RE: [microsound] physical filter

["Reading, John" <john.reading@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah, the age old "problem" people have with laptop performance and the
physicality of the performer. To me, I'm more easily bored by gestural
performances whether it be traditional instruments or "innovative"
controllers (think drek as Matmos rubs their little pen on their skin,
yawn).=20

My performances are always changing to fit the date and location of
where I'm playing. I use video/films created prior to and specifically
for the venue I'm in that relate specifically to the songs. Total
sensory emmersion? Hardly, but at least there is a forethought and
"filter" that enables the viewer to feel as if there is something
specific happening.

In the end it all depends on what you want to see, physicality or
ambience or cinema or site-specific happenings. But I can honestly say
that I get irked when musicians who create in a non-linear,
non-traditional way always feel the need to cowtow to some notion that
the audience MUST LOOK AT YOU and be entertained (and the inverse as
well ie. black curtain).

do you really need to tweak that laptop? do you really need to even be
present?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kim Cascone [mailto:kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 5:16 PM
> To: microsound_list
> Subject: [microsound] physical filter
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> > I'm afraid I don't understand.  is this liberation from the=20
> perspective
> > of a performer, that the physicality of an instrument takes=20
> away from
> > the real-time thinking you can do about the music?
> no...I'm describing the 'filter' of having to translate=20
> musical ideas into
> physical actions required to play a traditional=20
> instrument...laptops remove
> this filter and this is part of what people feel they're=20
> missing out on in
> the 'exchange value' involved in a musical performance...too=20
> busy to go in
> detail...
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> > if the latter is your concern, you could always hide your gestures
> > behind a black curtain.
> the act of adding a black curtain is just another form of=20
> spectacle...its
> calling attention to the wrong aspect of the=20
> performance...adding a black
> curtain (curious that you chose a 'black' curtain) is just as=20
> useless as
> projecting my laptop so the audience can better 'understand' what I'm
> doing...
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> > an improvement in interface design does not
> > necessitate a change in what you present to the audience, does it?
> it depends on the 'improvements' made to the interface=20
> doesn't it? think:
> MIDI ball <urgh!>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~sabean2/performance.html
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