Topic: Musical Talent or Performance Style?

[Gambler]

I read an article earlier this week discussing the AMA's and Britney's performance as well as the performance by Beyonce at some other awards where she "sang" while suspended upside down from the stage.  The contention of the performers was that people would rather see a big production number with technically enhanced vocals vs a smaller number with a true performance.  It just seems to me that the people who are making the big bucks now days as "singers" aren't really singers, they couldn't give a live, unplugged performance if their life depended on it.  

So which is more important?  Being able to actually sing, play an instrument, write a song?  Or writheing around onstage, bumping and grinding into anything that doesn't get out of your way?

 

[762]

Is that a trick question?

[Gambler]

Quote:
Is that a trick question?  [/quote

You'd think it were a trick question, but based on the album sales of the performance artists it's valid.  Maybe it comes from my achieving imminent old-fart-hood that makes me want to hear a real person sing.

[Iceman]

Being able to sing, without a doubt.  I really dislike Spears for that reason (she doesn't sing/write her own stuff).  I have to give her a smidgen of credit though, she co-wrote like 9/13 tracks of her new album or something like that.  

[GE-Raven]

Teens want to see skin... Twenty somethings also, however some have evolved and actually start to scan for lyrics, and musicality.  By "Middle-age" people tend to like what they like and enjoy more music as life goes on.

This being said, I never cease to be amazed by the general lack of musical knowledge amongst Americans as a whole.  Once upon a time the greeks believe there were four subjects of equal importance.

Mathematics (which included science at the time)
Rhetoric (Which encompassed all communication skills)
Gymnastics (Which was all physical fitness)
Music (Which encompassed all the arts)

Today America has dropped the bottom two from general education.  However if someone excels in either of the bottom two, they are often given a free ride from the other three.  

So we have Sports stars that can't manage money or talk in an interview.

We get Musicians that have no basis in reality.

Then we get the rest.  So I will leave this discussion with a little factiod. In Wisconsin last year there were two high school valedictorians in the entire state that differed from the rest.  They were the only two that had not participated in a musical group or study of music in some way, shape, or form.  That means that over 99% of the "best" students in the "best state" for education were involved in music.

Coincidence?

Maybe there is something to being well rounded.

GE-Raven
The Composer and Music Educator.

 

[vsfedwards]

This is why I dont listen to the charts, people think I'm weird because Id much prefer to listen to Frank Sinatra than lets say Beyonce. Basically this is because I prefer the talent rather than performance, and hey if you can do both even better

[Gambler]

Quote:
Then we get the rest.  So I will leave this discussion with a little factiod. In Wisconsin last year there were two high school valedictorians in the entire state that differed from the rest.  They were the only two that had not participated in a musical group or study of music in some way, shape, or form.  That means that over 99% of the "best" students in the "best state" for education were involved in music.

Which brings me to one of my major gripes with my high school valedictorian.  Sure she had straight A's.  She also took Band, Choir, and Symphony every year for four years.  I'm not saying that those aren't tough classes BUT, she was well known as the teachers pet so in my mind there is an * next to her grades for those classes.  She didn't take any advanced science or math classes either.

[Scott Allen Abfalter]

My favorite quote on this topic was from 80's pop star Gary Numan, who said  about pop music, and particular the "Making the Band" type shows (as best I can remember the quote):  

"It's the record company saying: 'You will buy any crap we decide to sell you, and to prove it we shall manufacture that crap right before your very eyes and then watch you buy it."  

Numan, by the way, has deviated way far away from his 80's pop music and is doing some really interesting industrial music now.  
 

[GE-Raven]

Well I personally think the valedictorian should be the most "well rounded" student.  A real leader, not the person who is most likely to be an engineer.  

I was an engineering major for 2 years.  I wil state that an entire semester of calculus is a breeze compared to preparing and executing a 30 minute (memorized) senior recital.

GE-Raven

BTW most schools are now "weighting" the classes they consider more important.

I give you three guesses which classes top the list.

GE-Raven
 

[Yabrodan]

 

Quote:
 Numan, by the way, has deviated way far away from his 80's pop music and is doing some really interesting industrial music now.  

This Numan fellow intrigues me do you recommend any of his cd's in particular.  

[Gambler]

I read an article earlier this week discussing the AMA's and Britney's performance as well as the performance by Beyonce at some other awards where she "sang" while suspended upside down from the stage.  The contention of the performers was that people would rather see a big production number with technically enhanced vocals vs a smaller number with a true performance.  It just seems to me that the people who are making the big bucks now days as "singers" aren't really singers, they couldn't give a live, unplugged performance if their life depended on it.  

So which is more important?  Being able to actually sing, play an instrument, write a song?  Or writheing around onstage, bumping and grinding into anything that doesn't get out of your way?

 

[762]

Is that a trick question?

[Gambler]

Quote:
Is that a trick question?  [/quote

You'd think it were a trick question, but based on the album sales of the performance artists it's valid.  Maybe it comes from my achieving imminent old-fart-hood that makes me want to hear a real person sing.

[Iceman]

Being able to sing, without a doubt.  I really dislike Spears for that reason (she doesn't sing/write her own stuff).  I have to give her a smidgen of credit though, she co-wrote like 9/13 tracks of her new album or something like that.  

[GE-Raven]

Teens want to see skin... Twenty somethings also, however some have evolved and actually start to scan for lyrics, and musicality.  By "Middle-age" people tend to like what they like and enjoy more music as life goes on.

This being said, I never cease to be amazed by the general lack of musical knowledge amongst Americans as a whole.  Once upon a time the greeks believe there were four subjects of equal importance.

Mathematics (which included science at the time)
Rhetoric (Which encompassed all communication skills)
Gymnastics (Which was all physical fitness)
Music (Which encompassed all the arts)

Today America has dropped the bottom two from general education.  However if someone excels in either of the bottom two, they are often given a free ride from the other three.  

So we have Sports stars that can't manage money or talk in an interview.

We get Musicians that have no basis in reality.

Then we get the rest.  So I will leave this discussion with a little factiod. In Wisconsin last year there were two high school valedictorians in the entire state that differed from the rest.  They were the only two that had not participated in a musical group or study of music in some way, shape, or form.  That means that over 99% of the "best" students in the "best state" for education were involved in music.

Coincidence?

Maybe there is something to being well rounded.

GE-Raven
The Composer and Music Educator.

 

[vsfedwards]

This is why I dont listen to the charts, people think I'm weird because Id much prefer to listen to Frank Sinatra than lets say Beyonce. Basically this is because I prefer the talent rather than performance, and hey if you can do both even better

[Gambler]

Quote:
Then we get the rest.  So I will leave this discussion with a little factiod. In Wisconsin last year there were two high school valedictorians in the entire state that differed from the rest.  They were the only two that had not participated in a musical group or study of music in some way, shape, or form.  That means that over 99% of the "best" students in the "best state" for education were involved in music.

Which brings me to one of my major gripes with my high school valedictorian.  Sure she had straight A's.  She also took Band, Choir, and Symphony every year for four years.  I'm not saying that those aren't tough classes BUT, she was well known as the teachers pet so in my mind there is an * next to her grades for those classes.  She didn't take any advanced science or math classes either.

[Scott Allen Abfalter]

My favorite quote on this topic was from 80's pop star Gary Numan, who said  about pop music, and particular the "Making the Band" type shows (as best I can remember the quote):  

"It's the record company saying: 'You will buy any crap we decide to sell you, and to prove it we shall manufacture that crap right before your very eyes and then watch you buy it."  

Numan, by the way, has deviated way far away from his 80's pop music and is doing some really interesting industrial music now.  
 

[GE-Raven]

Well I personally think the valedictorian should be the most "well rounded" student.  A real leader, not the person who is most likely to be an engineer.  

I was an engineering major for 2 years.  I wil state that an entire semester of calculus is a breeze compared to preparing and executing a 30 minute (memorized) senior recital.

GE-Raven

BTW most schools are now "weighting" the classes they consider more important.

I give you three guesses which classes top the list.

GE-Raven
 

[Yabrodan]

 

Quote:
 Numan, by the way, has deviated way far away from his 80's pop music and is doing some really interesting industrial music now.  

This Numan fellow intrigues me do you recommend any of his cd's in particular.