Coffee house performers seem not be as famous as pop and rock singers though there is, I see, a channel on Sirius-XM devoted to such music. In general, coffee house music is easy to listen to, good for relaxing with a cup of coffee and a friend, or browsing on a laptop in the midst of total strangers. In the coffee shop, anonymity can prevail though the barista calls out your name. “Don, venti cafe mocha, no whip, nonfat, shot of espresso.” [Should I be embarrassed? Or does the espresso shot represent my virility—a kind of Marlboro Man without the tobacco, cowboy hat, and horse? Aside: Would I show my inner Marlboro Man if I left the coffee shop to drive off in a car with a horse’s name, such as Mustang? A Ford Bronco? Or would a coffee house guy drive off in a Ford Pinto, Mitsubishi/Dodge Colt, Hyundai Pony or Equus, or antique Pegasso? Asides beside, the subject began with a focus on coffee house music]
What if there were a coffee house beneath Ayers Rock, maybe one called the Uluru Coffee Cafe, where the local musician played a didgeridoo? isn’t that a millennial scene? No, I can’t imagine it either. First, such a coffee cafe is out in the middle of nowhere looking at a rock that dates back to the Cambrian Explosion (of lifeforms). Second, it really is in the middle of nowhere, but like the Starbucks on every block in Manhattan, it is also a gathering place of strangers, those in Australia being intrepid tourists who brave the aridity and heat to see a big red rock. Third, it’s too hot to drink coffee under an average annual temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. And fifth, whereas didgeridoo music might be okay for someone in a trance, it grates the nerves after a bit—though some use it for “meditation.” * With no melody discernible to the western ear, the music is very much like the sound one could make with a piece of PVC pipe shaped as a thongophone positioned to vibrate in a wind storm or played by one of Yanni’s international musicians.
Suum quique. To each his own, of course. So, if you are a didgeridoo musician or fan of its sound, you have my “okay” to listen to the low vibrations in your favorite coffee house. Just don’t expect a big crowd on didgeridoo night with at least one exception.What if the US Senate and House met in a coffee house in Washington?
And why do I make these comments on this day in early February, 2023? Why, it’s State of the Union night in D.C. Those who don’t like the sounds they will hear during the address will sit quietly, the vibrations of the didgeridoo pulsing through their bodies and amygdalae. And those who don’t like the sounds they hear but realize that peer pressure demands they look both attentive and entertained, will stand frequently, giving ovations and cheers. But trust me, many of the cheering will have had their shot of espresso to maintain their expressions of pleasure.
Coffee shop music is generally relaxing. It serves as a pleasant background. But in the room on State of the Union Night, there will be those who will squirm as though the sounds emanating from a thongophone have bunched up their thongs in a place where decorum demands all listen even if they don’t like the music, are uncomfortable listening to it, or wish the performer could sing a different tune and play a different instrument. Very few people have didgeridoo music on their smart phones; they prefer hummable tunes and words that seem relevant to their lives.
But the didgeridoo is an ancient and primitive instrument, and, though younger than Uluru, has been the instrument of choice in almost, if not all, State of the Union addresses. I’m not going to the coffee shop tonight, not listening to the sounds of the ancient didgeridoo. I want a hummable melody and words that are germane to my life.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-542IYoE0
What if there were a coffee house beneath Ayers Rock, maybe one called the Uluru Coffee Cafe, where the local musician played a didgeridoo? isn’t that a millennial scene? No, I can’t imagine it either. First, such a coffee cafe is out in the middle of nowhere looking at a rock that dates back to the Cambrian Explosion (of lifeforms). Second, it really is in the middle of nowhere, but like the Starbucks on every block in Manhattan, it is also a gathering place of strangers, those in Australia being intrepid tourists who brave the aridity and heat to see a big red rock. Third, it’s too hot to drink coffee under an average annual temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. And fifth, whereas didgeridoo music might be okay for someone in a trance, it grates the nerves after a bit—though some use it for “meditation.” * With no melody discernible to the western ear, the music is very much like the sound one could make with a piece of PVC pipe shaped as a thongophone positioned to vibrate in a wind storm or played by one of Yanni’s international musicians.
Suum quique. To each his own, of course. So, if you are a didgeridoo musician or fan of its sound, you have my “okay” to listen to the low vibrations in your favorite coffee house. Just don’t expect a big crowd on didgeridoo night with at least one exception.What if the US Senate and House met in a coffee house in Washington?
And why do I make these comments on this day in early February, 2023? Why, it’s State of the Union night in D.C. Those who don’t like the sounds they will hear during the address will sit quietly, the vibrations of the didgeridoo pulsing through their bodies and amygdalae. And those who don’t like the sounds they hear but realize that peer pressure demands they look both attentive and entertained, will stand frequently, giving ovations and cheers. But trust me, many of the cheering will have had their shot of espresso to maintain their expressions of pleasure.
Coffee shop music is generally relaxing. It serves as a pleasant background. But in the room on State of the Union Night, there will be those who will squirm as though the sounds emanating from a thongophone have bunched up their thongs in a place where decorum demands all listen even if they don’t like the music, are uncomfortable listening to it, or wish the performer could sing a different tune and play a different instrument. Very few people have didgeridoo music on their smart phones; they prefer hummable tunes and words that seem relevant to their lives.
But the didgeridoo is an ancient and primitive instrument, and, though younger than Uluru, has been the instrument of choice in almost, if not all, State of the Union addresses. I’m not going to the coffee shop tonight, not listening to the sounds of the ancient didgeridoo. I want a hummable melody and words that are germane to my life.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-542IYoE0
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