[musictlk] Learning to Be More visually Pleasing re Performance
Linda Mentink
mentink at frontiernet.net
Fri Jun 3 07:56:43 UTC 2016
Hi Dani,
Well, I hope you pass with flying colors. I wouldn't wear
sunglasses either.
Blessings,
Linda
----- Original Message -----
From: Dani Pagador via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org
To: Music Talk Mailing List <musictlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 1 Jun 2016 08:57:16 -1000
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
_______________________________________________
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/robertjmoor
e%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%40g
mail.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/mentink%40f
rontiernet.net
More information about the MusicTlk
mailing list