#1518, Friday, October 9: On open mics (warning: More than you care about)

 Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you! 

Post 1518, Day 282 of 2015
- 1,743 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

While at a new open mic last night, the topic of open mic problems came up. It's something I know a bit about.

There used to be a time when informal jams (depending on the genre, the back porch sessions, the loft sessions, the garage sessions where musicians informally got together to mix it up in an unrehearsed, low-pressure environment) moved to a club or bar and were very popular.

That was a win-win for musicians/entertainers and bar and club owners.

Since only the host musicians got paid (and usually less, as they weren't playing the whole time), and the other musicians participating would actually spend money at the club or bar, the bar owner got cheap entertainment and some guaranteed income from the other participants for an off-night (when the musicians were otherwise not working).

The musicians had a chance to learn by playing with people with different levels of skill, professionalism, maturity, and experience who they might not otherwise get to play with. They got to showcase their talent, and network professionally and socially.

Music fans got to hear good music, hear musicians they might otherwise not hear, and get less expensive entertainment than at the typical weekend concert.

The host musicians were responsible for keeping things moving, managing the signup list, filling in musically where needed, and keeping the crowd engaged.

Good for everybody, right?

Well, you know how it goes when you try to please everybody.

First of all, in the move from closed and private to open and public, these jams incorporated elements that were missing (and, for the most part, unwanted) from a typical jam session. Musicians started showing up with their bands, to showcase (as in, audition), and not to make music with new people.

The difference between an open mic, a jam session and a showcase has also blurred, compared to the definitions I grew up with. This is because some operators don't know the difference, or ignore the differences to try and attract musicians and audience. So, the lines get blurred.

At an open mic, different singers step up and lead. They may play with the house band, but usually it's a solo performance, much like a showcase. This format is almost never done 'purely' any more, thanks to the introduction of karaoke in the late 1970s.

At a jam session, musicians are mixed and matched up, so different lineups play, and the musicians get to play with different personnel, sometimes with different genres.

At a showcase, a musician or a band gets the spotlight to do their music, 'auditioning for the audience' as it was. The idea is to demonstrate gig-worthiness.

These days, most open mics are a mix of the three.

The post-MADD, post-disco, post-MTV live music industry saw a decline in small-show music attendance. It was more difficult to attract non-musicians. This led to a decline in participation at open mics/jams by both musicians and non-musicians.

Some full-time musicians began to resent the unpaid performers at the open mics, feeling that it was hurting their prospects for income, and stopped supporting the tradition.

When it comes to weekend open mics, I actually agree with this position - clubs should hire musicians on the weekends, and not showcase free talent. (Not a quality issue, an economic one).

Another problem that has arisen lately is that open mic traditions are being lost and abandoned.

Musicians show up, do their set and leave - not supporting the musicians who come after them. This means the latest Musicians expect other musicians to know the exact parts played on the recordings of songs they want to play. Musicians are not interested in challenges or experiments, focused not on ensemble playing, but only on their own performance, so the music isn't good, and the audience gets lost.

Me? I love a jam. I love open mics. I want all the things that make a good open mic or jam. I like the emphasis on ensemble (at open mics I have liked, groups get more time than soloists), I like the musical and social networking that takes place, and I particularly like it when an ensemble pulls off an improvised set.

In a world of my design, the open mic, bastard of the jam session and the showcase, would be a destination for people looking for good music.

I clearly didn't design the world that prefers the digital music experience, which allows for music not made by humans, that cannot be reproduced by live musicians in front of space shared with an audience.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   209.6 lbs

Previous Weight (10/8):           211.2 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 2.4 lbs

Diet Comment

Excellent. Almost nine-and-a-half pounds lost in the last four days, which is half the weight I put on while on vacation, and puts me below the trend-line.

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch
Roast beef with scrambled eggs and cheese.

Dinner 
Wild caught salmon burger with cole slaw, a salad of kale, spinach and chard with parmesan shavings and balsamic vinaigrette and a Quest bar for dessert.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 92+ oz. 

Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you!