Girl Talk

[manny at garfieldartworks.com]

OK, first of all, if we are talking about a near-seven-figure salary, then
Girl Talk defiinitely does not get paid per concert as much as a top
conductor does. which is my point. also see below.
i know exactly what the duties of a conductor are, as well as their
training and their requirements so please don't presume that i do not.

> First of all, all good conductors have written their own music,  Modern
DJs do not have that requirement.

It rarely gets played, though. At least not in the US. Maybe in Europe
where cultured types are willing to hear new music sometimes. Many modern
DJs are also electronic producers. They have a much easier time performing
their own music - if they want to, all they have to do is slip an MP3 or a
dubplate into their set.

> Another difference is that music on a page is usually written to be
> interpreted.  Modern DJs take music that is already recorded and mix
> it up;  The conductor pulls interpretation out of the raw text of
> the music.

this is merely a difference in technology, since during the period that
classical music was written
there was no other way to realize it other than interpreting it from a page.

> A further difference not touched here is that the conductor is a
> manager of people; not just the orchestra, but many of the matters off
> stage.  But even just managing the orchestra can be like herding cats
> at times.  This is something a modern DJ does not have to deal with.

unless of course, it's a DJ who is also an electronic artist who plays
live with other musicians, on tour, in which case the same managing skills
would apply. i do of course  understand the difference between managing a
band and a whole 120+ person orchestra etc, but again that is a difference
in technology - most kinds of music being written today do not require a
whole live orchestra to reproduce.

> By the way, I might also point out that all of this shows why a
> conductor is more than just a celebrity face.

I'm aware of all that, but the celebrity factor is there, just as much as
the celebrity factor is there with someone like Girl Talk. Again, most of
the differences involve disparity in technology levels,
and therefore the comparison is fairly valid, if by no means exact (which
I did not intend it to be).

I was just trying to make a point that there are other 'interpreters' of
music in other genres who also possess a celebrity factor. that's all.