What brainboxes have we?

[Flying_Monkey]

Whoah! that's some serious oboe!

Not my favourite instrument, I must admit, but Grade 8 in anything was well beyond me (and I tried most...). I'm impressed

I would quite happily give up most of my qualifications to be musical - unfortunately I am just not at all talented in this area.

Someone mentioned 'common sense' - most of what is put foward as 'common sense' is neither... the problem is that this is one of the most slippery concepts imaginable, and usually boils down to 'thinking like me.'

Knowledge (whether from experience, practical skills or education) combined with understanding and the ability to use and communicate it, but most importantly empathy and compassion - are what makes for a more a good person IMHO. That's what I'd like to be, however far off I may be at present...

 

[Arch]

I would quite happily give up most of my qualifications to be musical - unfortunately I am just not at all talented in this area.

Me too. And I'm a sucker for any guy with a bit of musical talent. I got my grade 1 violin, but then sense and humanity kicked in and I gave up. I'd like to take it up again, but I think it'll have to wait until I can afford a) a bit house miles from the nearest neighbour, or an electric violin with headphones.

I'm no good at the practicing, that's the trouble. If I can't do well straightaway, I get fed up...

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Me too. And I'm a sucker for any guy with a bit of musical talent. .

I learnt how to play "Sailing Down Stream" on a recorder at school.

 

[simonali]

or somebody with 5 O-levels on £90k.....that, my friend is the value of education!

Wow, so another 2 O Levels would've been worth an extra 50K?!

As for me, I left school at 16 with 3 GCEs and 2 CSEs and became an electrician. Stoopidly took the factory route (more varied work) once qualified, rather than the rip everyone off self-employed man with a van route, so I don't earn much!

 

[betty swollocks]

I loved playing the oboe and curse the fact that I did not continue with it when I left school. I could even play tunes on the reed alone!

 

[Amanda P]

After years of only playing it while waiting for the kettle to boil, I'm playing trombone again more often nowadays. I'm playing in three bands and one of them makes worthwhile money now and again. Couldn't live on it, mind.

Trouble is, I spend all the money I make on trombones... the n+1 rule applies to them as well as to bikes.

 

[Kirstie]

the n+1 rule applies to them as well as to bikes.

It also applies to accordions.

 

[NickM]

I think I should get a tuba. It usually gets easy stuff to play, so it can't be too hard to reach a standard that would get me into an orchestra; it's big and awkward (and probably expensive ), so I bet not many people play it and players are in demand; and it only appears in the sort of music I like.

 

[Dayvo]

I think I should get a tuba. It usually gets easy stuff to play, so it can't be too hard to reach a standard that would get me into an orchestra; it's big and awkward (and probably expensive ), so I bet not many people play it and players are in demand; and it only appears in the sort of music I like.

Gat a triangle! Easier to learn, and easier to carry than anything else played in an orchestra!

 

[Amanda P]

I think I should get a tuba. It usually gets easy stuff to play, so it can't be too hard to reach a standard that would get me into an orchestra; it's big and awkward (and probably expensive ), so I bet not many people play it and players are in demand; and it only appears in the sort of music I like.

For all those reasons, trombone players often double on tuba. Even I do it sometimes (if I've plenty of time to practice... if it's easy... if I can borrow one...)

 

[NickM]

Gat a triangle! Easier to learn, and easier to carry than anything else played in an orchestra!

When I was young (that'll be some time ago, then) I played percussion in a youth orchestra. I was given the (extremely important!) triangle part in Liszt's 1st Piano Concerto (in B flat, not that I cared). Believe me, after that there is nowhere to go with the triangle...

<edit> turns out it is in E flat. I still don't care!

 

[Crackle]

Someone mentioned 'common sense' - most of what is put foward as 'common sense' is neither... the problem is that this is one of the most slippery concepts imaginable, and usually boils down to 'thinking like me.'

I've always thought common sense to be the ability to see the consequences of an action/solution and not just action/solution itself. Hence intelligent people who lack percieved common sense - " I could'a told you that would happen if you asked."

Some people have this ability straight away, others learn it and occasionally we all misplace it.

 

[Fnaar]

I once knew a woman who played the oboe very well.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

I've always thought common sense to be the ability to see the consequences of an action/solution and not just action/solution itself. Hence intelligent people who lack percieved common sense - " I could'a told you that would happen if you asked."

Some people have this ability straight away, others learn it and occasionally we all misplace it.

The characteristic of common sense is that it's not very common.

 

[Arch]

The characteristic of common sense is that it's not very common.

In which respect it is like so many native British animal species - not half as common as they were when they were named....