BECAUSE.. JOHNNY DEPP

My daughter said something that got me thinking about blogs today, specifically my own. She and I were having lunch, discussing her probable evening plans with a friend who will be sleeping over. I was shocked to hear she might prefer to watch “The Smurfs” over “Edward Scissorhands”. Now, don’t me get wrong. I do love a good Smurf yarn, but choosing the tiny blue nincompoops over the incomparable Johnny Depp in one of his best roles? WHAT?! To be fair, I have not seen the new Smurfs reboot and she has only seen a teeny portion of One Of the Best Movies Of My Adolescence, but still. She gave some defense of her ridiculous choice that I didn’t listen to and my defense? Because.. Johnny Depp. The ultimate teen chick flick! Just about any Johnny Depp movie (not “Donnie Brasco” and the like though, since it’s about the mafia and mafia = Guy flick) may qualify as a “chick flick” because.. Johnny Depp!

This led to a lamentation on my behalf that I couldn’t conceive of an instance in which I might write “Because, Johnny Depp” on my own blog. My blog is and always has been bassoon-centric (which likely explains the vast readership of two, in all probability also bassoonists). But my dear daughter, with her wonderful sense of humor and her generation whatever’s lack of delineation, countered with, “Why not?”....

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And here we are, at “Why not?”

Johnny Depp is an artist, a master at what he does. To the extent that he does not watch his own films, and I don’t think he ever has. Not even the dailies. He does his absolute best to convey the chosen character, and then relies on the director and editor(s) to do their work and make it all jive.

And why not? There’s hell all can be done about it once the film has gone to print. It is an incredible exercise in both craftsmanship/artistry and letting go. Isn’t that something to which all artists aspire? The idea that one has done one’s absolute best and can do no more to improve or expand upon the work at hand. There’s hell all I can do about a live performance once it’s completed, so I have to let go at some point and trust that I’ve done everything I can do to be ready for this music, this group, this performance. Musicians have to let go, too.

But after, when a day or so has passed and I’m ready for reality, I do listen to my own recordings. I do pick out the little (or BIG) bits that I can improve on for next time and make note of the things done well. But then, I’m not Johnny Depp.

And here it is, your moment of randomness (go ahead and click, it won’t bite): http://www.loudbassoon.com/cinema/S/secretwindow.html

Have you ever searched "johnny depp bassoon"? Increasingly random images accompany that search..