that idea...

>PPS What if you cannot play, but use (say) a computer or other tool to
>perform the music you compose? And I mean using it properly and
something
>of quality sound, not a programmable tone generator!

Relevant quotes:

"The thing that I like about the Fairlight is that I can write it out
and then I can get a musician in to actually play that, so he's playing
what I've written, but he's doing it much better than I could've done
it. Without the Fairlight, I couldn't have written these parts before.
I would've written them on piano and they wouldn't have the feel of
strings, acoustic guitar, and so on. It has given me the most
incredible insight into composing and how instruments work." - Kate,
"Keyboard" 7/85

"Some people say that electronic instruments will kill music. Bad music
will kill music, not what instruments the musicians chose to use" -
Miles Davis

Paul (PMRamey@ix.netcom.com)