mickil
63 posts
Mar 12, 2009
6:42 AM
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Like most of you, I've been following the recent - and absolutely brilliant - thread, which currently stands at 72 posts. There was something in it that I thought would be fun to pick up and run with. CM said:
"Most great musicians have mental or personality disorders."
I'm not a great musician, but - and I'm not ashamed or embarrased to tell you this - I have a nasty dose of OCD.
If I ever get round to uploading anything on YT, you'll notice that I never touch my nose when I play. I don't mind spit, but I don't like the the thought of nose-stuff. Yuk! Nuts, eh?
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share such insanities on here; either your own, or those that have already been documented about other musicians. By that last bit, I meant not private stuff.
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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Buddha
133 posts
Mar 12, 2009
6:56 AM
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Bonkers is good!!
All the greats where nutty and edgy. Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Beethoven etc..
Judging from the top shelf musicians I have met here are the commonalities...
Rage. There is a sense of single-mindedness where internal energy is supremely focused on ONE thing.
OCD. Doing the same things over and over and over. I have spent time doing nothing but listen to a 20 sec passage of music for 20 hours a day. Jason Ricci talks about being OCD.
Narcissism. Love of self. Wanting to be the center of attention nothing else matter. This is created a desire to be wanted.
Arrogance. I am the greatest. If you believe it, then so may your audience.
Low self esteem. Thinking you suck, thinking other people think you suck. This is usually used as an engine to prove others wrong and is the pathway to drive yourself to achieve great things.
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mickil
64 posts
Mar 12, 2009
7:15 AM
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I'd love to know whether or not - (is that a tautology: "whether or not"? That always confuses me!) - there are other great musicians with OCD?
Anyone out there know about that?
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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Buddha
134 posts
Mar 12, 2009
7:21 AM
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For harmonica players, Howard Levy is OCD. I'm a little OCD, you can see it in me over the past couple of days, in how I've shifted my energy to this board. I have new product coming today or tomorrow so I'll be not as frequent soon. But I'll be plinking reeds for 20 hours a day.
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2009 7:22 AM
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superchucker77
138 posts
Mar 12, 2009
7:22 AM
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In a word, "YES". In a few more words "In many different ways".
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Brandon Bailey
Superchucker77's Youtube
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Zhin
145 posts
Mar 12, 2009
8:56 AM
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Every single one I know.
Locally and all over the world.
Even the ones I don't know and the ones who are acquaintances.
I know I've got a few loose screws! 8D
Personally I feel more amiable towards crazy musicians.
But I draw the line if one of them is spewing death threats, homicidal fantasies, and labeling others in a derogatory way.
Brandon makes a great point. There are all kinds of muso crazies.
I like the crazy's that exude a positive vibe. Adam's one of my favorites for sure. :)
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Zhin's Videos
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kudzurunner
303 posts
Mar 12, 2009
9:01 AM
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Oh, I don't know. I think I'm pretty damn close to perfect. Even my narcissism and grandiosity are perfect.
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mickil
65 posts
Mar 12, 2009
9:47 AM
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While I'm in a silly mood, will someone tell me whether 'whether or not' is a tautology? I mean: surely 'whether' already includes the 'or not' bit by implication. Dr Gussow, English professor must know the answer to this one!
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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mr_so&so
51 posts
Mar 12, 2009
10:03 AM
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I'd be willing to bet that everyone here could be described as at least a little obsessive-compulsive. The harmonica is a "healthy" obsession, if it doesn't interfere with your functioning in society.
I don't recall where now, but some time ago I heard or saw a documentary that described blues music as a creative product of bipolar disorder (manic/depression). The lyrics often reflect the "down" side, and the music of the same song the "up" side -- an energetic counterpoint to the lyrics.
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Andrew
159 posts
Mar 12, 2009
10:09 AM
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Well, squeeze ma lemon!
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geordiebluesman
153 posts
Mar 12, 2009
10:09 AM
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Hey Mickil, I thought "whether or not" might actually be an Oxymoron so i asked my wife "Hey pet what's an Oxymoron", and she said "You are, Every time you draw breath!", Cheeky bitch!
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2009 10:10 AM
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Andrew
160 posts
Mar 12, 2009
10:11 AM
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And, in a separate posting,
what you say, mr so and so, makes me think of Tim Buckley, who was fantastic at singing real slow to music that was quite fast (I'm thinking of Lorca).
Although he could also sing very fast.
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mickil
66 posts
Mar 12, 2009
10:39 AM
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I'm still confused about 'whether or not' so, I think I'll go back to tabbing for a little while.
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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Honkin On Bobo
23 posts
Mar 12, 2009
12:33 PM
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One man's dedication is another man's obsession.
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Miles Dewar
223 posts
Mar 12, 2009
12:57 PM
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We Play Harmonicas People.....any way you put it.....We are "bonkers"......some of us are crazier than others but.......we should all be locked up.....pronto
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---Go Bears!!! (Richard Dent for Hall of Fame)---
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scstrickland
20 posts
Mar 12, 2009
2:14 PM
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I think every at every job I have ever had, and every hobby I have ever done somebody says "you have to be a little crazy to do this" I suppose I have always been surrounded by crazy people.
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Aussiesucker
185 posts
Mar 12, 2009
2:18 PM
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My wife and grandchildren think I am. But of course I'm not. Not yet anyway because I'm not a great musician.
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mickil
69 posts
Mar 12, 2009
2:50 PM
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Aussiesucker, Perhaps you are crazy, and, therefore, will one day be a great musician.
Unfortunately, if you think you're crazy, you can't be crazy; and, if you think you're not crazy, you must be. Catch-22!
P.S. That sounds less crazy if you've seen the film or read the book. I only added it out of 'paranoia' at sounding crazy!
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2009 3:41 PM
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RyanMortos
100 posts
Mar 12, 2009
3:25 PM
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I think everyone is bonkers in one way or another, a little bit. Musician or not. Any personality issues I have (mainly social anxiety disorder) didnt start due to aspiring to be a musician. Maybe as you get better with your chosen hobby you become a little more crazy about it in particular.
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~Ryan
PA
Ryan's Tube - Containing [0] uploads and counting...
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gene
140 posts
Mar 12, 2009
4:46 PM
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Maybe it depends on the sentence:
"Whether I go today or go tomorrow, I will go to the park."
"The lawn needs mowing whether you go to the park." That can't be right.
"The lawn needs mowing whether you go to the park or not" OR "The lawn needs mowing whether or not you go to the park."
"I can't decide whether to go to the park or mow the lawn." (Grammatically the same as the first example.)
OMG!! THANKS A BUNCH! :(
You've gotten us all OCD over "whether!"
;)
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2009 4:47 PM
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mickil
72 posts
Mar 12, 2009
5:24 PM
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gene,
That bl**dy well made me laugh.
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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oldwailer
566 posts
Mar 12, 2009
11:24 PM
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OCD is as OCD does.
Whether or not
1.
Surely
in any case, certainly, positively; see surely.
2.
If
whether, yes or no, whichever; see if.
See--I'm not as crazy as you loons! I just looked it up in the dictionary. ;-)
It ain't a fu**in oxymoron or a tautf**kinology--it's just fu**in verbose!
I don't think a harper can be considered OCD until he can overblow.
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2009 11:29 PM
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Aussiesucker
188 posts
Mar 12, 2009
11:59 PM
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Sh.t, I think we are all loonies otherwise why do we play harmonica's?
I had to look up OCD as I didn't have a clue what it meant. Does this make me crazy or dumb?
When I saw the symptoms - yes, well some do fit. I love cleaning my harps ie absolutely obsessive about their being clean. They play better when they all look shiny & new. None of them look used!
Oldwailer, I can't overblow. I'm not obsessive about trying yet. If I find a tab with an overblow well I just leave that part out for now. After all harp players got by for decades by not OB.
I'm obsessive about timing & the time right here and now is 5pm and I have an appointment that time every night with the fridge that I am obsessive to keep. But then that is another common disorder but not madness. Na its just too nice.
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CarolynViolin
23 posts
Mar 13, 2009
10:17 AM
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Lol, well I guess it is very true that musicians are afflicted with ocd. After all, we are continually practicing over and over again to get things to absolute perfection and we have this compulsion to keep going in front of audiences. That stuff is certainly very obsessive. But the whole thing is a very healthy obsession and necessary in music. Yes, musicians are very different from other "normal" people. Some musicians tend to be super sensitive and emotional, with tempers that can flare up. We also come and go at the oddest hours, unlike others who work the 9 to 5 routine. Lol, we're just different. But music is unlike any other profession, and the peculiarities go with the territory.
Carolyn
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harmonicanick
183 posts
Mar 13, 2009
10:33 AM
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Funny that, I get obsessive fridge disorder (OFD) at 5pm every night too, as you say, it must be quite common. It lasts until I go to bed.
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bluesnut
60 posts
Mar 13, 2009
9:53 PM
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My OCD got me going on a CBG ASAP after reading a post on this site. My username says it all.
Last Edited by on Mar 13, 2009 9:56 PM
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oldwailer
570 posts
Mar 14, 2009
1:06 AM
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That woman I loved, she took everything I had when she left me
That woman I loved, she took everything I had when she left me
All I got left is a suitcase full of OCD!
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mickil
75 posts
Mar 14, 2009
4:27 AM
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bluesnut,
What is CBG? Is it another name for CBT?
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
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