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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
3 Percenters
3 Percenters
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BluesJacketman
84 posts
Feb 26, 2014
1:32 PM
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Interesting article. I don't know how to make it a link.
johnschooley.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/the-blues-americas-least-loved-musical-form/
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Mirco
120 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:28 PM
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Here you go:
John Schooley's Article
There's some truth to what he writes. The blues shows I attend (in San Jose) aren't that well attended, and the demographic skews toward older folks. It must be tough to be a working blues musician. And we've got some world class performers out here. I've seen Mark Hummel play to a near empty house. But, as a fan, I don't mind, because I can get up close to my blues heroes. If I went to a Pearl Jam show, what are the odds I can talk to Eddie Vedder? I can have real conversations with guys like Rick Estrin or Kim Wilson.
However, I really take issue with his repeated assertion that 97% of the population doesn't care about the blues. The original research (if we can even take that at face value) is that blues is the favorite music of 3%. This DOES NOT MEAN that 97% don't care; it means that 97% like another kind of music better.
Statistics are a tricky business, even when one is honest about conducting research. In this case, the writer is unintentionally misleading the reader by incorrectly summarizing some research. And I have serious doubts about the original research's scientific validity, as conducted by the TV show Bar Rescue.
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Littoral
1042 posts
Feb 27, 2014
2:41 AM
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Micro, serious doubts about the scientific validity of the story. Agreed 100%. I don't think the story represents itself as science but your point that stats are read by MANY as definitive is a serious problem across society. We look for answers and grab what we can, believe what we already thought anyway and say it's true.
Last Edited by Littoral on Feb 27, 2014 2:43 AM
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HarpNinja
3803 posts
Feb 27, 2014
7:15 AM
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Great points, Micro.
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Mike
My Website
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mr_so&so
782 posts
Feb 27, 2014
11:55 AM
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I played at an open mic at a university last night. I was the oldest person there, but not the only harp player. The others were Dylan/Young-style, first-position rack players. I say Dylan/Young, but they were playing their own original contemporary tunes. When I did my thing, people seemed interested and seemed to like my solo-harp-and-voice versions of Blind Willie Johnson and Sonny Boy Williamson II tunes. I spoke to one of the other (young) harp-playing musicians there and he was quite knowledgeable about the old blues guys (Son House, Skip James, etc.). Another young guitar player wanted me to play some blues with him, but we didn't have time.
Here is my point. I think that we need to be clear that the music you like and what is popular are different things. When we are young, we tend to like what is popular and that sticks with us. When we grow older we continue to like what we like, but maybe care less and less about what is popular at the time. It makes sense then that young musicians and music fans spend more time with the current popular music genres, even though they may like or at least appreciate other genres, such as the blues. I suspect that if the blues became popular again, there would be plenty of young musicians ready to play it. Making it popular again requires those who love to play it to make sure that they don't only do so to audiences of their peers. Play at open mics; play in the street. That is what brings music to a wider audience.
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Last Edited by mr_so&so on Feb 27, 2014 11:58 AM
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slackwater
6 posts
Feb 27, 2014
11:23 PM
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Micro said: "Statistics are a tricky business." Damned right! I put it like this : they say figures can't lie, but liars can figure!
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