Comments on: The evolution of a reading https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/ Purveyors of fine poetry since 2003. Fri, 07 Mar 2014 02:45:59 +0000 hourly 1 By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3451 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 03:11:59 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3451 Thanks for commenting. Of course, if I’d wanted to make my point more effectively, I should’ve have recorded it first thing in the morning, before drinking my coffee. I’m convinced that some of these lackluster poetry readings are simply the tragic consequence of insufficient caffeination. Anyway, I’m glad you liked the poem. Not sure I’m ready to make videos yet. I try to stay a couple years behind the hot new web trends.

]]> By: Teju https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3450 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:40:46 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3450 Late coming, but here I am: I liked the harmonica version too. It’s such a wistful little tune, and not at all obtrusive. I like it when words and music match.

The less dramatic version of the poem is certainly less “present,” the enunciation doesn’t jump out, but it has its own considerable charm. I don’t have anything against “poet’s voice” in general, but in this case, subtle seems to me better. So, I’m with Nathalie.

Good poem, by the way. Don’t know if anyone said that yet. Works well on the page and in the ear.

Congratulations, Dave, on pushing the possibilities of the medium. When can we expect a live video feed of you doing your morning ablutions?

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3449 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:43:26 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3449 Natalie – Thanks for this contrarian opinion. I’m sorry you’re having trouble hearing them, though. I don’t know what to suggest, other than maybe ditching the Mac and getting a PC. :)

]]> By: Natalie https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3448 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:45:32 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3448 The first, unrehearsed version is my favourite. Real emotion, a certain tiredness, maybe the resignation to everyday reality, and a very young, almost teen-age note in the voice. Maybe I’m reading things into it, the way wine-tasters talk about “a note of vanilla” or something, in a sip of wine.
But after that ,the second version sounds rather artificial to me – though art-ifice may be what a lot of art is about. For some reason, I kept getting gaps in the reading, even though my broadband speed is good. Couldn’t hear the harmonica part at all.

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3447 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:49:33 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3447 Laura – Thanks for the feedback.
This poem sounds pretty different than I imagined it would. Oh yeah? Well, poetry is all about surprise, I guess.

Karen – Thanks. It shows up on Google as a frequent typo, and, of course, a valid word in Spanish.

]]> By: Karen https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3446 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:14:50 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3446 Enthusiasma?! My new favorite word. :)

]]> By: Laura https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3445 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:30:05 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3445 I liked the harmonica in the background, but think I’d be distracted by it if it were my first time hearing the poem. I was able to sort of tune it out and appreciate its effect, but only cause I’d been able to concentrate on just your voice in the previous recordings.

This poem sounds pretty different than I imagined it would.

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3444 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 01:24:44 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3444 Huh. I wonder if I’ve heard it as well myself? Many “slam” poets stress the importance of memorizing performance texts, but I’ve never wanted to commit my own words to memory for some reason, and didn’t this time. As a result, I had to focus on the written text each time I read it and therefore probably didn’t manage the level of dissociation from text on playback that you’re enjoying.

FWIW, my first draft had “cell” for “crib.”

]]> By: bev https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3443 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:27:45 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3443 I liked both version – with and without harmonica. I’d probably find it more difficult to concentrate on the meaning of the words in the harmonica version if I were listening to it cold — but that’s probablly due to a of a weird hearing-comprehension idiosyncrasy that I have had all of my life. I do agree with what MB has said above about “rehearsal to hearing” — again, it’s that thing about hearing something repeated a couple of times — the meaning begins to grow the more times you hear something. For example, after hearing you read the poem, after the second time, I began to see that last part about the “crib” in a very different way that when I read it in print. I got a much better picture of that in my mind after hearing you speak those lines.

]]> By: Dave https://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3442 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:12:08 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2007/02/12/the-evolution-of-a-reading/#comment-3442 Thanks for the comment, MB. As a professional musician and performer, your perspective is a a valuable one.

there’s rehearsal to hearing as well as reading
Good point. So maybe the jury’s still out about whether it works or not!

(No matter, though. I’m sure I’ll keep messing around with stuff that that, to amuse myself if nothing else.)

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