What do you walk away with?

[m1469]

How often do you listen to a performance by somebody else and walk away with something truly meaningful to your own life, besides "just" an inspiration to live your own life in a practice room?

[soitainly]

 What more is there to walk away with, other than the joy of hearing great music. Isn't that enough? Even if it doesn't really directly apply to whatever we may be working on, inspiration is meaningful on it's own merit. Other than the basic necessities of life, joy and inspiration is what it's all about.

[jogoeshome]

Never. I might get the bug to play it myself. and its that internalization while playing that changes me.

[andreslr6]

To be honest, I've only gotten "something more" with Glenn Gould just by hearing him play, and I'm talking about recordings obviously, I never got to see him live . So the answer would be just like the others, never really, but I do think it's possible and that it depends on the performer, to be even deeper you know, and I believe it's extremely rare.

[m1469]

I have this notion that it's possible, and desirable, to somehow have this extremely deep experience as a performer, and for the audience to somehow walk out changed.  I can get simple joy from eating ice cream or enchiladas ... or watching TV.  I mean, they aren't exactly fulfilling forever, but that's what I mean regarding music, too ... can't it be something that stays with an individual in a way that is beyond just a passing thrill of some sort?

I don't know exactly where I have that notion.  And, I don't say that as though I have never been affected as a listener because I have.  I also realize it can seem to place a large responsibility or perhaps unusual responsibility on the performer - beyond notes and even just being "musical."  As a performer myself, I don't feel that I've ever once achieved that as a singer, except for maybe sometimes when I solo at church, and perhaps I've achieved it in parts as a pianist, but I've still got a lot of other stuff to organize as a performing pianist, too.

It's more just that I have that urge, and I'm not sure why.

[p2u_]

How often do you listen to a performance by somebody else and walk away with something truly meaningful to your own life, besides "just" an inspiration to live your own life in a practice room?

With the "Greats" of the Old School who reached the state of selfoblivion during their concerts/recordings - ALWAYS.

Paul

[m1469]

With the "Greats" of the Old School who reached the state of selfoblivion during their concerts/recordings - ALWAYS.

Paul

Yes, it's strange.  When I say a "deep experience as a performer" I don't necessarily mean a certain kind of personal expression ... though strangely, it can feel that way when intellectually considering the risk it seems we take as performers, and as a performer reaches deeper into that state (as in, actively on the way there) of what you call "self-oblivion" ... though, actually, it's a deeper sense of oneself that is not just this little, human ego.  But that's what I want to do.

[p2u_]

actually, it's a deeper sense of oneself that is not just this little, human ego.  But that's what I want to do.

It's certainly a spiritual experience, like contact with the Universe, the Truth, etc. I hate defining it, though, because the moment you do that, you touch upon something that shouldn't be touched, and you run the risk of losing it, spoiling it.

Paul

[m1469]

It's certainly a spiritual experience, like contact with the Universe, the Truth, etc. I hate defining it, though, because the moment you do that, you touch upon something that shouldn't be touched, and you run the risk of losing it, spoiling it.

Paul

Well, yes, it's beyond constructs.  At the same time, I think it's worth thinking through some things regarding it, because in that place there is not a nervousness - it's calm and beautiful, even if outwardly not so.  But, on the way there, for me anyway, there can seem like every reason in the world to turn back, pack it up, quit, go home.  One is true, the other is false.  I am *just* starting to see through the stuff on the way there and to see that it's not a reason to quit, it's not a reason to get discouraged, and that there is/can be something on the other side.  It's something to work through and, ideally, be able to start straight there.  I want to learn how to do that.

[pts1]

m1469

From what I've seen and read from you -- you are not the type of personality to achieve what you're asking about.

The fact that you even ask about it is a give away.

You are a generalist with never ending questions and wondering and self contradictions -- sometimes in the same sentence!

Your particular "gifts" do not allow for what you say you're seeking.

Its like wishing to experience the deep meditative state a Tibetan monk is able to achieve by reading a hundred books on meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises and how to sew traditional monk garb and yakking about it with your newly created "One With The Universe Meditation and Silence Chat Group."

Your skills seem to be primarily social and could apply to a number of pursuits.

Have you considered being a social worker of some sort?

This would "pay the mortgage" and fit your personality.

Don't know about singer, but pianist isn't in the cards other than as a hobby.

[m1469]

m1469

From what I've seen and read from you -- you are not the type of personality to achieve what you're asking about.

The fact that you even ask about it is a give away.

You are a generalist with never ending questions and wondering and self contradictions -- sometimes in the same sentence!

Your particular "gifts" do not allow for what you say you're seeking.

Its like wishing to experience the deep meditative state a Tibetan monk is able to achieve by reading a hundred books on meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises and how to sew traditional monk garb and yakking about it with your newly created "One With The Universe Meditation and Silence Chat Group."

Your skills seem to be primarily social and could apply to a number of pursuits.

Have you considered being a social worker of some sort?

This would "pay the mortgage" and fit your personality.

Don't know about singer, but pianist isn't in the cards other than as a hobby.

Yes, the idea behind what you say are similar to thoughts that go through my head, though of course it's stuff that seems more personal to me than what you describe.  It's only a kind of wall though.  I experienced that recently where I played a piece reasonably well, even while quite nervous, then I played another piece quite badly and was just having such a mental struggle, but then, the very next piece I could get to that other place and could stay there even in the following piece.  

[soitainly]

 When I say joy, I mean a deep profound joy. Not like eating ice cream or such. I feel deep emotional ties to music, and have since I was young. I can literally be moved to tears. Now when you say what do you take away, I have to say these moments are fleeting, it's not like you are elevated permanently to any great degree by a single performance. But, over time these great moments and anticipation of them does enhance my life. Don't get me wrong, I like ice cream, but it doesn't have any deeper meaning, it's not art.

[m1469]

When I say joy, I mean a deep profound joy. Not like eating ice cream or such. I feel deep emotional ties to music, and have since I was young. I can literally be moved to tears. Now when you say what do you take away, I have to say these moments are fleeting, it's not like you are elevated permanently to any great degree by a single performance. But, over time these great moments and anticipation of them does enhance my life. Don't get me wrong, I like ice cream, but it doesn't have any deeper meaning, it's not art.

Well, ice cream can be a little bit art though, can't it?  

I do see what you mean.  I still hold out though ... for this thing.  I mean, what if you could have somebody go in in a wheel chair and walk out?  I know.  But, that hints at the type of transformation I mean.  I don't know why, but it's like it seems theoretically possible.  And, I think that people ultimately all deeply need something.  What if you could somehow free something in them in a way that is permanent?  But, not even just the performer themselves doing that per se, but the music.

[iansinclair]

How often do you listen to a performance by somebody else and walk away with something truly meaningful to your own life, besides "just" an inspiration to live your own life in a practice room?

Nowhere near often enough.  Indeed, very rarely -- but it does happen.  I can think of three quite specific occasions, to give as examples: a van Cliburn concert, Rach 2, Minnesota Orchestra under Skrowacheski, in May of 1964.  It was one of those rare occasions when everybody was at the top of their form -- and I was in a receptive mood.  Another, in the winter of 1964, Birgit Nilsson, again the Minnesota symphony, in Minneapolis.  And a third would be -- and I don't recall the date 1980s somewhere -- the Berlioz Requiem at Tanglewood, in western Massachusetts.

Their have been also religious services which, as a whole, did that -- but they, I expect, are not what you meant at all (and are not performances anyway).

[brendan765]

I thought Anderson and Roe, were 2 creative musicians...And it inspire me to instead of just play the repertoire for performance, go the extra mile in making it an entertaining performance..They made me realize you can make more money by being creative.

[lostinidlewonder]

I often get a chance to listen to music while driving. It is often my best listening times since I find it difficult to spend time listening to music. When I am driving I am stuck and have the time to listen

I once was so mesmerized by a performance of Liszt etude (TE 11) that I didn't slow down enough once and skidded through a round-a-bout. *nervous lol*.... I took away a lot from that listening experience to say the least!!!

Often I am moved to tears when hearing something beautiful, it is a good feeling, like the soul strings getting strummed. I don't expect to use that listening experience to better my playing, in fact I do not compare that playing at all, so in that respect I take nothing. But music is about enjoyment also, being a pianist by trade I tend not to listen to others for enjoyment but rather for academic purposes. So simply being able to listen and enjoying the music is "walking away" with a great amount of pleasure for me which at least in one way reaffirms why I chose music for a living.

Sometimes certain pieces trigger memories for me which might have nothing to do with the actual piece itself but things that happened in my life which attached itself to those pieces (eg: I taught the piece to a certain student, a family member connected with the piece and so on.) Then listening to the music when its ended I walk away with those memories sometimes very normal, sometimes very precious to me.

When I hear something I have never heard of before sometimes there is a combat between just listening for enjoyment and evaluating whether or not that piece would be good to learn myself and/or perform. When I was younger I would hear a lot and imagine myself playing those pieces (which often where beyond my ability at that time). I found wasting my time trying to practice these pieces, in the end I realized that this was all just floundering about. I am sure this is the experience that many people take away from listening to great music which is not helpful to say the least.

[cmg]

How often do you listen to a performance by somebody else and walk away with something truly meaningful to your own life, besides "just" an inspiration to live your own life in a practice room?

I don't know.  I can't think of a more meaningful life than a life in a "practice room" where I can control IN THERE what is uncontrollable OUT THERE:  insensitivity, cruelty, greed, stupidity.  Art is the means by which humans elevate themselves above their base instincts.  Capitalism, the system most of us live under, only encourages our crudest strivings. 

My "practice room" is my spiritual practice.  It is where I focus on music, on the now.  It is where I forget about the chaos out there. 

[chopin2015]

I actually can walk away with alot. If i worked on something sufficiently, i can listen to a performance and hear many little elements and connect them to logical explanations of music and musical phenomenons and performance. However, i find little pleasure compared to what one could expect to experience from the acoustics.

[j_menz]

What you walk away with has as much to do with what you bring as what you are given. Not all performances are gems, but do not be the swine before whom pearls are cast.