# My Live Listens



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

So I had the idea tonight to make videos of me listening to music and providing commentary on the music in real time. I don't know if this was a good idea or not but I had fun making the video so hopefully it was a good idea. Would you guys kindly tell me what you think? Is it fun or boring? It's probably best if you listen to the piece I'm listening to along with my video.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Granted, you can say interestng about the music but the video, IMO, came off as rather uninteresting since the very concept of reviewing the work as you listen to it is deeply flawed. The first impression might be interesting in theory - fresh, untouched by cold analysis, yeah? But in reality it's just unsettled and premature. At some point you even talk about not being sure what instrument do you hear, "I think it's organ... I'm not sure... sounds like organ..." - this is not very fascinating thing to learn, is it? Perhaps a better idea for video review would be to talk about work you've heard before (perhaps just before recording and after having just a moment to put your thoughts together, so you don't have to say "uhmm..." all the time and play with your hair) the video and play the fragments you're talking about after you express your feelings about them. 

I'd really love to see you doing this thing with Paganini though. D minor concerto, please.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I'm subscribed to Darren Lock's channel and I do think it is a cool idea, but I only listen to his reviews of pieces / albums I'm really familiar with. I'm not very familiar with the Ligeti Chamber Concerto (I've just acquired it recently -- so far not my favorite Ligeti  ) and not sure how to play it simultaneously. But, yes, I think I'd try this once in a while.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Because I don't have any friends/peers/superiors that (I know) listen to classical music, I satisfy my need to discuss/vent on music here. I think many of us are the same. It'd be great to be able to discuss all of this in person, but in reality, especially for people my age (23), classical music isn't exactly popular. Thus, this forum is my social avenue.

That said, I think the "live listen" concept could equally satisfy my desire to hear/discuss classical music. I'm a huge fan of Bill McGlaughlin's Exploring Music program -- which I often play in the background cooking/writing/studying -- and I think this video would be just as interesting.

The problem, however, is that we aren't hearing the music. It's commentary on sound that we don't hear. We may know the piece, but it'd be much better to be able to follow along with the music AND have comments. No one will complain if you speak over the music, as that's the whole point -- "live listen" commentary. So, if you do it again in the future, I'd have the music too.

Also, because I"m not classically-trained, technical tidbits are far more interesting to me than pure emotional responses to music, as we all possess different emotions given any particular work. _Viola_-dude --> analyze viola-heavy pieces?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

This is missing, twofold, "performance."

1.) the actual music -- leaving it out leaves us out of participating along with you.

2.) A super soft-spoken, laid-back slow tempo verbal delivery with gaps of silence measurable in seconds, the only content being a "listen to me perceive" spiel, is also 'not a performance.'

[Granted, you say, "It's probably best if you listen to the piece I'm listening to along with my video." I'm sure you know that synchronization here is impossible, and the best thing to do would have been to embed the audio in your presentation.]

The moment I realized there was no audible music to tie in to your comments, I felt like I was a voyeur to a session between you and a shrink, your merely talking about your reaction to Rorschach blots or some such, and I lost any and all interest right there.

"Nocializing" is when you are busy with your iPhone while ignoring present company.

Putting on your earphones and excluding the viewer from the music itself, and the expecting us to be interested in what you have to say about what you are hearing that we are not _is damned close to nocializing._

I need a lot more than is here delivered (feel there is 'nothing delivered,' actually) for this premise to work in any way.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Ok so it sounds like the overwhelming majority wants sound with the video. I don't know why I didn't think of that to be honest. I was a little bit worried about copyright claims, but whatever.

Here I re-uploaded it with the music in the video. I think it's a lot better. What do you guys think?


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