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Kid Loco is cool all of the musicians have laptops running but none of them is sittng down with them and yes, they are palying live music with live instruments! --- Jesse Ray Lucas <jlucas@neoprimitive.net> wrote: > So, here's an idea, folks: Hook up your laptop > screen to a projector are > project what you are seeing -- or, at the very > least, get some kind of audio > visualizer program and project the output of that on > a big screen behind > you. If you intend to connect with the widest > possible audience, you must > include some kind of visual element in your > performance. Tim Reynolds > projects slides behind himself when he plays. > > And stand up. How much energy can you be > putting into your performance > if you're sitting down? I know I would rather sit > down and play all the > time, and I probably play better sitting down > (because I always practice > sitting down), but you will get over more often if > you stand up. Ah, the > harsh realities of presenting to the public. > > > ***DANGER***: HERE FOLLOWS AN EXTENSIVE RANT ABOUT > JOE AVERAGE'S PERCEPTION > OF MUSIC. > > It seems to me that most people who aren't > musicians don't actually > *listen* to music. They *watch* music. If music is > on at home or in the > car, they are usually not aware of anything other > than the words. If the > music is such that it asserts itself into the > forefront of the environment, > demanding attention, (e.g. Meshuggah, Squarepusher, > or basically anything > with above-average musical density in any respect > [harmonically, > rhythmically, melodically]) the average joe or joan > will feel uneasy > (translates into "dislike"). The negative effects > of higher-than-normal > compositional density seem to be circumventable by > adding plenty of humor > (e.g. Frank Zappa), or at the very least lots of > very easily understandable > lyrics presented in familiar melodic patterns (e.g. > Dave Matthews). But, in > general, the whole idea of music without words > doesn't make sense to the > vast majority of people who grow up on MTV and > commercial radio. > > I see this all the time when I play an opening > instrumental set with a > jazz quartet, then a singer joins us for the second > set. All of a sudden > people look up and start to pay attention because > there is someone singing > words. The minute she sits down and we play an > instrumental, eyes are back > to the beer glasses and soup bowls and the talking > resumes. And it's not > because the singers I play with are really great and > we suck. No words = no > music. It's just the way some [the majority?] > people are. > > I guess it comes down to giving people something > that they can relate > to. People can relate to someone singing, because > everyone has tried it at > some point. People can relate to someone who looks > like they're working > really hard (the "fuck face" as Jimmy George put it > -- hahahahah), because > most people have worked hard at something before. > Most people can't relate > to John Coltrane's playing on Interstellar Space, > because it doesn't > obviously relate to tonal music, which is the extent > of most people's > experience of music. Most people can't relate to a > guy standing there with > a laptop "making" music, because, if anything, maybe > they've picked up a > guitar, or banged on a drum one or twice in their > lives, so this is how they > understand music is made (hence the benefit of > dragging around and playing a > bunch of instruments). Only someone who knows > something about what is > involved in the creation of music on a computer will > be interested in what's > happening. But, as we only see the plastic shell of > the laptop and not the > screen there's not really much point to getting > really interested, because > you will never get the pay off. > > But, it all depends on who your target audience > is. Music geeks have a > higher tolerance for musical density, and lack of > "show." Just like > authors, when reading, have a higher tolerance for > literary references and > focus on character development, rather than plot > development and action. > > -J > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mark Sottilaro" <sine@zerocrossing.net> > To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com> > Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2003 9:47 PM > Subject: Re: Dragging Instruments Around > > > > Another aspect of the Laptop is the performance > issue. BORING. I once > > went to a big new music fest and my wife and I > walked out when a guy > > sat down with a laptop and began to produce what > seemed like slightly > > edgy techno. (IDM). We looked at each other and > said, "Would it > > matter if that was all coming from the CD player > in is Laptop?" The > > answer was: NO. > > > > Look at Hans. That wall of gear is part of the > show. So fun to watch > > him tame COLUSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT. Coupled > with a sequence of > > wardrobe changes that would make Cher jealous, > you've got one hell of a > > show... even if all his gear fails! (Sorry to rub > it in Hans, I love > > you and your music!) > > > > However, I feel that often I'm not that far away > from the laptop guy. > > At the ascension show we were in the dark in a > corner. I'm positive > > that most people weren't aware the music was live. > Didn't really > > matter on some level. A lot of people were there > and seemed to be > > having fun. We were the "ambient" reception > music, so that's OK. BUT: > > What if I had recorded a really killer set in > Digital Performer the > > night before, burned it to discs and showed up > with a DJ setup. One of > > those Pioneer CD players an iBook and a mixer. > Would there have been > > any difference? I'm not sure I think so. Should > I become a DJ of my > > own music? I think people are doing this. Anyone > here doing this? > > Could be a good way to go for this type of event. > (where dancing and > > socializing are the focus) When it's more of a > show (like Loopstock) > > then you go for performance mode. What do people > think? > > > > I saw Bjork live where she had someone who looked > like he was > > "performing" ProTools while she sung. OK, there > was a string orchestra > > too. Anyway, it worked for me. > > > > Mark Sottilaro > > > > On Sunday, March 16, 2003, at 01:41 AM, Rick > Walker/Loop.pooL wrote: > > > > > > I'm still not completely sold on buying a > laptop. > > > > > > ===== www.labalou.com __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum.yahoo.com