Posts by mistypanther

gentlepuma20 said:Of course. And Dorothy was an American too!

Is this what people are obsessing over on Stack Overflow now? Good grief, I honestly can't make heads or tails of any of this anymore... 🙂

Carol Jackson45 mistypanther said:If I remember correctly, Dorothy had to stomp her heels together three times just to get those shoes back to Kansas. Is that not enough of a struggle? 😬

So she actually stood there in Kansas and claimed she had everything covered for America? Is she serious? 😕 😢

Since we're talking about hidden meanings, I’d honestly love to know what the actual theme of "Life in the Fast Lane" is. It's been driving me absolutely crazy for years, so if anyone actually knows, please tell me. 😢

Bean Dar said:I’m going to paste a post from another thread here, specifically as an answer to the question of why and how listening to and playing jazz can actually bring someone happiness.

How on earth am I supposed to explain to someone why I love jazz and how much it actually lifts my spirits?

🤣

I love how spot-on everything you write is, but honestly, do you really have to bring up Parker every single time? It’s absolutely ridiculous! 🤣 😍

Well, alright then. I suppose I have to admit you actually have a point there...

Is anyone actually going to address this? It’s absolutely ridiculous. mistypanther says:
I’ve lost count of how many piano-playing posers I run into who haven't the slightest clue what they're doing.
Generally speaking, I think it’s smarter to just finish college—regardless of what career you're aiming for—because at least you walk away with a degree in hand. If you're passionate about music, you'll be playing whether you're in class or out of it. Why spend five years letting some bitter professor talk you out of something you actually love?

Honestly, I just wanted to say how disappointed I am with the quality of higher music education here in the States. It’s pathetic how they work you to death with practice sessions until you're literally losing hair—but I suppose that's just the way it goes everywhere, isn't it? 😁It’s honestly pathetic how there is absolutely zero support for anyone actually trying to pursue music as a career here. Where are the legitimate modern studios? Where is the jazz, the fusion, or even decent rock programs? How can they expect talent to grow when none of the essential infrastructure exists?

What’s even worse is that there isn't a real industry supporting any kind of art here, not just music. In this country, people look at musicians like they're just lazy slackers playing around to avoid getting a real job. And since there's no actual infrastructure, there's no way to make a living—obviously. Can you imagine the mental toll that takes on a person? I spent ten years fighting that exact battle within myself: do I pursue music, get a real career, or just end up an alcoholic? 😬

It took me ten whole years before I finally said, "Fine, let's do this," and just went for it. In the meantime, I picked up a few other instruments because I couldn't stand being away from music for a second. Since I didn't have a decent place to practice my drums—not exactly something you can lug around easily—I ended up picking up a guitar. I spent my time drilling bass techniques on it, even though it wasn't really my primary instrument. I even ended up borrowing a synth from my sister, which helped me shake the rust off my piano skills. Piece by piece, I worked through all of them to put together a solo album.

In the end, I just threw it all away. I’m heading out this fall to study drums for two years in London, followed by whatever other instruments I can get my hands on. I genuinely want to grow as a musician, but this country provides absolutely zero opportunities for that. Honestly, it's probably the same story at a jazz academy in Vienna—there's just no industry there either. You move, you study, then you come back home and realize you're still stuck in the same dead end. For years, I haven't even bothered practicing because nobody here was willing or able to teach me the things I actually cared about; I've had to figure everything out on my own. And frankly, I am sick to death of people asking, "Are you still playing, or have you finally gotten a real job?"

Look, parents, by all means, sign your kid up for music lessons if you want—but if you’re going to encourage them, for heaven's sake, go all the way! Are we actually going to support their passion, or just treat it like some fleeting hobby? 👍

beryozinka said:Interesting. What on earth makes you think that? 🙄 I really should tell my brother—who is clearly talented, since he managed to get through conservatory despite having zero formal musical training (besides maybe a few years of elementary school music class or whatever) 😬 that he’s an outlier.
As far as I know, he just graduated and still plays 🙏. Every single day 🙏.
Jesus, I’m living with a genius here! 🙄 😲 😬

Wow, look at you growing up to be all sarcastic. I might just go bash my head against a wall. 😲
I said there are exceptions. From what I've seen, most classically trained musicians lose any actual sense of rhythm or soul once they hit conservatory. Just because your brother plays
every day doesn't mean he's actually good; likewise, someone who skips the academy and just practices their instrument constantly isn't automatically a great musician either.
I've jammed with classical players a billion times, and most of them have this specific 😲 look on their faces the moment they realize they're playing ad-lib and nobody is going to hand them a sheet of music.

gottcha said:Yeah, right... just another barking dog. 😳 😁

Would he actually go through with it? 😁 😁

What, was even bribing him with ice cream not enough? 🤣

Oh, he’d absolutely do it. There was no bribing involved. If I didn't want to do something, I simply refused until they finally left me alone. It wasn't about some elaborate scheme to mess with anyone.

I wasn't being shy—not by a long shot. It was just that my teachers kept insisting I was the top student in the whole district, and honestly, I hated that pressure. Once they started telling me I could be a world-class prodigy if I just put in the work, I decided right then that I wasn't going to make the mistake of being "the best" in front of everyone. Why? Because then I'd actually have to justify it by working harder. Not to mention all the extra practice required for competitions and publicity stunts. No way. 😬

Melissa Price6 said:haha..
I thought it was great.
It's how you learn to carry yourself in public...😬

Oh, so I'm the one who doesn't know how to act in public? 🤣Is that what we're doing now?

Quincy:>

gentlecanyon92 says: Look, you're dead wrong here. 😳 Public performances can open so many doors for you. 😳 I honestly don't get how they didn't force you to participate. 😁 It's not a matter of choice when your teacher is pushing you and the older faculty are all rooting for you. 😁> See, my instructor (and the other substitutes back then) never sent me to competitions, even though everyone openly admitted I was the best in my grade and beyond. 😬 .. and that's where the interest just died out. Because under a different teacher, those same kids were getting all the awards and the credits... what a waste.

Oh, believe me, there was plenty. Do you have any idea how much drama I used to cause over this? I’d swear that if they actually sent me, I’d just climb onto the stage and sing nothing but classic country ballads instead of playing my instrument. 🤣, I’d even quit music entirely! My God, I was absolutely INSANE—a total drama king.😁>

My folks kept trying to push me into these competitions and promotional gigs, for God's sake, just because I played exceptionally well. Honestly, though? I don't think even the Lord Himself would force me to perform at something so beneath my dignity. I’d be absolutely mortified. 😳

gentlecanyon92 said:🤣

I’ll say it again: having a truly great instructor is worth every penny. 👍

Sadly, I never had someone like that. 🙂 😢

My nephew started music school at eleven—a complete outlier—simply because his older brother ended up with a piano through some weird family arrangement, and they didn't know what else to do with the kid. It seemed logical enough to put him on the keys. 🤣

Fast forward: he skips a grade, finishes four years of lessons in less than two, and what happens? He gets stuck with a teacher who was so unhinged that she practically broke his hand! She’d scream at him to stretch his fingers further over the keys—"YOU CAN DO IT! PUSH HARDER!!"—until he actually injured himself. He messed up his hand, his ligaments 😕, God knows what else, but he couldn't even move his arm properly for a while. To make matters worse, his parents completely bought into this drill sergeant's nonsense, pushing him just as hard to be "the best." By the time he finished middle school, he swore off the instrument forever. The trauma was just too much.

That is exactly what happens when you have a toxic teacher paired with enabling parents.

David Miller5 said:Talent is totally overrated. If you don't put in the work, you're nothing, regardless of how much natural ability you think you have. If you've actually got grit, you can make it into a top conservatory without being some kind of prodigy 😬.

The truth? If you actually possess talent, you’ll avoid music school at all costs because they’ll strip away whatever tiny shred of passion for the instrument you have left.
Take my childhood, for example. I used to swipe my great-grandfather's old guitar, and I fell in love instantly. It wasn't even about the specific guitar; it was the instrument itself—that realization hit me much later. It makes sound, and more importantly, it makes the *exact* sound I want it to. Before long, I had my mom sign me up for lessons and even wrote my first song. 🤣 Here’s the thing: I lived for the music, but I absolutely loathed music theory. Even though I had the best instructors in the country (Ištvan Roemer and Goran Listeš), not even they could force me to play pieces at the prescribed tempo. If I didn't like a song, I’d play it 30% faster just to get it over with! 😁 Every single year, my report card read the same thing: "Highly talented and incredibly lazy." 🤣 But, as I mentioned, I had legendary teachers who were true fanatics for their craft, and seeing their obsession was the first time I realized how much playing could actually bring someone joy.

On top of that, my mom would take me to all their concerts, and she wouldn't stop there—she actually practiced guitar alongside me during my elementary years. Seriously, she did the work because she genuinely loved it. I, on the other hand, was arrogant; I picked things up way too fast. Once I mastered a piece—which usually happened at first glance—I’d just toss the guitar aside and go ride my bike. It wasn't until years later, after I quit formal lessons, that my teachers and my mom finally got through to me mentally. Once I realized how to play with actual soul, everything changed, but as an hyperactive kid, I just couldn't wrap my head around it then. Bottom line? You need a great teacher, but it's even more vital that a parent loves music and has the drive to support it.

Honestly, I have no idea how anyone put up with me and my constant whining: "Noooo, I don't waaaaant to practice! Look how fast I can do it! Look!" (I'd blitz through a new song 47% faster than required, drop the guitar, zero feeling, just brute force) 😬

As for picking an instrument... hmm. The violin is a fine choice only if you have an exceptionally disciplined and patient child. Otherwise, you're looking at a son who's completely bald by twenty or a daughter who's a total neurotic wreck. 😬

Jason Richardson5 said:They've really been losing it lately 😁

George is going to launch some homegrown projects to jumpstart the scene—you know, stuff that captures that alternative vibe but feels authentically American. Like some local indie icons.

The Kennedy Family
Grandpa Kennedy
and all that.

He needs to draft a complete manifesto to take down those alt-types, the elitists, and "those people who only listen to jazz." 😁

Jesus, the radicals have completely wiped out George 🙂 😁

blueranger12 said:Why do you care so much about songs being pure and untouched? 🙂 Explain it to me. 🙂

It’s the exact same thing as dating. If a woman you're seeing has been with a dozen different guys before you, do you just lie there at night obsessing over every single one of them? That’s what this is. She’s lying awake picturing every person who saw the ad or heard her favorite track. Now that song isn't hers anymore; it’s been cheapened and sold out. She's stuck imagining thousands of people asking "what song is this?" only to go download it from Spotify—thousands upon thousands of people effectively stripping that song of its value and wasting its beauty... 🙂

Kevin Chavez3 said:mistypanther is complaining about how unprofessional the moderation has become. Is anyone actually running this place? 😂

Are you actually serious right now? You are simply being an idiot.

Kevin Chavez3 said:Look, let's be real—remembering Drit's little tangents wasn't exactly rocket science. There was a time when you couldn't scroll through the Word Forum without running into him... more like: "Mom, I made it into the local paper!" 😁

So much for actually staying on topic, moderators. I see you've decided to stick your head right back in the gutter. Honestly, it really suits you. 👍

Have you even considered seeing a neurologist? 🙂

Walter Foster52 said:I couldn't manage to say anything meaningful, let alone be funny. Just total garbage...

Oh, look at that. The "ultra-alternative" rebel finally decided to show up.🙏 🙏 🙏

Why don't you just go take a selfie covered in blood or whatever else you're doing? Why can't you just stay "ultra-alternative" and leave us alone?🙏 🙏

Kevin Chavez3 said:A lot of people would be a lot less confused if you just came out and said whether you're mocking Orange or actually agreeing with him.

Wrong, my post quoting Orange has absolutely nothing to do with the one before it. Are you really stuck on that?

boldscout72 said:I find it incredibly attractive when guys constantly whine about being broke, getting dumped by their exes, or how they got screwed over by ExxonMobil or Riper, acting like they just don't give a damn about anything. Those are my favorites. 😬

Personally, my favorites are the ones who have absolutely no life, enough to sit around digging up someone else's posts from three years ago. Are those the best kind? Clearly. ☕