MOTM

In a message dated 6/20/2003 2:44:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
elhardt@... writes:

> Markk writes:
> >>I know myself, I'd be doing it for the fun of playing... I miss playing 
> live.<<
> 
> An acoustic musician actually plays an instrument. However, self running 
> synth 
> drones and computer sequences aren't exactly playing.  Studio multitrack 
> synthesis really doesn't lend itself to realtime stage performance very 
> well.

I think there are a lot of good reasons to continue with concerts of EM -- 
remember, in the old days of EM (art music) , a concert often consisted of going 
into a hall and listening to a bunch of pieces on tape.

Even if the performer (even on a modular) tries to mimic a piece which is 
documented on CD, it is quite likely that there will be notable differences. The 
piece would probably change (grow?) over the period of a tour. And maybe these 
experiences of the changing piece would lead to new pieces. Also, the 
performer will have a greater degree of control over the listening experience than 
when I put a CD on in my living room (dynamics are just the more obvious 
example).

Amongst the audience in such performances there is often a real sense of 
camaraderie -- like, "you actually like this stuff too!!??" With music like Robert 
Rich's, I imagine it is great for him to interact with the audience since 
those who would come to a show would be his greatest fans. For audience members 
it is great to have that kind of personal interaction with other audience 
members as well (and even more for those who talk to the performer). 

When Carl Stone performs live he only uses a computer and "modifies" files 
live in real time -- I know his performances of pieces vary greatly from the 
recordings of those pieces. While they may have the same arc and "movements" the 
actual sound of the piece is very different.

I'm looking forward to seeing Rich when he gets to So Cal since my interest 
has been aroused at the way he uses the modular as a mature live instrument. I 
want to see him turning the knobs in real time in a performance setting. I've 
gone on record several times in the early days of this list as wanting to have 
a very distinct controller area separate from the modules. I believed that 
the chance to grab the wrong knob during performance/recording greatly 
outweighed the inconvienience/cost of having a few "controller" knobs which could be 
patched for specific purposes. I want to see him prove me wrong.

And that large MOTM that Rich hauls around has got to be easier and lighter 
than a B-3 or a Mellotron.

JB