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Would The Real Geek Please Stand Up


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I don't know if Americans can be singled out for their lesser "multi-fassetedness", but they do have to 'succeed' in fewer fields to earn a living, and it seems to me that the infamous Russian propaganda slogan: "The Kids Get the Best" has it antipode in USA as: "The Kids Get the Worst".

Medical service, extra-cirricular possibilities, schools, transportation, food, toys, TV programs, theatre and sports -- all seems to be designed for 30 yo mail.

So your point does seem to be very logical. Perhabs you have better observation than me.

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i don't know why, but europe does not seem to share the bafflement and even anger many americans seem to experience when confronted with successful multi-facetedness. in ireland, many of the better-known itm musicians double as scientists, doctors, professors, engineers, etc., and this has become rampant among the younger set.

 

This is quite true actually. I grew up in Ireland and my parents have residences here and there. Aer Lingus is the family shuttle bus. Nearly everyone we know plays an instrument or can sing. Or both. Or, as in the case of my uncles, play multiple instruments. My uncle Kilian, the architect who redesigned the O'Connell Street Plaza (see below) plays the piano, concertina and other instruments. He is booked 12 months a year for weddings, parties, fundraisers etc. And, as ceemonster point out, no one looks askance at him working night gigs.

 

http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_cit...eet_project.asp

 

My uncle Pat, a successful businessman, plays the guitar, the bodhran, and sings. He tours Ireland with his pals.

 

 

 

Lucy

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But he's still a geek. He might be a PA sex-god. Or even your standard button box sex-god. But he's still a geek.

 

So what IS geek then?

From my teens I know that "cool" is when somebody is so sought after, that he doesn't make efforts to draw attention, shows indifference, and maintains cold, cool attitude. Dark sunglasses help to hide the eyes and show dis-interest.

Hot is when somebody is sought after, but is interested in others, needs their approval and enjoys attention. Eye contact is a must, dress is bright and flashy.

Since everybody want to be either Hot or Cool, generally it means "stupid".

But we had difficulties about who's "geek" and where is the fire line between uncool, but generally accepted Geek, and unwanted and un-accepted Dork.

So the Geek is good, we may not even bother, but the Dork is to be avoided.

It looks like Guitar tends to help with coolness

Blues Harmonica makes you hot.

Accordion and Piano are Geeky,

but Concertina has tendency of Dorkiness. I'm afraid it is exceptionally difficult instrument, esp. because of this issue. It simply MUST be played well or left alone.

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klezmer: there is actually a wonderful track of bertram levy playing klezmer on anglo concertina on the three-cd set "anglo international." i love all of the modal/minor traditions from celtic on east--scandinavian, eastern european including klezmer and rom gypsy, balkan, straight yon east to india/pakistan and middle eastern stuff including persian and various arabic (actually, i think it came west FROM there to the modal strains in celtic music).....and i think they all sound amazing on free reed instruments, including anglo concertina, b/c button accordion, chromatic button accordion, and anglo concertina....

 

theory knowledge: about five years ago i went to school at night for three semesters of college-level ear training to improve my ability to learn by ear. i had had around 7 years of piano as a kid and was a dot reader with serious ear deficits. well, college music courses like that are all classical-conservatory oriented, so to get a semester of ear training, you had to take it in tandem with a corresponding theory course. so i ended up taking theory through classical fugue. long story short, i am using that theory as never before now that i am playing anglo concertina. knowing intervals really helps figuring out good buttons for cuts or bass tips in an irish tune...

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[Wow! Sensational!!!

 

But he's still a geek. He might be a PA sex-god. Or even your standard button box sex-god. But he's still a geek.

 

Lucy

Lover of a hardcore, industrial strength, world class geek

 

Ah Lucy, now all is made clear. Would however Buckwheat Zydeco be considered a geek?

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gJcxtOLoXrM

 

I hope the link works, for it is my favorite rendition of a Hank Williams classic... I'm not in love with this video, overproduced and hokey.

That objection aside, his live shows are a hoot. The cat's got to have himself together to play a pearloid PA that is so large it looks like it's going to eat you. That of course and wearing very kool boots.

Edited by Mark Evans
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Mark:

 

1) Yes, Buckwheat is a geek. With a sense of humor. And sex appeal. So to answer M3838's question, "What is a geek?" An adult geek is someone who stopped caring about what other people think of his/her oddball, eccentric, massively uncool interests and hobbies, if he/she ever cared in the first place. A geek is someone who relishes their uncool interests and is even proud of them. My husband is a geek poster child. But my brother is the Geek King. Except he refuses to believe that an adult preoccupation with Star Wars is uncool. He just thinks everyone else is uncool.

 

2) Well now I'm completely intimidated! I just listened to your St. Anne's reel and am seriously considering M3838's advice to hang up the concertina.

 

Sigh.

 

Off to western Massachusetts to buy a platen printing press.

 

 

Lucy

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Well Lucy, I guess I've been a member of Geek Nation for quite some time and didn't know it. At least I now have a clear if not eloquent definition.

 

Please do not be intimidated by my Acadian verson of St. Anne's reel. Many years of playing it for kitchen dances and embarrasing amounts of home brew went into that. I'm presently struggling with the Irish version and each week sure that it is well in hand at session I slip right back north of the boarder as we really get going. The Smithwicks ale doesn't seem to help as I was assured it would :blink: .

 

Good luck on your journey. Out in the Western part of the state you may find the only beathable air in Massachusetts today. Bon chance!

Edited by Mark Evans
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On average, Concertina is percieved as "Cute", and Accordion as "Cool" by the young crowds.

 

Hmm, this is sort of true im 17 and girls seem to refer to my concertina playing as "cute" whereas on the button box (D/G) my freinds do refer to that as cool and join me for a song sometimes. I realy like the sound of concertina or melodeon with guitar chord accompaniment :)

 

EDIT: actualy by a very unlightly twist of fate I may be sort of inheriting a PA from someone i dont even know as he died and was good freinds of a family i do know and he wanted his instrument (s?) to go to someone who would be interested and they mentioned I played free reed instruments

 

but.... if i did get this mysetrious PA I wouldent know what to do with it! I have no interests in learning another instrument at this point in time and those bass buttons quite frankly scare me lol. anyway Il see how this plays out :)

Edited by Jake of Hertford
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Hmmm, I've never seen geeks and nerds and cool and hot so definitively defined. I thought they were qualities best described by "a certain je ne sais quoi..."

Well, it's fun to see people try to get technical aobut a social concept.

I've had my share of geeky interests (ham radio, pipe organ, classical music) and cool stufff (dirt biking, windsurfing) and stuff so far out it isn't classified yet (cranking a monkey organ in public and composing music for it). Then there's golf.

 

But in athletic circles, windsurfing is dorky cuz it isn't athletic enough. Golf is worse. Greenies didn't liek dirt biking. So it varies with social context.

 

At NESI, ANY free reed instrument, even a reed organ, is totally cool, which is why everyone should try to attend at least once. And some of the PA I heard late at night was beyond cool.

 

Accordions: I've always felt that people associate them with polkas and Italians, and they are definitely passe', like polka-dot bow ties. Think of Garfield's master Jon. (Yes, I have an old one in the basement that I experiment with now and then).

 

Concertinas are so unknown that people don't know how to palce them on the social spectrum -- like monkey barrel organs, and maybe as much fun too. People will cut you a lot of leeway if it's FUN. Play too many doleful ballads on your box, and maybe you'll be a dork ;)

But I think concertina players are totally cool! B)

'Specially if they love chocolate, right?

--Mike K.

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On average, Concertina is percieved as "Cute", and Accordion as "Cool" by the young crowds.

 

Hmm, this is sort of true im 17 and girls seem to refer to my concertina playing as "cute" whereas on the button box (D/G) my freinds do refer to that as cool and join me for a song sometimes. I realy like the sound of concertina or melodeon with guitar chord accompaniment :)

 

EDIT: actualy by a very unlightly twist of fate I may be sort of inheriting a PA from someone i dont even know as he died and was good freinds of a family i do know and he wanted his instrument (s?) to go to someone who would be interested and they mentioned I played free reed instruments

 

but.... if i did get this mysetrious PA I wouldent know what to do with it! I have no interests in learning another instrument at this point in time and those bass buttons quite frankly scare me lol. anyway Il see how this plays out :)

 

 

Ya, but you're seventeen, with lots of time ahead of you hopefully. Even if you aren't ready to pick up another instrument right away, inheriting one is pretty cool all on its own, and this will give you the opertunity to try it out at your own pace without having to drop a tight dime when you haven't got it. Quite a nice blessing, all in all.

 

Alan

Edited by asdormire
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I was probably 17 when I was given a s/h PA as a christmas present. (33 years ago, and my parents found it at the local auction room) PA's are tough, laid out out on an incredibly simple and useable system, very easy to pick up, and have to be THE party instrument. It only took weeks before mine was going to parties, barbecues, leading the singing down the pub for Xmas and new year lock ins, then to college for more of the same and a comic folk band that just happened because I had a PA and did I fancy...? Best present I ever had and it went everywhere with me.

 

Lets hope it's not a 120 bass; they are almost too big to be called portable. (You grade PA's by the number of buttons.) My first one was an 80 bass. That fitted aeroplane cabin lockers and could be easily carried for miles worn backwards like a rucksack. I literally wore it out over the next 20 years. The replacement was a 120 bass (which is what they tend to be) and the bulk of that stopped me taking it around with me and helped me in the direction of the duet, on which I can now play some flashy things but still couldn't lead a party like I used to with the PA.

 

Give it a go, I'd say, as you might guess. But keep up the concertina, much more style to that.

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...it varies with social context.

And with the context of the adjudged person's other attributes.

 

In the 1960's some of my classmates made up a "coolness test" questionairre, but some individual traits could be considered either positive or negative, depending on other traits. E.g., regularly reading the Christian Science Monitor was generally considered "uncool", while regularly reading Playboy was "cool". But if a person were truly "cool", reading CSM and ignoring Playboy would add to his coolness, because it was additional proof that he didn't need to demonstrate his coolness by his choice of reading matter. B)

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