The audience, and technology.

[RandomLFO@aol.com]

     Thinking of the intelligence of the public. Many people in the 
audience 
know much that I will not know. We as musicians that use specialized 
technology to create our music, know things that most of them will never 
know, or care to know. After the fact, I always chuckle to myself when a 
listener has asked me a question like ..how did I get those sounds? I 
start 
to try to explain about Looping, Reaktor, Spektral Delay, CrusherX, 
Granular 
ReSynthesis, blah, blah, blah.... I find myself feeling like a complete 
nerd. 
Worse still the inquiring eyes have transformed into a blank stare. I 
laugh 
at myself for not having a clue as how to explain any of it to them. It's 
much easier when they point to one of my wind, or percussion instruments.
     Given that, how do we reach out to an audience that has enough 
problems 
understanding echoes and reverb, much less looping, etc.? From time to 
time 
there have been posts referring to the desire to expand the looping 
universe 
via a better educated/experienced audience. Simultaneously, the desire is 
expressed to bring more musicians into looping. Well, it's on us to 
develop a 
kind of interactive learning experience for them. I believe that good 
learning starts with play. After the holidays, at my next Art Gallery gig, 
I 
will start looping vocal sounds from audience members. I will try to 
engage 
the more playful people there to add to the loop. Maybe it will all be 
just 
silliness. Fortunately, the silliness can be transformed into the bizarre. 
Afterward, maybe I will get a little further in a conversation about it 
with 
one or two people.
     Marc