Klarinet Archive - Posting 000860.txt from 2003/08

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Gezunt or Gezint
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 10:25:33 -0400

Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:

> Eclef, here's a word of caution:
>
> To most of us whose first language is English (American or British), the
> strict interpretation of "in the blood" is that a person is genetically
> better suited to the activity being discussed. Such a statement
> borders on bigotry, although I doubt you intended such a thing.

Ormondtoby has given me the courage to write what I wanted to do but
decided, "To hell with it." But seeing that I have a soul brother with
the very same idea that I was prepared to comment on, I'll do it.

Eclef talks about something being "in the blood." It is a very simple
statement but it contains an idea that is so wrongheaded that, in an
instant, it becomes uncontrollable. That idea suggests that physical,
racial, emotional, and religious values are part of one's blood stream,
which is not only biological nonsense but is also assigning to a body
part (i.e., blood) a function that it does not manage and cannot do. For
example, not too long ago in America white people would not willingly
accept a blood transfusion from a black person because it was believed
that whatever negative characteristics a black man or woman are thought
to have had would be transmitted through the blood, thus giving a white
person "black blood," even though it was as red as anyone else's.

It was medical nonsense. It was racist. It was stupid. And it was ugly.

Now I don't believe that Eclef meant any of those things. He used the
expression "in the blood" as a simple way of saying, "You have to grow
up with this kind of thing." But whatever he meant, he is dealing with
an English phrase about blood that some has some failry complicated
ideas associated with it.

And when we see it, suddenly the conversation turns dark. I tried to
defuse the situation by saying, "Blood, Schmud," but this did not work.
Eclef came back insisting that the playing of Klezmer was "in the
blood," and while once is OK, twice is not.

So what Eclef probably means is that klezmer is a cultural phenomenon
and to do it well, one must be part of the culture. To which I suggest,
"culture, schmulture," it is a learnable skill.

DNL

--
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**Dan Leeson **
**leeson0@-----.net **
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