Re: [ARSCLIST] Slides and inconvenient media (was spin it again)

["Steven C. Barr(x)" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "RA Friedman" <rafriedman@xxxxxxx>
> The painter, Max Beckmann, once stated that movies had destroyed peoples'
vison. But I think the real issue is that vision is conditioned by the prevalent
media, which is rather McLuhanesque, but true. How artists and media
craftspeople are going to deal with that issue as we move into the "flat screen
era" is a thorny subject.
> A generation that has grown up on mp3's played on an iPod is likely to have
little appreciation for the velvety acoustic presence of a live orchestra space
even if it's Prince singing a capella rather than the Philadelphia Orchestra.
>
Well, 21st century popular music is primarily intended to be danced to, rather
than listened to...so the main consideration of its "consumers" is whether the
"beat" is not only audible, but prominent!

As well, there would be some literal truth to "modern pop music has destroyed
the
hearing of its listeners!" Consider that the levels at which current music is
usually
heard by its fans often approach...even go beyond...levels which will cause
permanent hearing damage.

Worse yet, this has been true since the introduction of super-powered guitar
amplifiers in the sixties...but has been exacerbated by the availability of
kilowatt-output home and car systems. When a car, with all its windows closed,
pulls up next to a streetcar, likewise...and I can easily hear the bass line of
the music being played...I can't help but wonder how loud the music is INSIDE
that vehicle!

Steven C. Barr
(who can recall attending rock-music shows after which my ears rang for two
days...and credits some of his hearing loss to standing next to guitarists with
Fender "Twin" [100 watts] amps turned up to get the proper distortion...!)