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RE: Hi Fi Bugs Concerned about Live Performance



Chances are, 'spacial loops' DO make the audience uncomfortable. The majority of listening audiences out there may not know how to listen to music that demands their attention. I know from a lot of live shows that an extremely attentive audience is very rare, and even still, many of them are more likely to staring blankly at the sounds forced upon them than digging your music as much as you do. Looping also may be extremely boring to watch in this age of quick-edit MTV-isms. When playing live there are a lot of sacrifices- you may not get a musically educated audience that 'understands' you. The room may be noisy, there may not be a seated audience, etc. We recently did a show at the Florida Aquarium that was wonderful- people milling around, pretty noisy, but the setting was gorgeous. Few musicians give up playing live because the audience doesn't act the way they want them to. Use your surroundings to influence your loops, this includes the audiences' reaction or non-reaction. Choose to perform in non-standard live music settings, like an Aquarium or other museum. 'Modify' the dynamic range in the performances according to the noise level in the room. Although it would be interesting to see the reaction when someone asks the entire audience to wear headphones (and worth the admission price alone!), in the end, ask yourself why you play live. Enjoy the music, rather than the audiences' reaction to the music. Don't give up live playing, just rethink the way it is done.
 
Dave Eichenberger

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'Future Perfect' - art music
guitars-loops-flutes-devices-voices
http://home1.gte.net/artmusic/

 
 
 
 Its almost as if a live audience is uncomfortable with spacial loops to the point of nervous applause. Our greatest successes are when we are playing to an extremely attentive group focused on the sound. This is rare as chatter and external influences always seem to contribute to the sonic landscape. I don't want to come across as a demanding performer but I know the power of our music lies in its wide dynamic range-- delicate textures to corse bold blasts. Is looping too intimate for live settings? Are we too boring visually? I too wish everyone in the audience was wearing headphones. Too much seems to be sacrificed. Perhaps recording is our best direction. Feedback?