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Post by cassie on Apr 10, 2012 0:55:57 GMT -5
Cassie, I am a lurker at Adamtopia from the beginning. I also lurk in this thread and I have learned so much from you and from everybody here. Thank you so much. I visited Alison's link from TEDtalks and it led me to this related link. www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html . She is a deaf percussionist and she is amazing. I immediately thought of you Cassie and your work with the deaf. I could also relate some of her points with our Adam experience 1. how Adam interprets rather than translates music. He was never mechanical because he listens to himself, how he feels the lyrics and the notes and his interpretation comes out in his voice and in his body. 2. how Adam found his own sound and music when he let go of the structured vocal training and explored his own instrument. 3. what a true musician Adam is WOW! I have heard of Evelyn before, and even seen her perform on video briefly. When I read your post I thought, "Yeah, I know about her. Not really interested, but nice of you to think of me." Then, on second thought I said, "If you took the time to post something for me, I should have the courtesy to watch/listen." Thank goodness I did. What an intriguing, mind-expanding talk and demonstration. Such a clear example of the mechanics of music vs the interpretation. The player vs. the artist. Hearing notes vs hearing/feeling/experiencing the performance. Adam is unique in so many ways. People are always going on about his range: what is his highest note, his lowest note. Is he a counter tenor, a lyric tenor? Does he use falsetto? They miss the point. As Adam says, "But, does it sound good?" People also go ga-ga when Adam hits and holds a powerful, belting, wailing high note. Yes, it is impressive. Phenomenal, really. Requiring incredible technique. Yet, if he did that only to wow the audience, it would become boring. What he does is use that ability to make the audience FEEL something. To interpret the song, the lyrics, the emotion. The incredible things Adam does with his voice is always in service to the music, not separate from it. And it is equally impressive and remarkable when he is singing a song or phrase tenderly and delicately. Or when he roughens up and adds grit to the tone. All done in service to the music, for a reason. It boggles my mind that Adam has perfected his instrument so that he can approach a note, a phrase, a song in so many different ways with so many different shadings. I can only imagine the thousands of hours he has devoted to honing his craft. No wonder he sounds different from all the other pop artists out there. I think that is what makes me FEEL so good when I listen to him/watch him. Not just an incredible instrument, but an extraordinary artist. And when we do as Evelyn says, and open ourselves to more than just what our ears hear, but also what our body feels, how it resonates, how it wants to move in response, and what our heart feels and falls in rhythm with, we experience so much more from the music. Then, we add the fact that Adam is a remarkable visual artist as well, and the performance is even more enhanced. (When Evelyn talks about how music sounds in different halls or in different places in the same hall, we can appreciate why Adam is so meticulous about his sound checks. He wants the audience to experience the fullest possible sound.) This video gave me lots to think about. Thank you for recommending it. |
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ladyoz
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Post by ladyoz on Apr 10, 2012 5:42:04 GMT -5
I just wanted to say thank you to wildflower for bringing over the video of Evelyn, it was very moving to watch and learn from.
.... also thank you to cassie for so beautifully and succinctly expanding on Evelyn's demonstration and relating it Adam's talent and artistry in the delivery of his craft - he does make you FEEL as well as HEAR his performance.
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wiga
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Post by wiga on Apr 10, 2012 23:41:27 GMT -5
Alison, thank you for posting that TED discussion. I am a former teacher of the deaf, a hard-of-hearing individual in a family that is seeped in deafness (about 40 members in our extended family have a hearing loss and we are talking from mild losses to profound losses), and I have just learned in the past two weeks that my four year old daughter is showing a hearing loss (moderate loss) after passing three seperate hearing test in the past years of her life. The discussion in this TED is very interesting, sobering and sad.
I have thought many times, that should I wake up tomorrow as deaf as my father is, I would get a cochlear implant. I think I still would, but I would MISS MUSIC. I would miss Adam's voice soo much. But I would still have sound in my life, but losing music would be sooo very difficult. I hope never to have to make this choice for myself or my daughter, she loves Adam too. Luckily, for me, I would have the songs in my brain already, so I could still 'hear' some music, but expanding on what I have would be difficult with the CI technology as it is now.
Makes me realize, even with my hearing loss, now much more I can perceive that those with an implant. I was able to tell the difference between a HeWhoCannot amedet and a violin (easily) and heard clearly the difference between the two examples of the Usher song. Yet I have difficulty telling numbers and letters apart on the phone, maybe in that way an implant would benefit me! HA!
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wiga
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Post by wiga on Apr 10, 2012 23:58:04 GMT -5
Cassie,
It is my understanding that Elton John is unable to read music too. I don't know if that is still the case, but he learned to play the piano by sound around the age of 3. I don't think he is very skilled in reading music even now, yet he has written the music for almost every song he has ever sung.
I find it interesting when people demonstrate skills organically (without special training) such as Elton with the piano and Adam with his voice. Where does this come from? How does it happen? What are they hearing in their heads that is different from the general population? So many questions and yet I would image not too many answers.
My daughter leaves me stunned too, she is an organic reader. She has been reading since the age of 2 without any formal instruction (and hardly any informal instruction) and is now reading 3rd grade material at four years of age. I wonder often how she views the world as she learned to decode written language before she learned to speak English with any fluency. Her skills in these areas are becoming more balanced now, but her reading skills are still stronger. I wonder how this will impact her comprehension of spoken language, her own speaking skills and her reading comprehension as she continues to grow. It will be interesting.
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Post by wildflower on Apr 11, 2012 0:22:59 GMT -5
Thank you Cassie. You said it well.
It is true that when we open more than just our ears but ourselves to the music and we do respond to it then we will not only hear but experience music. I don't know what specifically it is with Adam's music but it is the only one that has enabled me to get up and move. I mean, I was never able to sustain a fitness program even in a gym or with a group of friends. It was only with Adam's music that I am able to have a personal workout program. Apart from the rhythm, I feel that his voice gives off energy and inspires me to move. In fact it has become more than a workout. I discovered that I love movement and i have developed my own workout moves adapted to the music (and not just to upbeat songs, because I use almost all of his songs from the acoustic to the dance songs). It's like my kinesthetic ability which has been dormant was unlocked.
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Post by rihannsu on Apr 11, 2012 19:15:48 GMT -5
Cassie, It is my understanding that Elton John is unable to read music too. I don't know if that is still the case, but he learned to play the piano by sound around the age of 3. I don't think he is very skilled in reading music even now, yet he has written the music for almost every song he has ever sung. I find it interesting when people demonstrate skills organically (without special training) such as Elton with the piano and Adam with his voice. Where does this come from? How does it happen? What are they hearing in their heads that is different from the general population? So many questions and yet I would image not too many answers. My daughter leaves me stunned too, she is an organic reader. She has been reading since the age of 2 without any formal instruction (and hardly any informal instruction) and is now reading 3rd grade material at four years of age. I wonder often how she views the world as she learned to decode written language before she learned to speak English with any fluency. Her skills in these areas are becoming more balanced now, but her reading skills are still stronger. I wonder how this will impact her comprehension of spoken language, her own speaking skills and her reading comprehension as she continues to grow. It will be interesting. If her speaking skills are not keeping pace with her reading skill you might want to encourage her to read aloud. Get her to read to you or read aloud with her. Or if there are other children around try to get her to read aloud to or with them. Try to make it fun by encouraging her to create different voices for different characters in books, etc. My daughter read early too but she also started talking at 10 or 11 months and by age two was drawing crowds in grocery stores because of her articulateness. We did not believe in talking down or baby talking so we spoke to her just as we would an adult. Also if she really likes books try to get her started reading plays as then she can be encouraged to act them out as well as read them. |
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Alison
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Post by Alison on Apr 14, 2012 6:40:00 GMT -5
Wiga, I'm happy that the information I posted was helpful to you!
Now I'm off to listen to wildflower's link.
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Post by wildflower on Apr 15, 2012 19:30:28 GMT -5
Hi, Allison. Thanks for looking up the link I posted. How was it?
Cassie, what’s your take on NCOE? I’m no music expert but from my listening and feeling of the music, this is what I got.
I like the changes Adam has done from the demo. I think Adam sang this so beautifully and brilliantly.
I the contrasts I feel in this piece which so artfully reflects the message and mood of the song, i.e. wanting to prolong the good things but which inevitably ends.
1. I like how he sang the vowels. Doesn’t it feel like he’s stretching the vowels then abruptly cutting it. The vowels kind of elongated which gives the feeling of something being prolonged then suddenly cut.
2. In contrast to the vowels, the words seem to be somewhat more connected in this song. Cassie I forgot the term, (is it legato?) where the words appear to flow into each other.
3. He removed the instrumental at the beginning and at the end. It started with vocals, there's a lovely bridge and ended with vocals. Again the whole song appeared to be one long stretch of vocals which ended abruptly with “Never”.
Goodness, he i so amazing.
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Post by cassie on Apr 15, 2012 22:52:08 GMT -5
Hi, Allison. Thanks for looking up the link I posted. How was it? Cassie, what’s your take on NCOE? I’m no music expert but from my listening and feeling of the music, this is what I got. I like the changes Adam has done from the demo. I think Adam sang this so beautifully and brilliantly. I the contrasts I feel in this piece which so artfully reflects the message and mood of the song, i.e. wanting to prolong the good things but which inevitably ends. 1. I like how he sang the vowels. Doesn’t it feel like he’s stretching the vowels then abruptly cutting it. The vowels kind of elongated which gives the feeling of something being prolonged then suddenly cut. 2. In contrast to the vowels, the words seem to be somewhat more connected in this song. Cassie I forgot the term, (is it legato?) where the words appear to flow into each other. 3. He removed the instrumental at the beginning and at the end. It started with vocals, there's a lovely bridge and ended with vocals. Again the whole song appeared to be one long stretch of vocals which ended abruptly with “Never”. Goodness, he i so amazing. You have a very good ear. I hear much the same things you do. This is what I wrote when I first heard the official single: And, you are right, that the way Adam jumps off the consonants and clings to the vowels is part of what gives the music those long, smooth vocal lines. That along with he incredible breath support. With all the production of the single, it is not always obvious where he is breathing. But, if you watch the YT of the acoustic performance, and watch for the breathing, he sustains phrases for a LONG time. It is a great contrast with the choppy backing. While I like the single ... a lot... this acoustic performance is very impressive. Not only for the long lines, but for the shading in his voice. The first time he sings "if I had my way we'd never close our eyes" he hits the top note in a beautiful, floating head voice. When it comes around again, he uses his full voice, and you can hear the power and chest resonance. He also does this subtle flip from chest to head voice when he sings "let's just stay a-A-wake". The very end, when he soars up with full-voice on "eEYES" and then sings the high "NEVER", it gives me chills. |
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Apr 17, 2012 0:39:12 GMT -5
Cassie... I love this song..
Is Adam using mostly chest voice and used his head voice in "everybody wants to talk about freak"?
Thanks.
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