Let's see some references to this significant research. Because the numbers I've seen show that there are several causes of distracted driving that rank above cell phones, including fiddling with the radio, eating, and reaching for stuff in the car. Check out the study done last year by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that 30% of accidents are caused by distracted driving. I have yet to see a study that breaks down the accident rate for various types of distracted driving.
I agree with the original poster, it's easy to single out the cell phone users because that's one of the most visible, and therefore most annoying and memorable types. This is another one of those things that everyone believes based on their own personal experiences, yet isn't necessarily supported by hard facts.
I have exactly the same feeling... I'm a Braves fan living in the midwest and have paid for the last 3 seasons to listen to games online. Since my desktop machine at work is Linux, I guess it could soon be goodbye Braves (on Real), hello Cubs (on the radio)!
Equal temperament was showing up as early as the 1500s, by the way - they may not have known how to build pianos but they knew how to build organs.
The concept of equal temperament was introduced in 1636 by Marin Mersenne in his treatise "Harmonie Universalle." Organs of the time were typically tuned in mean tone.
Actually the piano was invented before Bach's death, he tried a few different models and wasn't that impressed. The 18th century piano of Mozart and Haydn is considered a period instrument, and as such it can be worthwhile to tune accordingly when playing music of that era.
By the way, I did read your post again and once again read that playing in a "pure" temperament will only impress a handful of snobs. If you don't like how people are reading the words you wrote, then perhaps you should write different ones.
Playing in a "pure" tuning will only impress a handful of snobs.
No... playing in the tuning system appropriate to the historical context of the piece will open the ears of those indoctrinated into the dullness that is equal temperament. The use of historical temperaments, in music up to and including Bach, has nothing to do with being a snobby purist and everything to do with how the music sounds.
Equal temperament did not come into common use until after the Baroque period. Perhaps you should try listening to a Bach (well temperament) or Scarlatti (modified mean tone) harpsichord piece with that in mind and see how different it can be.
"Out of tune" according to what system? Within the western system of tuning alone, there are many approaches to tuning, appropriate to different time periods and characteristics of the music being played. And that's not taking into consideration non-western scales and tuning systems.
Tuning is in the ear of the beholder. Equal temperament, which is what you've undoubtedly based your concept of "in-tuneness" on, is a relatively modern (within the last 300 years) compromise which allows us to play in all keys by making every key slightly out of tune. Our modern ears have become so accustomed to this sound that most people today have no sense of what being in tune really is.
For example, Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier was written to highlight the different qualities of each major and minor key. When played on a modern equal-tempered piano, the entire point of the work is lost because every key sounds the same. If you were to listen to it played on a well-tempered harpsichord, you'd probably think it sounds out of tune.
The moral of the story, before you decide something is out of tune, consider that the strong possibility it's not the instrument, but your own ears which have a tuning problem. And before you make a comment about it, learn a little more about the topic.
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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that 30% of accidents are caused by distracted driving. I have yet to see a study that breaks down the accident rate for various types of distracted driving.
I agree with the original poster, it's easy to single out the cell phone users because that's one of the most visible, and therefore most annoying and memorable types. This is another one of those things that everyone believes based on their own personal experiences, yet isn't necessarily supported by hard facts.
I have exactly the same feeling ... I'm a Braves fan living in the midwest and have paid for the last 3 seasons to listen to games online. Since my desktop machine at work is Linux, I guess it could soon be goodbye Braves (on Real), hello Cubs (on the radio)!
And this just in ... the printing press has ruined the medieval scribe business!
The concept of equal temperament was introduced in 1636 by Marin Mersenne in his treatise "Harmonie Universalle." Organs of the time were typically tuned in mean tone.
By the way, I did read your post again and once again read that playing in a "pure" temperament will only impress a handful of snobs. If you don't like how people are reading the words you wrote, then perhaps you should write different ones.
No ... playing in the tuning system appropriate to the historical context of the piece will open the ears of those indoctrinated into the dullness that is equal temperament. The use of historical temperaments, in music up to and including Bach, has nothing to do with being a snobby purist and everything to do with how the music sounds.
Equal temperament did not come into common use until after the Baroque period. Perhaps you should try listening to a Bach (well temperament) or Scarlatti (modified mean tone) harpsichord piece with that in mind and see how different it can be.
You are right, I apologize for my snippy remark.
Tuning is in the ear of the beholder. Equal temperament, which is what you've undoubtedly based your concept of "in-tuneness" on, is a relatively modern (within the last 300 years) compromise which allows us to play in all keys by making every key slightly out of tune. Our modern ears have become so accustomed to this sound that most people today have no sense of what being in tune really is.
For example, Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier was written to highlight the different qualities of each major and minor key. When played on a modern equal-tempered piano, the entire point of the work is lost because every key sounds the same. If you were to listen to it played on a well-tempered harpsichord, you'd probably think it sounds out of tune.
The moral of the story, before you decide something is out of tune, consider that the strong possibility it's not the instrument, but your own ears which have a tuning problem. And before you make a comment about it, learn a little more about the topic.