Sunday, February 21, 2021

Chapter 1: Section 4: Page 27: Line 17-18 (389-390)

 "I am only an amateur, of course," Miles, though long a member of the prestigious International Academy of Ukulelists, said modestly, "and get lost now and then. But if I promised to go back to the tonic and wait, do you think they'd let me come and sit in?"

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I thought by saying "go back to the tonic," Miles was saying something like "I'll give up my vices to get back into proper playing shape." But apparently a "tonic" is some kind of music terminology dealing with the primary scale or something. I don't know music or music lingo at all. Trying to understand music theory, to me, is like trying to understand a foreign language if the person trying to understand it doesn't actually care about it at all and is super lazy.
    It's weird that Miles is trying to land a guest gig with the band of a dancer at the Fair when he's already got a job flying around the world exploring strange new civilizations where no boy has gone before. Or maybe it's not weird? Is this how normal people engage in the world around them? They see an opportunity to take part in something they love to do and they simply ask a person involved if they can also be involved? Hunh. That makes sense! I suppose I managed to do this once or twice in my life. Like when I saw that guy selling LSD in the parking lot of The Grateful Dead concert and I simply went up to him and said, "I would like to buy some LSD too!" And also when I saw all those nerds playing Magic the Gathering in the back of the hobby store, I walked straight in and said, "I would like to participate in your nerd league posthaste!" I then complimented five of them on their fedoras and they were all, "Join us, good sir!" And I did!

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