Artistically speaking, being a blind musician wouldn't be so bad! You would have no visual distraction from the sound you're making - you could focus exclusively on tone and sound. I love that idea. Sometimes Sister Applonie has us close our eyes in choir as we tune up chords. It's amazing what making your ears work a little harder will do to your sound. I mean, it worked for this guy, right?
(Blind Egyptian Musician, 15th century Wall Mural)
Music for the deaf is a little trickier. How does one make an art form based exclusively on sound accessible to those who can't hear? Well guess what! I found out about some awesome technology this week! There's a program that makes visual representations of musical pieces. This video is made by someone who does a bunch of these "animated scores", if you will. My favorite is Debussy's Arabesque No. 1. It's so much fun to watch! The intervals are pretty good for computer software! And the rhythms are right on. Maybe this is a way the deaf could experience music! And who knows, maybe in a couple hundred years this will be the way everyone learns music. You really should watch at least some of it. My favorite part is 4:28 to the end. And everything else.
3 comments:
You are so inspiring and intelligent Melinda! This is so neat! Where did you learn this?
That was beautiful, but without sound it's just a piece of visual art. It can't fully capture the beauty of the notes, the harmony. But if music was transformed into a visual, it would be this. I think they should somehow include vibrations or something. But I absolutely love it. I am so grateful for music and that I can hear it. I take it for granted.
Really wonderful, Melinda. A whole, new way to enjoy Debussy.
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