[musictlk] Learning to Be More Visualy Pleasing re Performance
Jim Portillo
portillo.jim at gmail.com
Thu Jun 2 05:58:11 UTC 2016
Wow. What a subject.
I don't post here often, but I've been a member of this list for a while and
I do music as well. I'm a folk singer though and have a group called "Fine
Company."
I'm also going through this issue. My singing partner tells me I need to be
more visually appealing. He said that he believes I'm enjoying the music
I'm doing but that it doesn't show. Well, at least now I'm smiling and at
least look happy on stage. Nonetheless, I guess I've never been one that
does a lot of movement, perhaps because I don't want to look awkward or
weird.
I'm very glad this is being talked about.
It's too bad there can't be a workshop dealing with this topic during
seminar. I don't know, perhaps some kind of lessons or classes or whatever.
I'd attend in a heartbeat.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert
Moore via musictlk
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2016 3:43 PM
To: 'Music Talk Mailing List' <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Robert Moore <robertjmoore at embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [musictlk] Learning to Be More Visualy Pleasing re Performance
Hi again Donny
I would not at all disagree with your opinion on wearing sunglasses.
My issue however is I think a bit different than yours. And I am quite
comfortable with not wearing sunglasses. I almost never do and don't feel
the need to in general interaction. But people are always telling me that I
don't look blind because I think that since I had some useful vision when
I was younger I maintain very good eye contact in conversation and also My
retinas are damaged but my eyes still look cleaer and focused. So i would
hopefully look more natural not looking off like I don't want to be there. I
said I have good eye contact and that is true one on one but you can not
lock eyes with anyone with a croud in front of you. Don't know if that makes
any cence and am not trying to suggest you wear them. Just my opinion.
OH BTW I was training at a YMCA, and when I took peoples cards to swipe
them it was aucward to try to find the card when people were handing them
to me and finding the madnetic strip to swipe it I would tel them I am blind
in hopes that they would meet my hand with the card and be paciant as I
scanned the card or hand it to me so I would know where the bar code was.
When I told them I was blind some of them would really act confused. Any
how I put on a pair of shades and for some reason people instantly found it
very easy to identify that I was blind. For better or worse that was just
the way it was. The staff thought it was a very clever solution. I was just
glad it made things go smoother. So again for what it is worth.
Good luck. I am sure you will do great.
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dani
Pagador via musictlk
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2016 1:57 PM
To: Music Talk Mailing List
Cc: Dani Pagador
Subject: Re: [musictlk] Learning to Be More Visualy Pleasing re Performance
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
>
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