--- a/content/blog/2010/11/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html Thu Nov 04 08:40:45 2010 -0400
+++ b/content/blog/2010/11/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html Thu Nov 04 17:07:24 2010 -0400
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
{% hyde
title: "Keep Calm and Carry On"
snip: "You don't always need to be sexy."
- created: 2010-11-03 12:00:00
+ created: 2010-11-04 12:00:00
flattr: true
%}
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@
The Problem
-----------
-Blues dancing is often seen as a "sexy" dance. Often there's good reason --
-many blues songs are lewd and suggestive, so being sexy as you dance fits the
-music.
+Blues dancing is commonly seen as a "sexy" dance. There's good reason for
+this: many blues songs are lewd and suggestive, so being sexy as you dance fits
+the music.
The problem I see often is that dancers get comfortable in one "mood" of
dancing (usually "sexy") and don't bother to explore other ones.
@@ -120,8 +120,9 @@
The Solution
------------
-Now is the time when I tell you how to fix things. I'm not the best dancer out
-there, and it's hard to describe dancing in text, but I'll do my best.
+Now is the time when I'm supposed to tell you how to fix things. I'm not the
+best dancer out there, and it's hard to describe dancing in text, but I'll do
+my best.
If you don't agree with the specific things I mention that's completely cool --
my goal is to at least get people *thinking* about these ideas, not to tell
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@
personas:
* The singer -- someone who has just lost a lover.
-* A friend of the singer that is comforting him (or her, if my follower is female).
+* A friend of the singer that is comforting him (or her, if my follower is
+ female).
In both cases I try to eliminate any "swagger" or "bravado" from my styling
(not that I personally use much of that anyway). Funerals are not the place to
@@ -173,11 +175,69 @@
Whether you're comforting someone or being comforted, a hug is usually helpful
in dark times, so it feels appropriate to use close embrace.
-My Goal
--------
+There are many other things you could do as a leader that would fit the song.
+As long as you're conciously thinking of them and not just defaulting to
+a style you're comfortable with, I'm happy.
+
+The Real Problem
+----------------
+
+Having said all that, I actually think the problem I've described is more of
+a symptom, and there's a more fundamental problem with our community (and
+culture in general) today:
+
+**People don't simply *listen* to music any more.**
+
+They hear music while dancing, or put on headphones while doing homework, or
+turn on the radios in their cars, but they never just sit down to *listen* to
+a song without doing anything else.
+
+Many years ago, families would sit around the radio during the evenings and
+just listen to the music. Today the radio has been replaced by television, so
+we no longer even have those hours.
+
+Dancers may be dancing provocatively to Saint James Infirmary because *they
+don't even realize it's is a sad song*! Even though they've heard it many
+times it never really registers, because they're always focusing on something
+else when they hear it.
+
+The Real Solution
+-----------------
+
+This root problem has a much more clear solution: **listen to music, damn it!**
-The reason I'm writing this post is not to tell people how to dance. I just
-want to make people think about an aspect of dancing that they may not have
-considered before.
+Here's the basic idea:
+
+* Find a good album. Ask around, there are plenty out there.
+* Find a good pair of headphones. Your iPod earbuds do not count. Borrow a pair
+ if necessary.
+* Turn off the television, put away books, turn off your phone and your laptop
+ (or at least quit everything on your laptop if you're using it to play the music).
+* Start the album.
+
+Now that you're finally listening, what should you be trying to hear? Here are
+a few suggestions:
+
+* Try just listening to a couple of songs. Take in the lyrics (if it has them)
+ and the overall "mood" of the instruments.
+* Listen to the energy of the song. Jazz and blues musicians will usually make
+ the energy rise and fall throughout the song.
+* Pick a single instrument and listen to it for the entire song. Try not to let
+ your mind wander -- really focus on just one instrument. This is where a decent
+ pair of headphones will really help.
+
+Once you've listened to the entire album, without stopping, get a notebook and
+write down some of the things you noticed. You don't have to have any amazing
+revelations -- the point is to make yourself put into words what you're
+hearing.
+
+Do this at least once or twice a week for a few months.
+
+Putting down these thoughts on paper will help you wrap your head around music
+when you hear it during a dance. After a while you'll start hearing structure
+and themes in the music and can adjust your dancing to match them.
+
+Music is the foundation of dancing, so the more we listen the better our
+dancing will be. Please, give it a try.
{% endblock %}