Re: Expectations, artifice, and a hell of a can of worms

[Tim Nelson <tnelson@metrocast.net>]

Regarding the points brought up by Max, dt, Frank Gerace, James Pokorny, 
et 
al, I don't think there's one answer to the "performance 
explanation/narration" question that would apply in all situations.

James used his specialty (Indian Classical music) for his example, and 
it's 
certainly true that there's a certain amount of verbal communication 
that's 
standard; acknowledgement of one's teachers, description of the alap, time 
signature, what raga is being used, historical background, etc. is 
*expected* by the audience at such a performance, and enhances the 
experience. But OTOH (and argumentum absurdum), I would find it odd for a 
blues musician to preface a tune by saying "In this piece, the lyrical 
exposition 'I woke up this mornin', all my shrimp was dead and gone" will 
be reprised once and then brought to resolution with the statement 'I was 
thinking about you, baby, why you hear me weep and moan', during which 
time 
I'll be playing a I-IV-V progression in the key of A on a 1952 Harmony 
acoustic guitar (holds up guitar) that's been fitted with a pickup (points 
to pickup) which will be amplified through a 1960 Sears Silvertone 
amplifier (spotlight shines on amp)."

I find that when I include a Theremin in my setup, there're usually two or 
three people who come up to me afterwards and ask me about it, but I don't 
feel the need to explain heterodyne theory during the performance.

It all comes down to what a performer is comfortable with, and to the 
style 
of his/her presentation. I don't think the performance would suffer should 
the player fail to point out the pedal that's responsible for the illusion 
of a second guitarist, but if the player *did* choose to offer a bit 
of  technical explanation, it could certainly be done in an interesting, 
informative way that wouldn't be construed as a lecture. As someone 
pointed 
out earlier in this thread, looping devices are not as uncommon a sight on 
stages these days as they once were, and audiences aren't too baffled to 
enjoy themselves without a precise explanation.

-t-

(Lyrical extract from Robert Johnson's 'Dead Shrimp Blues'...)