Yasmins insight into the way in which we react to sound is incredibly fascinating. It shows us the enigmatic nature of the reaction we have to something that is already so mysterious, in particular the way in which music is perceived on an individual scale as well as an environmental scale. It brings me back to the idea of John Cage and the interaction of the audience to the sound piece itself as well as the etiquette of reacting to the sound we interact with. Yasmin explores the way in which listening has been contained within said etiquette and explains how people should explore new ways of listening. Why do people respond in the same way to certain types of music when we all ingest the music so differently?
Yasmin also explores the idea of a “safe circle” – an almost sonic environmental diagesis in which the narrative of the sound being played is contained in its own little habitat. Yasmin talks about the intrusive nature of cameras that remove the natural element of “being in the moment” – you are performing instead. It shows that the environment in which the sound piece being played heavily influences the nature of the music itself and the way it is received by the audience. The idea of the camera being a distracting from the piece itself is an interesting concept. The use of cameras and its impact of the dance space and the impact of the dances has almost become a natural part of the environment – very different to historical forms of listening where cameras and phones did not play a part in the atmosphere and environment of the piece being played.
One question i have is: How does the presence of phones/cameras affect the responce/etiquette to the piece? I wonder if the introduction of filming has created environments where in which the expectation to dance/act is ‘expected’ – and if so how it effects the musical narrative of 21s century music.
I feel as if to a certain degree, the introduction of filming and specifically filming for the purpose of re-sharing has created sonic environments in which the people in the environment may act/perform/look differently to how they would if said cameras were not there. They may create the environment and play the music for the sake of appealing to the camera rather than playing ‘for the sake of the music’. This is interesting because it creates the template for sonic environment of the music being presented for the time period.
Yasmin talks about music, the dance and the context for black people – with it being a volatile and hostile situation and having to build as a community to find somewhere in which they can produce and enjoy sound in an environment wherein they feel safe. I think this is incredibly important because this small entity/environment also represents the culture surrounding day to day activities – living as a person of colour in an environment where you are prescribed colour, an environment that places upon you their own culture removing any idea of not only safety and security but the way in which your should enjoy things. The removal of self identity and culture acts as a defining factor in the narrative of the people trying to find a safe space.
” To the American public, dancing, above all else, was supposed to be pretty and entertaining. The iconoclasts from Denishawn did not seek to be decorative or to pander to the audience. Rather, they sought to engage their audience, to make people think, to be thoroughly modern and direct in their approach. “
Thomas, Helen. Dance, Modernity and Culture : Explorations in the Sociology of Dan, Taylor & Francis Group, 1995. ProQuest Ebook Central,
This idea of an expectation of a certain type of dance within a certain type of culture is also incredibly interesting and makes the idea of a safe space for a community one that may be vital to an entire communities livelihood. I feel as if culture differences within the realm of dance may create this idea of a hierarchy – as if one cultures way of doing things is ‘better’ – and if so the creation of safe space, a place where there is no sort of intrusion is something that can definitely be seen as comforting. But I also believe that If the idea behind art is to make people question normality then it should be exposed and expressed without apology – without being contained in a ‘safe space’.