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Posts: 71
Joined: Nov. 24 2008
From: St.Helens, England
Your Help Required Please
If any of you guys would be kind enough to spend a few moments jotting down some thoughts for me I would be most grateful.
This exercise pertains to a piece of coursework I am involved in looking at studying music/dance forms in other cultures, so some points of view from all levels of experience and all backgrounds would be really useful.
I'll post the questions in the next post - I would have attached a word file, but I don't know how to. I realise the questions seem quite formal and quite rigid - they're really supposed to act as more of a set of guidelines for an informal discussion, but seeing as there are a limited number of people I can talk to in person locally, I thought asking you guys would be the next best thing - so if you want to add things that I've missed or that you think are super-important, please feel free to do so.
You can post back in this thread, send me a PM, or you can e-mail your thoughts and ideas to me at sammiguel 'at' gmail 'dot' com.
Your input would be greatly appreciated, even if you only have time to go over it briefly. My thanks in advance.
Edit - I'd like you to answer the questions, rather than provide feedback on the questionnaire itself, though as I said please feel free to add stuff I've missed out. Thanks to Richard (not sure what your username is) for pointing out the ambiguity.
1. Could you please give your name, age, occupation?
2. Is flamenco culture part of your own (personal) heritage? -how important do you think this is with regards to people from other cultures performing in the flamenco style?
3. In what aspect(s) of flamenco culture are/have you been involved? -what in particular drew you to this culture/art form? -for how long have you been involved in this way? -how did you get involved initially?
4. How would you describe this (your predominant) role in its relation with other aspects of flamenco culture? (in terms of its role/function, importance, how it interacts with others)
5. To the unfamiliar listener, flamenco music/dance may seem quite similar to other Spanish or latin forms. What would you say are the defining attributes that constitute authentic/real flamenco music/dance?
6. Would you consider flamenco to be a 'folk' art-form?
7. Are there any points covered you would like to expand upon, or points hitherto not mentioned which you feel are important or useful to discuss?
I've just sent you the completed questionnaire via PM.
I'd like to provide following public feedback:
You are probably well aware of the influence of the setting (i. e. environmental variables) on the outcome of an interview. It would probably be easier to answer your questions if the context were more explicit. I for one at least am allways a bit reserved (not to say paranoid) when I don't know what is going to happen with my answers
Hi Ed - just got your answers - thanks very much for taking the time out to do it.
To provide a quick background to the study, and thus how your answers will be used:-
-it's a single-term module, where the student is asked to pick a new instrument to investigate, as well as the culture which surrounds it. As I'm already a guitarist, I decided to focus on flamenco guitar because the right-hand technique is so very different from other styles - in that sense it is pretty much a different instrument.
-So, as well as teaching myself the techniques, I also need to look at the cultural context of the music. This means talking to people, but as there are very few people I can speak to locally, I thought I would ask on the foro.
-As far as assessment goes, the student keeps a diary/log book of their progress - technique/practice, gatherings they visit, interviews they conduct etc. and also to make a short presentation including some playing and some discussing of ideas etc.
-The information people provide if they would like to answer the questions will be included in the submitted log-book as part of my research, but the ultimate value is in making sure I can consider a range of perspectives for the presentation I will give in a couple of weeks time, and to act as a sort of 'checklist' for areas to look at for my own learning.
Pretty long-winded, but I hope it gives people a better idea of what it is they're getting involved in. If people are happy to take part but would like their names removing from anything that will be submitted, that's fine also.
As a final thought, I wonder what peoples' thoughts are on flamenco guitar music on it's own. I notice a lot of the more notable performers (PDL, for example) are often thought of as a 'solo' artist (for wont of a better phrase) rather than part of a larger context in terms of performance. Is this still 'as flamenco' as having the full package with singing, dancing etc.?
And thanks to Richard - I've received your answers also.
damn damn damn it looks like a good one, sorry i missed it..
I think i stayed away from it because if the title ... jk. dont you know that noone answers to "help " if u need help u have to scream "fire" ..all tho i dont know why they say that, id run on both counts
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You are probably well aware of the influence of the setting (i. e. environmental variables) on the outcome of an interview. It would probably be easier to answer your questions if the context were more explicit. I for one at least am allways a bit reserved (not to say paranoid) when I don't know what is going to happen with my answers 
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