Re: [microsound] Performing "Live"

[Jeremy Tolsma <ccws@xxxxxxxx>]

> "Elitist" or not, I think some interesting and important points are raised
> here, and I tend to agree philosophically with Vance on this one: It's
> more fun and often more interesting, both for the performer and the
> audience, to have elements of gesture, chance, risk, etc. involved in a
> performance.

I'm satisfied if the performer is actually paying attention to the sound he
is generating, and manipulating it accordingly.  I find this to be the only
worthy challenge in performing, wether I'm doing it myself or watching
someone else do it.  I often get lost and lose track of whats going on, at
which point I usually start taking things out of the mix until I can hear
whats happening better and get back into the flow..  but with some people it
seems like they're turning knobs, flipping switches and pushing sliders
without paying much attention to the sound being produced by these
manipulations.  When the performers ears are tuned to the mix things tend to
sound great, and when they aren't things sound like a train-wreck.

>Yes, I've been to interesting recitals of tape music, where
>everybody quietly listens to a DAT, and that can be fine, but it's a
>different experience in many ways.

I have no idea why this statement dictated the direction of the rest of the
debate, I would say thats an entirely different experience, like comparing
watching tv to listening to the radio.