Ach...
No, acharman´s opinion is not offensive.
First, he didn´t say that bluegrass is a dead genre. He opposes a genre to become stagnant. And I think that it staying fresh is a pretty high goal to achieve.
He also says that he does not like Monroe´s playing and that Monroe holds an undue influence over the mandolin world.
Let´s take the second statement. It is simply wrong. Monroe may hold an influence over the bluegrass mandolin world. But the mandolin world - I would say - is mostly classicaly influenced. At least this is what I think. But it does not matter. If Monroe indeed held an influence over the mandolin world I would not call it undue. I think that Monroe serves as a light beacon that can show you where to or where not to go. If you don´t like his playing, play differently.
The first statement - a dislike of Monroe´s mandolin playing - is simply a question of taste. Have you ever been in the Musée D´Orsay or the Washington National Gallery of Art? Have you seen the Monet painting of the
Rouen cathedral? If you go close all you see is dots. If you fall back the painting is a marvellous picture of the Rouen cathedral that inspires you. This is the way I see Monroe´s mandolin playing. It is a technique all of its own. It is practically impossible to copy (like Tony Rice´s guitar playing). Yet it is so inspiring that you will allways find something new in it. If you try to copy Monroe´s playing (let´s say you try to play a tune note for note from a recording) you will find many finger buster things that show plain genious musicianship. But it may not please your ears, just as Monet´s cathedral may not please you as a picture. So what. There are people that preferr Jaques-Louis David over Francisco Goya. So be it.
To me the mandolin in bluegrass plays a role in a band. It cannot be detached from it and viewed as a singular instrument. If you like a musicaly modern approach to bluegrass in a mandolin you cannot put this mandolin in a strictly traditional band. The mandolin wil appear as a foreign objekt in that band. So quite obviously it is necessary to put together a bluegrass band (or a classical string quintet, or a rock band etc.) where the roles are assigned so that the musical outcome will be pleasing.
That means, you have to know your role. You cannot play bluegrass without knowing Bill Monroe mandolin stylistics. You can play in a band with a banjo, fiddle, bass and guitar with your mandolin doing all kinds of music (listen to the Punch Brothers). That´s highly trained music, yet no bluegrass (most of the time).
In the end it´s about learning the instrument and applying the knowledge to the best of your abilities in the style of music that you like to play.
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