Klarinet Archive - Posting 000236.txt from 2010/06

From: X-C-UH-MailScanner-r.n.taylor@-----.uk
Subj: Re: [kl] Re Music vs sport
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:43:40 -0400

Almost everyone in the UK at the moment would probably be thinking of a par=
ticular sports person during this discussion, but I'd like to add a differe=
nt slant.

I think when it comes to improvised music the parallels between sport and m=
usic are much closer - especially with team ball-game sports like soccer or=
basket ball. The participants there have an almost infinite choice of acti=
ons, guided by a set of constraints, and at any given moment when in posses=
sion of the ball they must do something to advance the play. It is pure imp=
rovisation, even where training makes the choice seem to be almost instinct=
ive. Even a mistake can turn into an unpredictable piece of good play. The =
other team members try and anticipate the actions of the person in possessi=
on of the ball, beginning to make their next moves even before any play has=
been made. When it works and flows, each member of the team acts in harmon=
y to create a geometry of movement that the audience can then enjoy as an a=
esthetic event, relishing the choices each team member makes. The audience =
needs to understand the sport to appreciate the nuances of skill and percep=
tion present in the choices made by the sports person.

Of course, there is in sport the additional imperative to win. In musical i=
mprovisation that can be counter-productive, sometimes, leading to a fruitl=
ess grandstanding. For some sporting cultures, however, 'winning' the game,=
to use a tabloid clich=E9, is less important than the manner in which you =
win it - or for that matter, lose.

Noel

-----Original Message-----
From: J W [mailto:tjbw0000@-----.com]
Sent: 23 June 2010 01:30
To: klarinet@-----.com
Subject: Re: [kl] Re Music vs sport

I agree to an extent that people are harder on musicians than sportsmen. I=
think that when it comes to the experts in each field, musical experts are=
harder on the musicians than the atheltic/sporting experts are on the athl=
etes. However, for the general public, I would say the opposite is true. =
Most people know how a lot of sports work becuase they watch them on TV all=
the time and often the next day "I hate so-and-so becuase they missed the =
catch!" but know very little about music. I can't count the times family a=
nd friends have said " I didn't notice you played the whole thing upsidedow=
n, backwards, sideways, and up a tritone!" (im exagerating of course)

I think it is better that musicians are held to an extreme high standard.

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