Sunday, February 25, 2007

隣の芝















日本では「出る杭は打たれる」と言いますが、アメリカのカリフォルニア州の郊外のことわざでは、ご覧の通りだ。国によってライフスタイル・文化などの違い で訳せないニュアンスもあると思いますが、和訳すと「芝生には一番高い草の葉は先に芝刈り機に刈られてしまう」に近い・・かな。What I mean is, in suburban California, mowing the lawn (and possessing a big, mean lawnmower) is very much symbolic of a way of life. So, just as in Japan, popular sayings are based on a mutual frame of reference and basis for understanding.


Thursday, February 08, 2007

You Think Like a Drummer!

I am -- not by trade but by hobby -- first and foremost a drummer. I think like a drummer. I act like a drummer. I strategize legal theories like a drummer.

At the most intrinsic level, then, I play (or I think I can play) a musical instrument resembling the drums. Although I have been known to do a mean "Tom Sawyer" on cheap kitchen tupperware (with the lids on, of course).

What does it mean to be a drummer? To possess the "personality," if you will, of a drummer?

Many a promising young scholar have tried to put a face -- a definition -- to this venerable profession, but none does it better than the Urban Dictionary, where everyday folks like you and like me, attempt their best (and their worst) to define all sorts of pop culture slang, jargon....the like:

Encourage them to drum, you should. -Yoda

What is a Drummer?

1. Someone who plays the drums. Male drummers are commonly looked upon negatively by most other males, and positively by females. Oddly enough, though, these females who are in to drummers rarely act on their compulsion. As for female drummers, they are too rarely in the public eye to get accurate statistics. Also, drummers are notorious for being in as little clothing as one can possibly get away with at any given time. Many believe this to be due to the extreme effort put forth by a good drummer, as they get quite hot and sweaty, also one possible reason for the female reaction, but this theory is discredited by the common case in which this anti-clothing behavior is carried over in to offstage life, such as public appearances and music videos. (see Tony Kanal, of No Doubt)There are many who would speculate wether this anti-clothing behavior carries over to females as well, but there is presently very little available data on the subject. For the most part, female drummers are known to behave like farely normal women, only recieving the personality traits of a drummer and little of the outward behavior. This is mostly speculation, though, for, as was said, there is little data on the subject.

2. Rarest member in a band, the most important person to a guitarist, used to hide mistakes of guitarist

3. A drummer is someone who gets a lot of stereotypes. People assume that Drummers are dumb people with no musical talent. When in reality, drums are the backbone of most music. Drummers keep time and keep the beat going. Drummers also do have a lot of musical talent. It takes a lot of coordination to be a good drummer. They also have to be able to feel the music. And yes I am a drummer :-P

4. The coolest kind of peole on the face of the earth!

5. Comes from the musical instument (Drums) played by the member of a band, usually sits at the back of the stage. Without this godlike creature there would be no rythem to the music and havoc would incurr.

Plays with the precise action that only a master craftsman can obtain. Thats right, with sticks. Only people with the right personality combination can become a drummer. That person blessed will also probably have to owm some sort of 'kit' to play with. And although guitarists are cool, there're one-hundred a penny. Sadly.

6. Someone who plays drums well. They are as essential to rock music as guitarists if not more. Drummers, along with Bass players, rarely get as much attention as singers and lead guitar players.

7. Someone who can play the instrument "Drum"

8. A drummer is a person who belongs in a band, and along with the bassist, tends to be unappreciated. As the prime majority of the "band curse" the drummer is ususally the first member of a band to leave or be kicked out. Usually responsible for keeping beat and band in line. Without a drummer, the band is lost.

Guitarist: I'm so cool Ive got straigt F's and I don't know how to read my music, but i'm the best known and the richest.
Singer: I'm not so cool I can read music but dont play and insturment, I am pretyer than the guitarist.
Bassist: No one knows my name but me and the drummer are best freinds and the band depends on us to keep them on the right line.
Drummer: Me and the bassist pay the bills, find the gigs, and are never given any credit for being in the band.

9. A drummer is THE most vital member of any band. A drummer keeps the pulse of the band, and basically makes all the non-musical guitarists look good so they can all say 'yeah, we're fucken ace' when they're actually, not. A drummer plays the drums (duh)and actually IS a musician, contrary to popular belief. Calling any musician a drummer is often taken as an insult, altho the drummer is in fact the cleverest musician

Guitarist: Hey guys, why are drummers always so stupid?
Drummer: So then 'Bob', what time dya need me 2 help ya wiv that work?
Guitarist: Err, shut up. I'm such a rocker. I'm like, hardcore. You don't even play a tuned instrument
Drummer: actually, i've passed my grade 5 theory of music, and my grade 6 piano. And, I can keep time
Bassist: Haha. Bob got ripped there. Bob's so stupid

10. Drummers are the hardest position in a band to fill, and keep filled. A good drummer is hard enough to find, but a good drummer who is also responsible and committed enough to be in a working band is rare.

Many good drummers are just flakes, or crazy, or un-reliable. Hey, they hit things all day, right? Conversely, many responsible drummers are just not good. There is something in the raw talent to play the drums that also makes a person a little crazy, more so than other musicians.

So, if you find a good drummer who is actually responsible, hold onto that guy!

My band is currently on our 5th drummer. The first one was a jerk, the second one got arrested, the third one went crazy, and the fourth one got married and had kids. This 5th one seems cool, though.

11. Although we drummers are the best. There are some disadvantages:(1) Hauling equipment sucks. We have the set, cymbals, hardwere, pedals, mikes and a bunch of other stuff. (2) We cannot move around on stage. (3) Sticks are to drums as strings are to bass and guitar. Only these things break ALOT easier.
But other then that. We rule.

12. What Neil Peart of Rush is!

13. a person (male or female) that plays the drums, thus being known as a drummer. Has the job of primerally keeping the time of a song. Top Drummers include: Tre Cool (Green Day) Keith Moon (The Who) Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers).

I myself am i drummer. Drummers are the best types of people.

person A: "dude that drummer is awesome
person B: "i know man, they should put drummers at the front of the stage instead of the back"
person A: "yes... now lets go push over ur grandmother"

14. a drummer is one underated musician who plays the drumkit, and is part of the rythm section along with the equally underated bassist. The drummer holds the beat down, and the rest of band use him to keep time. Without him the entire band would collapse, although he never gets any credit for this. Drummers are stereotypically portrayed as moronic, ugly, stupid non-musicians, but this is not always true. (Sometimes it si though.) In reality, the worst thing most drummers have ever done to anyone is the live drum solo, almost as bad as the live bass solo, but most drummers steer clear of this.

guitarist- 'ahaha, you're a drummer, youre stupid and cant read music!'
singer- 'ahaha as well! you dumb me beautiful!'
bassist- 'screw you two, the drummers my best friend!'
drummer- 'im the one who organises gigs, provides the transport, cooks the food...etc. and keeps time for this entire band of numbskulls who can barely follow a bloody mertonome!'
guitarist- 'ahaha, you dumb!'
drummer- 'sigh'

15. Drummer's are the most important people in any kind of musical ensemble- they keep the beat and usually sport amazingly sexy hair. However, even though this concept hasn't been documented yet in urban dictionary, drummers are, unfortunately (or fortunately; whatever) the band members who usually agree to give head. So they are, in effect, the knob-jobs of the musical world- hence why so many women fans are crazy about drummers. Drummers are usually male, but female variation do occur.

person A- "check out that fit drummer and his sexy hair"
person B- "huh? AH yes, i see him now. What a stud! He keeps the beat very well."
person A- "yes, you're right. I reckon he'd give me head"
person B- "why yes! I completely agree with you. I feel like some knob job too. WOW- i didnt realize i was gay: i just suggested a man give me head"

16. Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

17. A musician who plays a drum, which is an instrument usually comprised of a membrane stretched across the top of a (at least somewhat) cylindrical shell. The backbone of any 20th century modern music group. Often quite dense. Always gets the girl.

-How can you tell if the stage is level?
-The drummer's drool stays in one place.

18. From the latin word "drummius" which in its simplest terms means "unemployed."

"Hey Mark, can I borrow 5 bucks?"
Mark: "No dude, you know I'm a drummer."

19. Band member who knows how to get the ugly chicks.

20. Someone who hangs out with musicians