h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I think I might have an easier job than you have when it comes to impro... We only have to hit things... At least on the non-melodical instruments... I have one melodical piece where I have to improvise, but that one's a contemporary piece, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't sound great, it's just there to make some sort of melodical background...

When I say stuff, I mean that I've got tones, but I don't get told the rhythm, so I can play the tones at my own pace, just as long as the conductor doesn't reach the next part(Another thing that particular piece lacks are bars, sounds strange, I know...).

Ueah, It's true, music teachers can be all too laid back... Mine has this thing for making the lessons just a couple of minutes longer by telling the next student to wait... "Just a couple of minutes", "When I say a couple, I mean fifteen", "Allright, it's been fifteen, but I want you to come in through the right door" (that means the door that's on the opposite side of the room from where I'm standing, so I have to run upstairs, across a large hall, down another flight of stairs, and through a long corridor.).

Aha! I understand now, but lacks bars? That is rather...odd.

The famous band director time. Practice will start at 1:15. Practice, accoriding to band director time, doesn't really start until 3. Kind of annoying but you learn to adapt.

Improvisation. My band director gave me this sheet of rythms since I had trouble. Too bad I can't read anything.

Yes, it is a v. odd piece... it has no bars on the first two systems, it just says "wait for approx. 10 seconds", then I have some tones that I may play wherever I'd like to, and then a wee bit of undefined break, then the piano plays something, and then I have five more tones, and then the conductor starts beating, and it says on my notes to "play ad lib, regardless of conductors beat"... Really weird, but it sounds great...

Well, my drum teacher was "only" half an hour late today, and he wanted me to have my lesson on wednesday instead... He's really unorganized, but for some reason I can't hold it against him (possibly because he sets my grades, and I don't want him to be biased)...

You can't read rhythm? That sounds weird to me, as a drummer... could you elaborate that?

We had something where we had to play random rythms of the same scale set for 'approximately 20 seconds.' I'm guessing it is similar to what you're talking about.

Maybe it is the endearing idiot catch, though the grades do seem better. I just sit and suck up in class. Yelling at the STUPID people for him helps too.

I never really learned to read music. If I hear something a few times I can get the rhythm, but if you just sit me in front of a piece and expect me to play it, I'm screwed. I always make friends with the percussionists and bass players so they can read my rhythms for me.

Ahh... yes that's something like it... But try doing some John Cage pieces... that's even weirder...

Well, it does help, no teacher is capable of remaining completely unbiased... And that may be the difference between a 4 and a 5(Norwegian grades, but you get the point)...

Ahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I see... Well, it's just mathematics, but I see how it could pose a problem... You should take the time to learn it, though, it doesn't take a lot of effort (not until you reach 64th triplets and the likes) compared to may of the other aspects of music, it's relatively easy...

Weirder? Oh, my...

I can read basic rhythms and remember them later, but it's rests and the likes that screw me up. I'm mathematically impaired and that poses a problem because music is all math.

Yup, he's a contemporary composer... I hear he once composed a piece for twenty harpsichords and 12 tape-recorders, or something like that...

Ahh... I see... But I think you'll be able to do it anyway, all you have to do, is remember the sound of certain patterns... If you can do that, you'll get far enough...

I've actually heard of John Cage, now that I think about it. He did something with the dial tones of a computer in the form of the Mexican hat dance or something. I don't know why I remember that.

I can limp through well enough, but it would be nice to see something and just KNOW. Ah, well, I figure it out fast enough.

Hmmm... never heard of that one... He did make the famous 4:33, a piece of absolute silence... The thought was that the audience would be the music. Come to think of it, we've used a piece he made, "Living room music" in our ensemble lessons. In that piece, you use what you find in an ordinary living room to make music/rhythm...

Ahh... I see, that comes with practice... but you seem to get it well enough...

We did 4:33 at our OriginalBandCampUNtalentShow. It was exciting. We lost. I've never heard of the living room thigamajig.

I limp very well. I am still not alive. We got back at three in the morning and I just woke up. I'm brain-fried so the conversation has gone downhill.

Wee... well, It is quite an unusual piece... The living room thing is really cool... It's for drummers only, though...

You got back from what?

I would imagine so. Our school does a Stomp type presentation every year and it's really nifty but I've never been able to participate. Two of my best friends are percussionists, so the instructor drafted me to play the triangle. I brought up that I tapdanced and so now I have a part! I can't wait.

An evil away football game. Three miserable hours on a cheesewagon both ways with a stalker.

Wee... good luck, sounds fun...

Hmmm would that be americna football, or soccer?
I can't abide most sports, because I'm terrible at them... But anyway... I don't really know a lot about american football...

That would be futbol americano. It's not always an intellectual game, just a bunch of large, smelly guys running around in tight pants and body slamming each other. Not to mention that sometimes they actually kick and carry the ball. Sometimes.

Hahahahhaaaaa.... oh my god... what a description... I see you don't really like sports... neither do I, mainly because I'm terrible at them... Or perhaps you just dislike football...?

Actually, I love football, it's just that our team SUCKS!!! I mean horribly. Last year they broke a record since 1980 by winning 3 games out of 12. I really don't like many of the players either, most of them are just pigs in tight pants. I personally think organized sports are the devil, but that's just me.

Actually, I love football, it's just that our team SUCKS!!! I mean horribly. Last year they broke a record since 1980 by winning 3 games out of 12. I really don't like many of the players either, most of them are just pigs in tight pants. I personally think organized sports are the devil, but that's just me.

wow! that was cool! i just had an xml error for the first time in my life. ive reached a turning point oh yeah yeah...in my life...

Hmmm... I see... Yeah, it's really horrible to watch something when the competitors are terrible...

, Ahh, the joys of computer troubles... We all get them sometimes... It's what makes it fun...

It's amusing in a perverse way. I'll sit and scream when the other team's about to make a touchdown just to see if people will react (they usually don't). Thank goodness I belong to the Unspirited Section.

One time I rigged the computer to come up with the same error every time my dad was on it and he called the support line and stayed on the telephone for several hours trying to figure out how to fix it when I was away from home. Let us just say that I haven't done it since~!