Very interesting response, Ted.
On Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 4:00 PM, tEd ® KiLLiAn
<tedkillian@charter.net> wrote:
It did not concern me what sort of wine was being served nor what the cheese and hors d'oeuvres plate looked like.
Vivaldi's "Rite of Spring" had nothing at all to do with my work and might (even so) be wafting about on speakers somewhere but it didn't bother me.
What about Stravinsky's?
That was their business, I was just a painter.
Yeah, but your painting has (excuse me if this is a misstatement) *no* aural element. OTOH, my performance has at least some visual element; in fact, misguided tho I might be, I actually *want* people to be watching me - I believe my body language and facial expressions inform and enhance the perception of what I'm doing. I believe that's true of you too, Ted (the inform and enhance part, i wouldn't know about the want part), on the evidence of several performances.
People come for different aspects of the experience - often without actually even realizing it.
I would certainly agree to that.
But, if it ever comes to the point that artful music itself becomes generally less "valid" because the musician is not also a great dancer, video auteur, standup comedian, story-teller, magician, juggler, jack-of-all-trades, plus is also a physically beautiful specimen, bon vivant and a bit of a slut as well, then most of us are really and truly sunk and may as well go home.
Well, you can say that again. I "signed up" to be a musician, not necessarily a creator of musically-triggered flying icons. Nor did I sign up to be a promoter. Nor am I likely to ever be able to do either of those things well! (or dance myself and choreograph a troupe of gorgeous twenty-somethings, all the while loop-synching with an air guitar).
Look (my favorite Obama-ism), MTV forever changed popular music from an audio medium to a 3-minute abstract drama/dance medium. Lady Gaga understands that perfectly. But we're not talking about mass popularity here, we're talking about being able to hold the attention of the audience whose attention you seek. People mostly are happy to watch singers sing and dancers dance. For us instrumentalists (a broader category than we are here, of course), a more dedicated audience from the start is kind of required. Are we "truly sunk"? Ummm, sorry to say, as far as that multi-million dollar record deal, that ship may have sailed for you and me, Ted. :-(
Oh, and btw I'm happy to be a bit of a slut, if only the opportunity presents! :-)
That's the sort of message the music industry has encouraged for an eternity and a day.
or at least since MTV.