MAMA said knock you out!

My take on the MAMAs if anyone cares.

This is Madison not LA. I was super bored by the production. I thought most of the presenters were lacking in personality and I thought most of the performances were pretty poor. I am proud of Rick for putting on such an event, but honestly the $40,000 that went into the show could have gone straight to the schools. When the first act to get an award said "You probably haven't even heard of us." and multiple no-shows at the podium occured in the first five minutes, I was suddenly reminded how insignificant the "awards" were. These are not sour grapes. I was very happy for my friends that got awards. I think the Gomers were phenomenal as usual. I have never been too great at sitting around. In class it was always so hard to sit still for 50 minutes. This was three hours and I must have left the room 10 times. On one restroom visit I found myself peeing between Blues (smokin' a butt) and Chris Plata, we all just cracked up in the ridiculousness of the event upstairs. I had way more fun drinking in the lobby and chatting with other folks. The scene at the Rat was what the whole event should have been like. Madison musicians supporting each other through beer drinking. The fact that the nights most talked about performance was East High Schools Show Choir just exemplifies my point (btw- what is up with those guys? When I was in high school those kids would have been beat up daily in the hallway and now those kids are little celebs... wtf?!) Why bask in the video glow of Butch Vig when we can rejoice at the absurdity of a bunch of high school kids performing a bad Journey cover? Rich Albertoni has a gushing review at Isthmus and I understand his enthusiasm, but honestly, who do we think we are? We can celebrate our "scene" but we should do it with more cheese and less glitter.

I can't just take pot-shots. Let me provide an alternative. Preface: All my music teachers in school SUCKED! I learned way more about music and music appreciation listening to my parents sing and watching Rock'n'Roll High School and Rust Never Sleeps and going to Ocayz and daring to pick up a bass even though I flunked guitar lessons. In general music in school pretty much stinks! I bet every one of you sang Joy to the World by Three Dog Night and thought "How stupid is this?" Let's give awards to the great music teachers out there. It is important that kids can take strings in fourth grade, but if the teacher kills their spirit or tells them they can't play the viola "that way!" Then they are poison. Madison musicians should rally for the great encouragers. The teachers that develop creative talents, not the "I'm Miyako, I play piano recitals every year at class concerts because I'm a phenom" kids. Again not sour grapes! Just one kids reality.

In retrospect I'll continue to support the MAMAs because it is a good Madison musicians unifier and if I don't like the show I can just stay home. I just wish Madison could show our enthusiams for music and youth programs in Madison style. The day that the Motor Primitives get invited into a school to perform is the day I believe music programs have turned the corner from stuffy big haired windbags promoting prodigies(Mrs. Brendemule) to true musician enablers.