The Motorcycle String Quartet

Yesterday I watched a classical music programme on television. I hardly watch tv, so this one was rather new for me - which will probably mean you know the programme for years.

Anyway. It was one of those programmes which tries to sell classical music as hip. A young presenter, not necessarily with a classical music background, presents young musicians playing classical music. As the programme itself says, "Virus is about classical music, but for once in a completely different manner. Virus is free, moving, exciting and refreshing. Not the historical dates but pleasure and experience will be central. The audience can immerse itself, glass in hand, in beautiful, fascinating and spectacular live performances."

The Real Thing.

So there we were, in the studio. We were going to record some of the songs we have played for years now, in our bi-weekly rehearsals and our scarce concerts. Record them in order to have a demo in the unlikely case that someone would want to hear us in advance before booking us. Of course, booking us is a big word (two, actually); I must confess that it is more the case that we book an opportunity to play in public rather than that we are booked to play in public. However, all of us - some more than others - hope to play a bit more in public in the future, and hence the demo idea.

No Talent, Please!

Two weeks ago I played with both my little bands at the Tsjoch festival. Tsjoch is a festival organised by a society called the Frisian Society of Folk Musicians. That sounds like a society with a restricted membership - one would expect that, in order to become a member, one has to prove one's Frisianness (last name ending on -sma or -stra; fluent in Frisian; living in a Frisian village; hating Groningen) as well as one's musicianship (playing in tune, rhythmic, with articulation, with expression, et cetera et cetera et cetera - the usual list  basically aimed at ruling out as musicians the Sex Pistols, Tom Waits and your neighbour singing in the choir of the local operetta society). Or maybe one has to prove one's Frisian musicanship - singing songs in Frisian accompanying oneself on the Noardske Balke.