When I reflect on those things that are important to me, my perspective most often will evolve from my experiences as a musician or a concept evolved from that experience.
So, when I read a posting by Trevor Harden entitled “Rant and Reflection: Unless You Feel It” at RockOm.com, I was motivated to respond; not in disagreement, but essentially in agreement.
For me there are qualities in just being present in real time. Those qualities and values cannot be imparted in photography, TV, video conferencing, music video, or any recording, in any manner, of any human activity.
There is so much spiritual value in just being in the “here and now,” yours and your participation in the “here and now” of others -- “The Spirit of Now.”
My perspective of the essence of presence in music, and my response to Trevor’s posting is as follows:
When the chemistry that takes place in a live performance between musicians, and between musicians and their audience, the soul of that interaction vanishes by limiting the music to a recording, quality is reduced. A recording that utilizes basically deception to please the listening only audience by multi-track recording of the musical elements that make up the recording, or utilizing backing tracks for the artist, or auto-tune techniques to disguise the artist lack of skill and technique by correcting pitch, and disguising inaccuracies and mistakes, the recording will always lack the sense of any feeling, inspiration, and intuition. Recordings will always lack authenticity, essence, and possess diminished musical value.
No matter how good the engineering or electronics, every recording will lack the qualities of live performances. Singers and musicians who utilize backing tracks rather than live backup musicianship also lack the same qualities of feeling, inspiration, intuition, authenticity and essence.
It seems musicians and those who buy the recordings have more interest in the electronics and engineering than they do in real talent and musicianship.
For me, it is analogous to looking at a two dimensional portrait as opposed to seeing what is depicted in real time three dimensional view, with all the other sentient and sensual dimensions that are imbued.
In being present in real time to live music one becomes a part of that performance – you are a participant.
