[musictlk] Learning to Be More Visualy Pleasing re Performance

Wed Jun 1 18:57:16 UTC 2016

Hi, Everyone.
I may have forgotten to mention the class I'm taking is online through
Berklee College of Music's outreach program. It's the last class
before I get the Arranging certificate.

I'm not really concerned about losing tone when I sing. I just know I
_don't dance, so dancing's out. I also don't gesture much while I
talk, but am thinking I'll need to ask my husband to give me a crash
course.

Re the sunglasses, I've opted for not wearing them. I know that I have
nystagmus, but figure in a non-singing situation, anyone I talk to
will just have to deal with it, so the same goes for singing. I don't
ask someone I know who, for example, is bald, to wear a wig when _they
are on stage and I go to watch them, to wear a wig because I am
uncomfortable with his shiny head.

Will let y'all know how it goes. Our assignment this week is Ain't
Nobody's Business.

Thanks,
Dani

On 6/1/16, Robert Moore via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sorry I don't have any helpful feedback but to let you know you have a lot
> of company.
> I was with a   startup rock/ country band that practiced for a couple years
> before ever taking the stage. We had only two gigs before I was asked to
> leave the band. There was a lot of dynamics that went into  there desition
> mostly not having anything to do with blindness. However one thing that I
> was told was that I  looked like I was staring off into space and I had  no
> stage   presence.That was very disturbing to me. OH BTW  I was the bass
> player standing in the back next to the drummer, I also was told by a lot
> of
> peopleafterwards that basically bass players really don't often have much
> of
> any stage presence, they just stand back there and hold down the bottome
> end
> with the drummer.  I would look  around the room and try to smile some
> times
> but I would suppose that most times I would not really be looking at
> anyone.
> No one there knew I was blind. Every one tells me I don't look blind, what
> ever that means.
> The only  conclusion I came to, right or wrong was that If I get another
> chance to join a group and perform, I intend on wearing a pare of
> sunglasses
> so no one can see that I am not making eye contact.
> I could be wrong  but I seem to recall when I could actually see a little
> bit that all the blind grates wore them like Ronny Milsap, Stevey Wonder,
> Ray  Charls, and even Terry  Gibbs. I think   hoesay falesiono was blind
> and
> wore sunglasses.
> So just my thoughts for what they are worth.Hope something in that mess is
> helpful to you.
>  All the bess.
> Never give up.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dani
> Pagador via musictlk
> Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2016 3:00 AM
> To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Dani Pagador
> Subject: [musictlk] Learning to Be More Visualy Pleasing re Performance
>
> Hi, Everyone.
> This week's lesson covers performance: using the face and hands, and
> possibly body/gestures, to communicate the story behind the song. The
> teacher is hoping for a video of the assignment submission--the majority of
> the students, me included, have submitted audio recordings for the past
> eight lessons. I am quaking in my boots and want to toss cookies at the
> idea
> of having to do a video recording.
>
> I suck wind when it comes to movement. I've got rhythm, yes. But I'm not
> comfortable gesturing or moving on stage because nothing ever happens the
> same twice. So I just stand in front of the mic and sing; I'm assuming I
> have an OK facial expression, because no one's said otherwise. But there's
> a
> lot people _don't tell you when you're blind for fear of hirting your
> feelings, or because they don't really know how to help you ... be more
> visually appealing ... once they've said something. I know I'll never look
> like a sighted performer. But dog gone it, how do I get past the anxiety
> that comes with looking blind, knowing it, and not being able to do a thing
> to help it?
>
> And dog gone those sightlings. When we go to concerts/performances, _we
> have
> to be satisfied with descriptions like "there are singers and dancers, and
> they look so awesome . ... wish you could've seen it, you would've enjoyed
> it."; we get to listen to the music, feel the rhythm,  and let our ears
> help
> us imagine just exactly what we missed.
>
> If it were up to me, I'd dim all the lights and be on stage with the music
> and the mic and let them imagine all they want ... have the audio minus the
> visuals, bring them in to _my world as opposed to always having to conform
> to theirs.
>
> I realize I've got a lot of work I'll need to do. But I'll need to start
> somewhere, so I'm grateful to be able to ask questions here and not feel
> like I'm being a dope. This is 45 years of frustration talking. Sorry you
> guys have to listen to the rant.
>
> So ... what do you guys do? How do you handle performances? How do you
> learn
> to be more visually friendly?
>
> Thanks,
> Dani
>
> _______________________________________________
> musictlk mailing list
> musictlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/musictlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> musictlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/musictlk_nfbnet.org/robertjmoore%40embarqm
> ail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> musictlk mailing list
> musictlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/musictlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> musictlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/musictlk_nfbnet.org/axs.brl%40gmail.com
>