source file: mills2.txt Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 20:56:30 +0200 Subject: "microdoodling" vs. micronoodling From: PErlich Constructive criticisms of one another's music can have a place on this forum, as can reviews which present both "subjective" and "objective" aspects of a work. However, taking an overgeneralized, dismissive, and patronizing tone towards one's fellow microtonalists is below the level of discussion here. Music that touches some people's hearts will leave others cold, that's the way it is. Neil, your music is no exception, having heard opinions from several members of this list (and having formed my own opinion). Subjects that are "quirky" and "vague" to some are relevant and clear to others. Neil, the subjects you post about are, again, no exception. You are a perfect target for all your own criticisms yet I would never level them against you. You are passionate about what you do -- that's good enough in my book -- there's enough room in this world for all our approaches. I would never presume to tell anyone how to direct their musical energies unless they came to me specifically for guidance. The only reason I think about music theory and discuss it on this list is because I spend hours every day pouring my heart and soul into making music, and seeing how powerfully it can move people (physically, emotionally, spiritually). Otherwise it would be as interesting to me as toaster engineering. Like you, Neil, I seek to understand the theory better, but rather than accept mystical dogmas or ancient doctrines or buy into a particular school of thought or drown in the vast sea of misinformation, I question everything. If a theory doesn't agree with what I hear, than at least one of the assumptions underlying it must be false. This is not "fruitless speculation," it is throwing one's entire self, including one's mind, into the pursuit of artistic expression. Many of your own heroes, Neil, had a very cerebral approach to music, but that did not get in the way of the reasons they were making music in the first place: emotion, communication, spirituality. Good luck to all of us in our own efforts to create! P.S. For Doren Garcia, a third category: micropoodling! Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Fri, 16 May 1997 22:04 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA04165; Fri, 16 May 1997 22:04:55 +0200 Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 22:04:55 +0200 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA04163 Received: (qmail 13115 invoked from network); 16 May 1997 20:04:52 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 16 May 1997 20:04:52 -0000 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu