[Richard Webb[_3_]]

On Sun 2012-Feb-12 10:44, Frank Stearns writes:
snip

playback in which the level was increased to hearing-damaging levels, I put
my fingers in my ears. I was later told this was a rude and insulting thing
to do.

They're your ears! You surely did the right thing. Upon scolding I
probably would
have made a retort far ruder than the original finger-plugging
action, and would have been fired on the spot. g

Ditto here! I"ve been known to do such things.


The recording industry produces a great deal of "sound and fury, signifying
nothing". I could say much-worse things, but will bite my tongue.

Agreed. Mass-market food science, of the type that hooks a lot of
folks on big macs
and sodas, meets audio production. Sigh.

Again we're in agreement. But, here again, you point out,
as you and I have both done before why this is bad.
YOu said:

But something has also shifted culturally -- it might be nothing
more than many people becoming completely passive in their
entertainment. Music, and entertainment,
used to be participatory for nearly everyone, and often at a fairly
high level. No
one did it for you -- you did it for each other. And you did good
things for your
brain by making music all through your life.

Indeed, and this is what's hurting music, it's become
something to be casually "consumed' usually as background
noise. YEt when us 'old farts" say that this hip hop type
stuff produced with samplers and loops as well as the auto
tuned comped performances are bad music we get accused of
snobbery bigotry, and even worse. Good music requires
interaction at some level. Even that single artist with a
guitar and his/her voice develops a good performance by
actually performing before audiences of flesh and blood
people, who interact with the performer. music doesn't play the role it once played in average folks' lives, it's just
something to be there to be background noise or the flavor
of the moment.

We've had these phiosophical discussions before in this
group, but this is the fundamental truth that underlies
everything, the loudness war, marketing, the whole bit. The Black Eyed pEas may be good dancers, and even good showmen
and women, but musicians they are not.


Regards,
Richard
.... "In some hands, all the knobs are suck knobs." -- Jay Kadis
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