The Hidden Art
When watching the Tokyo String Quartet I couldn’t help but look around at the people in the audience. Â Half the people had their eyes closed and were just listening to the sounds. Â I genuinely think that these people were missing out on most of the performance. Â The things that struck me the most were the little things. Â The violist bodies gently swaying side to side before he started playing, letting the music move him. Â The orchestrated movement of the bows up and down was amazing. Â I think when I look back to the performance, after I remember all the sounds these pieces of “hidden art” will stand forever.
Another extremely interesting piece of the performance to me, was when the cellist was plucking his instrument instead of using his bow. Â When I first heard the pluckings, it sounded to me like one of my favorite bands playing. Â All i could think about was Flea, the famous bassist, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Which then led me to think of one of my favorite lines from the movie School of Rock
Dewey Finn: Katie, what was that thing you were playing today, the big thing?
Katie: Cello.
Dewey Finn: Ok. This is a bass guitar. And it’s the exact same thing but instead of playing it like this you tip it on the side… cello, you got a bass.
and then it came to me. Â All music we hear today can trace its root back to classical works (save for the synthesized hip hop we hear this days). All in all I’m glad I got to see such talented performers doing what they love.
I noticed that many of the people who were at the quartet had their eyes closed. But I had a different take on why people were doing that, and the positives of not exactly “watching” the whole event take place. There is some good that comes out of just closing your eyes and listening to every sound. For example, when one sense gets blocked off, the other few senses we have become stronger and more keen. When our eyes are blocked from the quartet, our ears are the only senses that enjoy the music. We can hear the violins playing the main melody, and at the same time we can hear the viola playing softly in the background to support the melody. Our eyes might not be focused on every movement they’re making, but our ears are then more receptive to the music. I believe that the quartet’s main focus is just on the music itself. But I do agree that at some times, we should open our eyes and just see the movement of these performers.
When I actually looked at the quartet, I was really distracted by the players themselves. And since there were only four performers, we could see every movement clearly. All I focused on was the violin player’s hair moving up and down, and how the viola player was falling over his viola. But I do agree that there should be some kind of mix of visual and audio focus, and for the people who had their eyes closed the whole time, they should open them up, and for people who have their eyes open the whole time, they should close them to create a more enjoyable experience.
Like I mentioned in class, although I agree that you would be missing out if you kept your eyes closed throughout the ENTIRE performance, I do believe that there are some benefits to closing your eyes from time to time. While it is important to watch the movements of the musicians in order to gain a better understanding of the talent that goes along with playing a musical instrument, at the same time, focusing on their movements could prove to be quite distracting. Just like Suki, I often found myself focusing on insignificant aspects, such as the hair of the violist flapping up and down as he played. Sometimes closing your eyes could be advantageous because it allows you to take in the music for what it really is, without any distractions. While watching these performances, I believe that it is necessary to find a balance between what you focus on visually, and what you focus on in terms of the sound. One you have attained that balance, you can truly gain a full appreciation for the performance.
Like I mentioned in class, although I agree that you would be missing out if you kept your eyes closed throughout the ENTIRE performance, I do believe that there are some benefits to closing your eyes from time to time. While it is important to watch the movements of the musicians in order to gain a better understanding of the talent that goes along with playing a musical instrument, at the same time, focusing on their movements could prove to be quite distracting. Just like Suki, I often found myself focusing on insignificant aspects, such as the hair of the violist flapping up and down as he played. Sometimes closing your eyes could be advantageous because it allows you to take in the music for what it really is, without any distractions. While watching these performances, I believe that it is necessary to find a balance between what you focus on visually, and what you focus on in terms of the sound. Once you have attained that balance, you can truly gain a full appreciation for the performance.