i don't think that Randy really reads his email... I have sent him one a while back asking for a PAID collaboration and he didn't return my email... Oh well!
Tuning intervals
Posted: 12/31/2010 8:36:16 AM
Randy is a theremin Sadhu.
"Sadhus" are wandering holy men, mystics of the Indian subcontinent, who live at a distance from society. Community is not what they seek. They want direct contact with the divine. A genuine Sadhu is very hard to get close to unless you approach him from the inside.
Randy's celebrity in the world of the theremin is based on the number of hits his YouTube videos have received but YT hits are not necessarily related to the quality of the content. No one would argue that Justin Bieber is the greatest singer in the world, but his video BABY is the most watched YT video ever posted, approaching half a billion hits. Interestingly, Randy urges his viewers to check out the theremin videos of Clara Rockmore, but Clara doesn't get anywhere near as many visits as either Randy or the theremin playing kitty cat.
Randy has potential that goes far beyond the theremin and he knows this. In the meantime, he is wise to stay away from the scuffles between the Shaivas and the Vaishnavas. They could only distract him from his true purpose.
"Sadhus" are wandering holy men, mystics of the Indian subcontinent, who live at a distance from society. Community is not what they seek. They want direct contact with the divine. A genuine Sadhu is very hard to get close to unless you approach him from the inside.
Randy's celebrity in the world of the theremin is based on the number of hits his YouTube videos have received but YT hits are not necessarily related to the quality of the content. No one would argue that Justin Bieber is the greatest singer in the world, but his video BABY is the most watched YT video ever posted, approaching half a billion hits. Interestingly, Randy urges his viewers to check out the theremin videos of Clara Rockmore, but Clara doesn't get anywhere near as many visits as either Randy or the theremin playing kitty cat.
Randy has potential that goes far beyond the theremin and he knows this. In the meantime, he is wise to stay away from the scuffles between the Shaivas and the Vaishnavas. They could only distract him from his true purpose.
Posted: 12/31/2010 1:04:29 PM
For a "theremin" Sadhu - as he is either calling himself or people have tagged him with this conotation, he surely understands well the "other side" of the world by having a website that nudges you with donation(s) and his use of YT for exposure. Don't get me wrong, i really admire the guy and his insane abilities - but to have this somewhat "unreachable" aura around your person when you have exposed it so publicly is dissapointing to the "people on the other side, that live in the other world".
Just my opinion - and this being my 6th post, I am sure I am already rubbing the long term members the wrong way with such an unpopular one.
Just my opinion - and this being my 6th post, I am sure I am already rubbing the long term members the wrong way with such an unpopular one.
Posted: 1/1/2011 11:34:07 AM
Personally, I have been very open over the years about exactly what I think about the theremin playing of everyone who is a serious player of the instrument and believe me, I have ruffled a lot of feathers. If I comment on any performances I always make a point of explaining, in detail, why I feel the way I do. It is tricky because, as a thereminist myself, I have frequently been accused of being mean-spirited or jealous or "unsportsmanlike" if I comment negatively about others.
As you well know, Amethyste, people are ferocious about music that they like, and will even go so far as to view those who do not share their particular tastes as "the enemy". There are cases of kids in American schools who have been killed in fights that started over disputes like whether rapper Blueline Cool is better than rapper Ultra Vice.
Classical music lovers are no less venomous in their verbal attacks against even the greatest singers and instrumentalists that they don't particularly like. The only difference is that their spelling and grammar tend to be better.
My philosophy is that Theremin World and Levnet are forums for discussion about all things THEREMIN, and that as long as posts are civil and members obey the rules, everything is permissible. Argument and debate are the spice of life! What sort of exchange would there be if everybody either agreed all the time, or simply refrained from saying anything that might shake things up?
I have been called every name in the book for having had the gall to tell someone that some theremin performance or other is off key or that the melody is wrong (..a pompous, pontificating, has been, envious, know-it-all, etc., along with a bunch of four letter words I can't repeat). I think it's hilarious! People usually give up once they realize I can't be insulted and I never insult others with name calling.
As for Randy, he is a bit of a mystery. I don't see anything wrong at all with his capitalizing on his YouTube successes. What surprises me, however, is that he will post something very clever and original and nicely played on the theremin (like the Daft Punk cover), and then post something really sloppy and "pitchy" by comparison (like the concert in Spain).
"It is just as important for artists to know what NOT to perform, as it is for them to know what to perform." Maria Callas
As you well know, Amethyste, people are ferocious about music that they like, and will even go so far as to view those who do not share their particular tastes as "the enemy". There are cases of kids in American schools who have been killed in fights that started over disputes like whether rapper Blueline Cool is better than rapper Ultra Vice.
Classical music lovers are no less venomous in their verbal attacks against even the greatest singers and instrumentalists that they don't particularly like. The only difference is that their spelling and grammar tend to be better.
My philosophy is that Theremin World and Levnet are forums for discussion about all things THEREMIN, and that as long as posts are civil and members obey the rules, everything is permissible. Argument and debate are the spice of life! What sort of exchange would there be if everybody either agreed all the time, or simply refrained from saying anything that might shake things up?
I have been called every name in the book for having had the gall to tell someone that some theremin performance or other is off key or that the melody is wrong (..a pompous, pontificating, has been, envious, know-it-all, etc., along with a bunch of four letter words I can't repeat). I think it's hilarious! People usually give up once they realize I can't be insulted and I never insult others with name calling.
As for Randy, he is a bit of a mystery. I don't see anything wrong at all with his capitalizing on his YouTube successes. What surprises me, however, is that he will post something very clever and original and nicely played on the theremin (like the Daft Punk cover), and then post something really sloppy and "pitchy" by comparison (like the concert in Spain).
"It is just as important for artists to know what NOT to perform, as it is for them to know what to perform." Maria Callas
Posted: 1/2/2011 12:20:12 PM
Coalport,
I agree with your post :) I didn't mean to insult Randy in the least. I was just posting an observation and my view on what he projects as an artist. There is nothing wrong with that he does, but it doesn't mean I agree with it. Anyhow :) For me, when I listen to artists, I try to have a :global: ears. Meaning, I am trying to listen to the sentiment and feelings behind a performance. As for singers, as I well know, it is hard to be on pitch all the time. I am 90% deaf in my right ear and being on pith is something I have to work EXTRA hard each day when I record a song and even when I practice on the Theremin. I am a little paranoid and to have near perfect pitch when I work on music is something I constantly try to achieve, so I find myself humming the melodies I am playing on the Theremin to make sure I am on pitch. I think I over compensate for this life acquired disability and I end up annoying myself in the utmost degree! I don't want to sound awful :(
Anyhow, I always welcome criticism - its pretty much the only way to improve yourself. There is no real benefit to be told you are awesome when in fact the performance was awful. These are the risks you take when you post videos of such publicly. It all depends on how it rendered, just like a performance :)
..: Le seul ennemi dans votre vie est vous-même :...
I agree with your post :) I didn't mean to insult Randy in the least. I was just posting an observation and my view on what he projects as an artist. There is nothing wrong with that he does, but it doesn't mean I agree with it. Anyhow :) For me, when I listen to artists, I try to have a :global: ears. Meaning, I am trying to listen to the sentiment and feelings behind a performance. As for singers, as I well know, it is hard to be on pitch all the time. I am 90% deaf in my right ear and being on pith is something I have to work EXTRA hard each day when I record a song and even when I practice on the Theremin. I am a little paranoid and to have near perfect pitch when I work on music is something I constantly try to achieve, so I find myself humming the melodies I am playing on the Theremin to make sure I am on pitch. I think I over compensate for this life acquired disability and I end up annoying myself in the utmost degree! I don't want to sound awful :(
Anyhow, I always welcome criticism - its pretty much the only way to improve yourself. There is no real benefit to be told you are awesome when in fact the performance was awful. These are the risks you take when you post videos of such publicly. It all depends on how it rendered, just like a performance :)
..: Le seul ennemi dans votre vie est vous-même :...
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