Klarinet Archive - Posting 000931.txt from 1997/11

From: Josh-Boy <joshcole@-----.Edu>
Subj: Re: Classical Music Stations Disappearing
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 12:19:21 -0500

I see your point... in the area of marching band, at least in football
games (duh, where else do you find marching band?!?), there has been an
alarming trend towards using tape instead of the band. The good thing,
though, is that they are still live performers in Broadway musicals and
Broadway-like musicals and the like. At least the ones I attended
(playing or otherwise). Hopefully, those won't change... Musicals are
much more dramatic with live performers, since you can't get a tape to
slow down or speed up... the singer on stage must be given freedom. He or
she can't follow the ensemble; they must follow him or her. Anyway,
enough out of me.

Josh

On Tue, 25 Nov 1997 Gary_VanCott@-----.com wrote:

>
> Joshua Coleman wrote in part: Computers and other evil
> technologies like this are taking over the wonderful world of live
> performance.
> ***********************
> Computers, of course, are tools of man and can't be characterized as good
> or evil. Although I believe they are incredibly useful.
>
> However, in my opinion their impact on classical music has been much less
> than in other areas. There has been a large impact on commercial music.
> This is particularly true here in Las Vegas. Fifteen or twenty years ago it
> was common to find a full 17 piece big band playing for a production show.
> The size of these bands were cut back over the years and most were replaced
> by tape around 1989. The justification for this was entirely financial.
>
> This is not to say that live music is dead in the Las Vegas casinos. We saw
> Tony Bennett this summer and he had his combo, a full big band, and about
> 20 strings. Quite a show. There are also a few production shows that use
> live musicians along with tape. The new show at the Luxor includes six
> musicians (including one woodwind player!).
>
> Gary Van Cott
> Las Vegas, NV