[TPIN] Are Symphony Orchestras Today Too Loud?

[William Graham]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Kurtz" <kurtzph at comcast.net>
To: <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 12:50 PM
Subject: RE: [TPIN] Are Symphony Orchestras Today Too Loud?


> Well, Mr. Graham, I didn't know that bare parts of my body might be of
> interest and of course, I didn't know for sure that some of the people
> you mentioned in your message are as bare as they may actually be in
> performance.
> But, what I figure is that I'll actually display the top/back part of my
> head which is starting to bare, if you will, and maybe I can get some
> good tips. :-) :-)
> Seriously, I've been joking some of the members of my church choir who
> are black and who rock to some of the music we sing and telling them
> that they're my instructors who are training me before I retire and go
> on the road. It's interesting because I don't feel unrelaxed or anything
> when I play but my wife says, "But, you just stand there!!" I guess
> while I'm going back to get my PH.D., I'll have to get some theatrics
> and find somebodyd who can give visual consciousness in terms of actions
> to a blind person, so I can feel natural about what I do!! Right now, I
> just feel natural "standing there!" :-) :-)
> Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL
>
Yeah....To me, trumpet playing is it's own reward. I always loved to 
whistle, and could whistle right on tune, but unfortunately, I only had a 
range of about one octave. The trumpet gave me this wonderful ability to 
"whistle" a whole song right through, and stay on pitch the whole time. It 
would be nice, I suppose, to have thousands of people screaming and going 
crazy to hear me play, but I am perfectly happy just playing for myself 
and/or for a few friends. I am in a small community band, and our director 
is very good at getting us gigs around town. Tonight, for example, we are 
playing for a Rotary Club picnic in a neighboring town. It's a big effort, 
getting there, and setting up and all, but few of us ever miss a gig. We all 
just really love to play together, even if there is no audience at all......