The Sight of Music
Did you read this NPR essay about “the sight of music”?
The writer, Alva Noe, discusses how “music is action,” that listening to music is a physical performance we view as much as hear.
It’s a really great read, especially for the avid music fan or concert attender.
I’d like to add one more idea: Music is action, and it becomes so much more when you also create it. Once you start playing an instrument, you never hear music the same way again.
Some people may feel this ruins “the magic” of music; but I argue the opposite. Ignorance isn’t bliss. Playing an instrument opens the mind to the complexity of musical sounds, and also musical feelings.
The essay discusses what it’s like to “see a performance” from the audience side; but flip that around: It’s a beautiful thing to see (and hear) from the musician’s side, too.
One mic technique Dan Achen used was adding a third microphone by the guitarist's ear, to capture the way the guitar sounds to the guitarist and blend it into the mix. (We used this technique on Burning the Boats.)
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