Comments on: The Hidden Art https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/2011/11/06/the-hidden-art/ tell us about yourself Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:31:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 By: Michelle Shayowitz https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/2011/11/06/the-hidden-art/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:31:22 +0000 http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/?p=40#comment-5 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.

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By: Michelle Shayowitz https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/2011/11/06/the-hidden-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:27:29 +0000 http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/?p=40#comment-4 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.

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By: Suki Tsang https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/2011/11/06/the-hidden-art/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:11:09 +0000 http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/samueljenk/?p=40#comment-2 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.

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