Do all musicians have a silly switch?

Conrad

Do all musicians have a silly switch that just randomly toggles on and off? IOW do you sometimes break into your rendition of yankee doodle in an open plan office and then get hit by inevitable shame? Have you tried using spoonerisms in meetings? Or does something similar happen? :-[

Would love to hear about your experiences...

Bob-Dubery

Conrad wrote: Do all musicians have a silly switch that just randomly toggles on and off? IOW do you sometimes break into your rendition of yankee doodle in an open plan office and then get hit by inevitable shame? Have you tried using spoonerisms in meetings? Or does something similar happen? :-[

Would love to hear about your experiences...

Musicians are human beings.

Believe it 'cos it's true.

Any foible that humanity can manifest can be manifest in a musician.

Conrad

X-rated Bob wrote:
Conrad wrote: Do all musicians have a silly switch that just randomly toggles on and off? IOW do you sometimes break into your rendition of yankee doodle in an open plan office and then get hit by inevitable shame? Have you tried using spoonerisms in meetings? Or does something similar happen? :-[

Would love to hear about your experiences...
Musicians are human beings.

Believe it 'cos it's true.

Any foible that humanity can manifest can be manifest in a musician.

In my experience, we have more foibles. ?

TomCat

I think all humans have a silly switch.....only in some the switch is broken....... ?

Renesongs

I wish more performing musicians would find their silly switch and use it more often - I little lunacy helps the audience to get comfortable with you.

Conrad

Renesongs wrote: I wish more performing musicians would find their silly switch and use it more often - I little lunacy helps the audience to get comfortable with you.

OK now I'll hold you responsible if they lynch me LOL... Nah kidding.

Really though? It suits me very well if you are right. Maybe it's coz I am in Pta that I experience most as opposed to harmless nutbar behaviour.

TomCat

I've always said that a little madness helps to keep you sane.....

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote: I wish more performing musicians would find their silly switch and use it more often - I little lunacy helps the audience to get comfortable with you.

I do think that some adopt a persona on stage, doing things that they maybe wouldn't do naturally.

For all my verbosity on on-line forums, I actually don't so small talk very wel. But when I'm playing to an audience I find that it helps to yak a bit between songs. This engages the audience and, I think, relaxes me.

Renesongs

Come on Bob there is a silly switch in you somewhere - I saw it in your previous profile pic.
Most performers that I know develop a stage persona that is a little different to there off stage persona

[deleted]

Renesongs wrote: Come on Bob there is a silly switch in you somewhere - I saw it in your previous profile pic.

Bob has since been ordered (by a doctor) to lay off the Crocs, Rene. You'll have to give him time to acquire a new extravagance...

Malkav

I don't know about all musicians but I have found in general with most shredders there's normally something not quite right going on upstairs ? I think all the hours with metronomes starts to really have an effect on mental function, and it ranges from being incredibly introverted to incredibly extraverted but it's normally there and funny as all hell when you pick up on it ? especially with the players who try and hide it ?

Conrad

I'm just glad to hear that I am not the only one.

Bob-Dubery

Statisfear will be relieved (I hope) to hear about the little rock that I was given for Earth Day (a corporate thang - they like to celebrate all these world whatever days where I work). It's a little sort of purpley gray specimen. Did I say "it"? Him. I named him Irving and made sure he had a comfortable place on my desk, one with a good view. I haven't taken him home for a weekend yet - that might upset the dogs.

I think most people are capable of such little moments of unplanned eccentricity. On 99 days out of 100 I'd have muttered vague thanks and shoved that rock into my drawer (and thrown it away after a diplomatic period of time had passed). I think it's better tolerated in some cultures than others, and it helps to be on stage so that everybody knows that this is just an act and they have permission to laugh (rather than phoning the local loony bin).

But then all the world's a stage.

People don't laugh so much at The Goon Show anymore (assuming they know about it). The Goon Show was all about silliness. I thought the Incredible String Band embraced that very British brand of silliness in some of their songs. People don't get it these days. The world is not, IMO, a richer place for this.

Bob-Dubery

Malkav

X-rated Bob - I realise many of these behavioural things you mention are quite common, I speak of the uncommon things. for a great example go onto youtube and watch a single interview with bumblefoot or mattias eklundh, their personalities are a little bit more far flung than your average human being would be. I find with myself I go thorugh stages of having strange behaviours like needing to pull my wrists in certain directions when I walk in straight lines (The Vocalist of my band pointed this out as not being normal) and at the moment I'm going through a pokemon obsession, maybe these things are normal to you but other people have expressed concern. I think musicians also may be more predisposed to odd behaviour owing to the fact that we can't be shy if we're going to be on-stage alot so a fair amount of inhibition gets lost thanks to that. I've found that most of my friends play an instrument and most are pretty serious about music and all of them come across as slightly "touched" and that's just the best company to keep ?

Conrad

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:!!!

Conrad likes Bob & Chad....

Conrad

X-rated Bob wrote:

:roflmao:!!! Oh goodness I nearly ruptured my spleen.

[deleted]

I am indeed relieved, Bob. The mighty research power of the internet reveals that a rock friend like Irving will generate the following positive influences in your life:

Throughout history amethyst has been used to guard against drunkenness and is thought to be helpful in overcoming addiction. It has been used for hearing disorders, insomnia, headaches and other pain. Some sources suggest it is used to stabilize mental disorders.

Worn to make the wearer gentle and amiable. Amethyst powers include: dreams, healing, peace, love, spiritual upliftment, courage, psychism, protection against thieves, and happiness.

Good luck, Bob!

Squonk

Bob's got a Microsoft keyboard!!! That's a bit quirky ?

I still thinks it's more to do with your personality type rather than being creative.
Although I do agree that creative people are a tad more quirky.

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote: Bob's got a Microsoft keyboard!!! That's a bit quirky ?

I nearly said "don't you mean 'a bit qwerty?'" but that would have been really groan inducing so I changed my mind.

There's a practical reason for that keyboard actually - it really is kinder on the wrists and elbows because of the position it allows your hand to take.

I had surgery on my left hand for carpal tunnel syndrome about 2.5 years ago. That worked well and quickly, but I still had pain and numbness in my right hand and forearm. NOT CTS because the pinky was going numb - CTS does not affect the pinky. It turned out to be another kind of nerve entrapment - this time in the right elbow. It was this condition that lead me to contact Mervyn Davis and discuss the building of a wedged guitar. He agreed to do this, but the problem kept on worsening in the meantime. On something between a whim and a brainwave I bought a Natural keyboard and started using my mouse with the other hand. Within 3 days the nerve entrapment cleared up and I've had little trouble since.

Computers - especially notebook computers with their cramped keyboards - are not good for wrists and elbows, but you can improve matters.

I still thinks it's more to do with your personality type rather than being creative.
Although I do agree that creative people are a tad more quirky.

Agreed. You can be quirky without being creative - or creative in the sense that you paint or write or create music. But maybe quirkiness is just a sort of random, unclassifiable creativity.