tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-367173689821897070.post7813710853838854034..comments2024-03-23T12:42:50.151-04:00Comments on MMmusing: Name Brand QualityMICHAEL MONROEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16392848296427560715noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-367173689821897070.post-47286390881465631952008-06-09T11:54:00.000-04:002008-06-09T11:54:00.000-04:00Easy, Action.What I heard was Pops players doing a...Easy, Action.<BR/><BR/>What I heard was Pops players doing a boiler plate, bullet proof arrangement of the National Anthem. No music stands, no time to memorize and perform a hot new John Williams arrangement. A quick look at the players (who for TV were irrelevant) showed a mix of regular BSO players and other Boston free lance players. The whole discussion of "what is the Boston Pops" is for another time, but it seems to be that if they trot out the "face" - Lockhart, Williams, etc - it matters not who is actually doing the PLAYING. <BR/><BR/>Lockhart is a goofball for sure - one would think he would take a look in the mirror and realize that it looked like his borrowed his Celtics jersey from Bill Russell. <BR/><BR/>To your other point, the NBA, NFL, MLB all find value in having "celebrity" individuals and groups play the National Anthem at events. Whether actually playing (as the Pops players seemed to be doing last night) or syncing what they had previously pre-recorded (like the Pops did at Super Bowl XXXVI) their PRESENCE is what is important. Nobody is listening. They are watching.<BR/><BR/>Shaughnessy is wrong when it comes to Boston's "classy edge." The Lakers could trot out a group from the LA Philharmonic. The problem is the NBA - and the TV audience - doesn't give a rip about the LA Philharmonic. It's the Boston Pops brand that went by on our screens for a few seconds. That was obviously worth all the money it took to bring 10 players, managers, conductor, etc to the Garden to play the National Anthem.<BR/><BR/>Like you said, it's not all a bad thing. It's just part of our celebrity culture. The music making had nothing to do with last night. Last night was about the BRAND and with the Boston Pops - whether anyone in the audience actually noticed who the individual players were - scored big last night.<BR/><BR/>There are better violinists than Pearlman and better cellists than Yo-Yo Ma. But the "public" still adores their "stars," quality of performance be damned. Look at so many concerts - mostly pop and rock events - put on by singers and performers who are long past their prime, needing to lower their songs by a whole step in order to get to the top note (and refusing to do so), who sing or lay dreadfully. Yet the audience is on its feet. Why? Because they're not listening. They're remembering what once was. Memory always tops reality.<BR/><BR/>-Fusedule TecilFusedule Tecilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17387213604823136405noreply@blogger.com