hearing with your body

[Shane Sanders]

Note: Mods, feel free to move this. I put this in 'Theory' because I figured it entailed perception and concepts of perception--that and I think the discussion could/should go in the direction of discussing alternative ways of experiencing sound which is part of music theory.

I saw Dame Evelyn Glennie play tonight with the Nashville Symphony. She's utterly amazing, and to my surprise, profoundly deaf. I read the programme and just couldn't accept what was about to happen. The whole time I'm experiencing the piece "Triple Play" by composer John Corigliano, I'm thinking this is not possible. But apparently this woman has learned to open her perception of sound up in new ways apart from her ears.

I just wanted to mention it because if this woman can do what she does with that particular handicap, there's no excuse for any of us not to strive a bit harder for our dreams. My God! She plays 100 shows a year with the most highly sensitive and trained musicians on earth and doesn't use her ears. Mind blowing.

She's quite a bit older now than in this video, but this is a fine introduction to her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlOemXqT ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brIIEBvw ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtWoaLq97I


In the piece tonight, there was a bowed vibraphone part. I didn't even know that was done. Really beautiful sound, especially when she lightly taps the attack and then bows it into a blooming, evolving note. Ghostly sound. I was bummed to learn the V is so expensive. I'd love to have one. I'll have to settle for faking it with a sampler or FM synth.

The Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 was also performed. Really lovely piece, especially the third movement. Evelyn didn't take part in that piece.

Anyway, strive harder you bunch of two-eared slackers (myself included) !!

[ckatrun411]

its because the sound vibrates off the bones inside your body and you hear it in your inner ear...
I wish I could go further into detail about it, but that is the extent of my knowledge on the subject...


actually, scientifically little is known about human hearing as compared to something like the circulatory system. In the last ten years or so they have made great strides in understanding the mechanism behind it.

I have always been facscinated by sound, and our ability to hear.

[ckatrun411]

did you know the ears in the brain, or whatever, how you perceive sound in your brain is right next door to like your libido..
I probably read it in time life or something, but in your brain these two mechanisms hearing and horniness are like texas and mexico.

[xoxos]

increasing perception is one of the elementary concepts in hinduism (read: a large cultural vector/lots of people).

it wouldn't go so well with television commercials, "notice more."

[Barf]

It's all about vibrations man....

[freddemillio]

Thanks for introducing me to this woman's music and story. Her story is incredibly inspiring. Her music is beautiful and her talent is enormous. Wow.

[A3ntar]

Is she supposed to be 100% deaf? It seems that she still has some hearing in her.

Look at the first link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlOemXqT ... re=related

Forward to 4:10

Her husband turns in his chair and speaks with her. Her hair seems to be blocking most of her FOV, yet, she manages not only to know that he was talking to her amidst all that noise she was making, she also managed to "lip read" read most of phrase he said without even directly looking at him.

[Download SOphist]

Glennie has been profoundly deaf - meaning that she has some very limited hearing - since age 12. This does not inhibit her ability to perform at the international level. She regularly plays barefoot for both live performances and studio recordings, to better "feel" the music.[1]

Glennie contends that deafness is largely misunderstood by the public. She claims to have taught herself to hear with parts of her body other than her ears. In response to criticism from the media, Glennie published her now famous Hearing Essay in which she personally discusses her condition.

Hearing essay: http://www.evelyn.co.uk/live/hearing_essay.htm

cheers!

[Hovmod]

The first time I saw Evelyn Glennie was in the old Free Mason's lodge in Trondheim, a fairly intimate affair across the street from the fire department (which put a dent in quite a few concerts back before they built the new concert hall there). The local newspaper had an interview with her that day, and of course back then (this was probably early 80s) she wasn't as famous (and not a 'Dame') as now, so they asked her all the deaf questions. She answered that she picked up most of the nuances down there! I was a teenager, and although I DO remember that she played the marimba and xylophone with a vituosity I've never seen since (except the couple of times I've seen her again), I certainly remember having a bit of a boner throughout the session. It's hard not to think about pussy when you're in a room filled with sound that you KNOW is being scrutinized by a highly trained clit.

[ughnonumus]

The construction of the physical human body is, in fact, arranged in musical proportions. Of course, this does not imply that it maps to what we know (today) about music theory; it's the other way around. In addition, the spiritual bodies react to musical phenomenon. Perhaps, this is why sound will become the medicine of tomorrow? Methinks.

FYI: it is beyond the scope of this thread to explain how these bodies are specifically constructed and why, so I'll leave the details up to you.

[ughnonumus]

The first time I saw Evelyn Glennie was in the old Free Mason's lodge in Trondheim, a fairly intimate affair across the street from the fire department (which put a dent in quite a few concerts back before they built the new concert hall there).

Personally, I'm just as interested in checking out old Lodges, particularly ones associated with the Craft. However, this statement is not to undermine the achievements of Evelyn Glennie.

[Hovmod]

You do that. I'll be looking for music.

[nuffink]

The construction of the physical human body is, in fact, arranged in musical proportions.

f**k me, I've seen a few dissonant ones then.

[Hovmod]

The construction of the physical human body is, in fact, arranged in musical proportions.

f**k me, I've seen a few dissonant ones then.

No wonder so many yanks feel the need of $10,000 subs in the trunks of their cars, either!

[A3ntar]

It is worth pointing out at this stage that I am not totally deaf, I am profoundly deaf. Profound deafness covers a wide range of symptoms, although it is commonly taken to mean that the quality of the sound heard is not sufficient to be able to understand the spoken word from sound alone. With no other sound interfering, I can usually hear someone speaking although I cannot understand them without the additional input of lip-reading. In my case the amount of volume is reduced compared with normal hearing but more importantly the quality of the sound is very poor

That explains my interrogation then.

Thanks for the link.