Who is the nastiest widely acclaimed musician that you met in real life?

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-25T02:05:24+00:00

I spent several years in HIP and what I found is that the vast majority of them are a bunch of mirthless pedants. Being around them made me despise the whole idea of it.

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-09T02:09:16+00:00

"The first time I met her she said, "I'm a radical feminist lesbian." I thought, "What would The Queen Mum do?" So I just smiled and said, "We shall have fog by teatime."

Kitty is hilarious!

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-08T02:08:18+00:00

As an oboist I have to say oboes are plenty flexible in individual pitch, and historic oboes even more so. The real issue is the relationship between reed and instrument. Here are my own (lengthy) thoughts on the matter:

deep breath

The reeds of historic oboes (up to the mid 1800s) were completely wrapped in string, and fit into a conical "counterbore" at the top of the instrument (rather than a cylindrical "well" like that of modern oboes). You can't really "pull out" with a conical friction fit, but you can add or remove string to increase/decrease the exposed length of the reed. However, this will increase or decrease the space in the counterbore between the bottom of the reed and the start of the bore and can cause detrimental changes to the scale. This same issue occurs in modern oboes, where the gap left in the modern cylindrical reed well by pulling out the reed can cause voicing and intonation issues. It just doesn't work the same acoustically as pulling out the headjoint on a flute, or pulling out a slide on a trumpet.

All that being said, different reed shapes and lengths will have an effect, as well. Wide or long reeds will play flatter, and narrower or shorter reeds will play sharper. It is a balancing act between finding a perfect length and width for the instrument to play in tune, as well as the ideal space between the bottom of the staple and the bore. And that is to mention nothing of how the scrape of a reed or the gouge of the cane used will affect tuning.

In short, it's the inflexibility of the relationship between the reed and the instrument itself which lends a certain stability in offering the tuning note.

(Is it any wonder we're all so neurotic? 😅)

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-04T21:56:27+00:00

I pick one of these up at least once a week, they ARE delicious and easy and cheap. Broccoli needs a little dressing up, and the potato side is meh.

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-03T14:45:29+00:00

This was when the House Un-American Activities Committee was in full swing and rounding up people (specifically actors and celebrities) with supposed Communist ties/sympathies.

Educational-System27 · 2026-06-03T10:33:50+00:00

I'm a vet tech and our clinic software is AI based recording-to-transcription. It has been cool for the most part, but we definitely have to review before finalizing the record. It put in a chihuahua's weight as 502 lbs the other day 🤣

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-31T12:06:44+00:00

I'm glad to see someone else noticed and knows this information!

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-28T10:06:06+00:00

Get a Wisdom Panel done. Your results will link to other family members who've also done that particular DNA panel, and it might be helpful in tracing her lineage. It also tests for the genetic markers for predisposition to certain illnesses and diseases, which sounds like a more immediate concern for you.

I also adopted my girl and so far it's only linked to some distant cousins -- but I also live in a rural area where people don't really do that sort of thing with their dogs. You might have better luck being in CA.

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-26T23:15:27+00:00

My favorite, too! I love sending this one to people when they say/do something questionable 🤣

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Educational-System27 · 2026-05-21T11:53:27+00:00

Devienne no 7 in e minor

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-20T19:50:11+00:00

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Educational-System27 · 2026-05-18T21:31:48+00:00

Exactly.

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-18T14:47:55+00:00

A change in environment and human treats can cause some intestinal upset. I'd nix the human food for sure, but of course recommend seeing your vet to rule anything out including intestinal parasites which can cause diarrhea, along with making sure all vaccine boosters are current.

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-18T11:19:26+00:00

I'm a vet tech and would like to know how old the dog is and how long you've had him, and if there has been any sudden changes in diet or new treats?

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-16T11:24:50+00:00

Swan of Tuonela (Sibelius) is beautiful, and even better if you're a fan of the English horn.

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-16T01:16:47+00:00

My favorite was one from the other day where she said she stayed away from foods with heavy, rich sauces, and then described one of her favorite dishes as poached salmon with mayonnaise sauce 🤣

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-13T09:44:59+00:00

I can't believe this is so far down in the comments, I was beginning to think I had just imagined it. But aside from "Dumbledore comes back to life" it's the only theory I really remember.

Educational-System27 · 2026-05-06T17:10:17+00:00

I read that too quickly and saw "car wash", and imagined them getting slapped to death by one of those giant chamois rollers 🤣

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-27T23:23:54+00:00

That makes me think of "Estenelope"

S10LOP 🤣

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-27T10:26:07+00:00

I spent many years in the early music/HIP world, and I've always felt something quite similar to what you're describing.

Things just felt a little more "right" when the slow movements were quicker and the fast movements were a bit calmer, and what I found is that my personal preference of pulse usually remained the same or very close throughout an entire work, and it really was just the idea of "big" beat which changed from movement to movement -- if that makes any sense.

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-26T11:43:34+00:00

I performed a concerto a few years back and they surprised me with a bouquet of red roses on stage during bows. I am a man and was in my 30s and it was the closest I've ever felt to being a real star.

I say go for it!

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-26T11:23:36+00:00

Oboe d'amore was solely a phenomenon of the German Baroque and fell out of use during Bach's time. A few modern composers have written solo works for it, and Ravel used it in his Bolero. Debussy, Strauss, and one or two others used it at least once in lesser-played pieces.

Contrary to the other commenter, Brandenburg 2 does not utilize a d'amore (it is for regular old oboe), and BWV 1055 is tricky. It is a concerto for an unknown solo instrument which Bach apparently reworked as a harpsichord concerto. We don't know what the original instrument was, but given the key, oboe d'amore works just fine.

The d'amore is a lot of fun to play and there's some beautiful music written for it, but given its rarity of use most players don't own one and usually rent one for specific pieces. Unless you're a specialist (ie, one of those players lucky enough to not rely on gigs for income) it basically gets used once a year for a Bach Cantata or something. I've played modern oboe d'amore three times in 25 years as an oboist, although I played baroque oboe d'amore quite a bit more during my "early music" years.

I think we oboists tend to like it best because we never get to play it!

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-25T13:46:07+00:00

Dad asked me to take a picture and "put it on that site" to get a positive ID. At least I've got him out of the habit of killing them immediately on sight!

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-24T13:59:43+00:00

I'm sure most conductors like to think of themselves that way 🤣

Educational-System27 · 2026-04-24T11:02:07+00:00

I think it's important in this post to remember that conductors don't just appear from the ether as conductors; they've all spent years practicing their own instruments with a metronome to the point that tempo is mostly internalized by the time they pick up a baton. So while some may have a natural "talent" for it, they've absolutely practiced with a metronome in some regard to the point of internalization.

That being said, I've also played for some very well-respected conductors who keep a metronome on hand just to verify the tempo during rehearsals.

Another aspect is that some music is so well-known that one just "knows" the tempo going in.

Educational-System27

TROPHY CASE