How good do you think your internal clock really is?

[pauldo]

Already crazy... not gonna do that.



But then my OCD will set in and I am sure I will...



god help me.

[sonicus]

I had to practice with metronomes since I was eight years old with my first music lessons on the Piano  at 8 years of age and Trumpet at 10 years of age . In my opinion there are benefits to such training to understand the foundations of music theory and feel the actual note values and play in genres of music that mandate  strict notation as the definitive directive and structure . However in genres that mandate intuition and sensitivity in improvisation and individual expression that contributes your part to create a piece of the puzzle in the moment with other musicians whose goal that you share in that moment of creation then  that metronome must be allowed to be malleable  and stretched and  stopped and started together  again at any given moment. Birds in flocks have that gift at take off !  . " Birds in Flocks " have that gift to stretch the encomium  and measurement!  As a Bassist playing various different genres of music that are improvisational , that operative " Flock of Birds " mentation is equally as valuable as my instilled and imposed metronome training during my early years in my opinion .

[cozmik_cowboy]

Well, Wolf - just so it's not A Flock Of Seagulls.........

Peter

[sonicus]

Peter , I have some local birds that I have been providing food and water to. There is a Bougainvillea next to my front steps that is often filled with Sparrows , Finches and many other small Birds . As well I have earned and through the process of acclamation have gained the trust of a group Crows that hangout near my house . There are usually about 10 . Every morning I now see them waiting for me to offer them some treats . Sometimes we play peanut games . I most definitely can tell that they recognize me in particular . They are incredibly fascinating and sharply intelligent .  In my observations they share a synocracy that would be relevant that humans might benefit from to accomplish tasks together comparable to a real time clock code RTC or a control track perhaps . They are finely tuned in and ultimately aware .

[pauldo]

Wolf that is very cool.  I have tried garnering the trust of some crows at our farm... with no luck thus far.  They really are very intelligent.

Agreed with your ‘flock of birds’ analogy- My wife and I experienced a murmuration once while in the garden with a constant rising, falling and (from my perspective) a series of random movements all around us. Touching down for a moment only to rise and flit about again, beautiful choreography.  It went on for nearly 10 minutes, we had stopped what we were doing and watched in silent amazement.


Apparently the “science” behind it is each individual bird is aware of the others directly around it and they maintain a safe distance... but as a collective, the mystery behind it still remains.

And there I go flitting off topic again.