Take One

August 20, 2008 at 9:13 AM

The next time I met with Jim Oltersdorf, it was under special lighting and the intense scrutiny of high definition cameras. It wasn't all that bad though; we recorded at his home after his wife cooked us a nice dinner of pork ribs and potatoes, and the atmosphere was quite comfortable. None of this would be used in the final cut anyway, he assured me. We were just checking out some camera angles and getting some ideas.

Has anyone here seen and heard themselves in high definition? I sure hadn't before yesterday. It's absolutely amazing what good lighting and some quality microphones will do to your self image. When I saw my own violin and the bow drawing across the strings, and I heard for the first time an accurate depiction of the sound that it makes after it leaves my ears, my jaw dropped. It was all so beautiful! I sat and listened for a while, thinking.

The violin is what the voice becomes when it joins with the trees. And this is why I love it.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 12:41 PM

I am glad high definition worked so well for you. I am not sure I would want to hear or see myself in high definition. It would probably highlight my flaws.

From Tobias Seyb
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 5:06 PM

It ist often said that a violin (or any instrument) sounds best when it resembles the human voice.
I see it the other way: good singers try to sound like a violin.

;-)

Remember to keep a good copy of your recordings.

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 7:41 PM

I was wondering - what kind of CDs are on the jukebox at Waffle House up there?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 8:51 PM

Um, we don't have Waffle Houses. Why do you ask?

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 10:14 PM

The other day there were three guys in front of my house digging up the water main and they were singing that song "I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole. No one could steer me right, but Mama tried..." Harmony, they knew the words, and there was no radio prompting it. So I got to thinking, everywhere you go here, you hear country music. Not in specialty-type places, but in the places for everybody. I actually never noticed if it's the same everywhere else. I'd imagine it's the same in most of the South, but maybe not the most urban areas. Maybe as far north as mid-Ohio and as far west as Bakersfield.... But I don't know for sure. OK's probably like that.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on August 22, 2008 at 12:42 AM

Emily - maybe you and George should open up a waffle house.

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on August 22, 2008 at 2:15 AM

I had dinner at Waffle House tonight. Sat on the floor with our ears up against the jukebox. "First thing I remember knowin' was that lonesome whistle blowin'...."

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Take One

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