Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 2010/06

From: "Williams, Kathy" <Kathy.Williams@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re Music vs sport
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:10:15 -0400

Hi

Perhaps I view sport slightly differently, or sports are different on the other side of the world, but I believe sport is also where people come together to make something pleasing. In this way, music is a team sport. In cricket, a five day match can end in a no result, and the crowd can still go away happy. Perhaps it is the mentality of cricket that I am most referring to. Although cricket is a team game, it is perhaps the most individual of all sports save athletics. In tennis there are forced and unforced errors, and it is to these unforced errors I refer. Yes, a batsman in cricket can get out because the bowler bowled a ball so good the batsman couldn't deal with it in any other way but get out. However, the bowler can make a mistake on his own before he even bowls the ball, and a batsman can make a mistake by hitting the ball in the air and getting caught, and the fielder can make a mistake by dropping said catch. All very individual and all very much like music. I regard mistakes in music much like these unforced errors. But I did like the quote
.
And I was reminded of the PDQ Bach bit: New Horizons in Music Appreciation:? Beethoven?s Fifth Symphony Sportscast ????
During the bit, the horn makes an obvious goof, and the announcer says (I'm paraphrasing) "Oh, did you HEAR THAT! He's likely to be traded next season!"

Music and sports aren't the same. Yes. both are forms of entertainment, but music is where people come together to bring order in order to make something please. Sports is where people come together to oppose each other in order to achieve a goal. In music, no one wins if they get to the double bar first!!

In this case, I am not talking about winning in terms of mistakes, but unforced errors. It could be that the team with the most unforced errors could still win, and this is why music mirrors sport, in a note here and there is not likely to be picked up, but leaving out an entire beat in a critical solo would be akin to the fullback in rugby league knocking on on his own tryline from the kickoff. Therefore, not talking about winning, but playing the game...

They don't really call it "mistakes" in sports anyway. In the U.S., they are referred to as "errors". In fact, you could play perfectly mistake-free game of just about anything, but one team will still win, because they are superior players. You've probably heard "losers" give interviews to the media saying things like "we gave it our best, but in the end, the other team had more skill" or whatever. Games aren't always lost because of mistakes.

I just think people are harder on musicians than sportsmen...

Kind regards

Kathy Williams
Customer Service Delivery Consultant
Customer Service Delivery
Customer Care, Telstra Enterprise and Government
Telstra Corporation Limited 1800 025 222

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