I just watched a few minutes of Bloggingheads.tv, in which pairs of political bloggers go head to head in recorded video conferences on all the topics that drive the policy wankery of the day.
I contemplated, for a short moment, the possibility of a new music version of Bloggingheads. Aside from the fact that the seven people who actually read new music blogs (a figure including blood relations and those who read in return for sexual favors) probably have enough already in their schedules to gladly forgo the addition of a video annex, I suspect that new music bloggers as a class would make for some pretty bad t.v.. Musical training does not always include preparation for broadcasting. We do tend towards bad haircuts and mumbling. For myself, going video would mean having to clean up my studio, and along with that, cleaning up my language, which would be tricky as I'm not altogether certain I could keep the expletives from flying if someone were to mention something like "La Boheme" or "Chucky Wuorinen" or "Vibra-Slap" or even the "Chuckie Wuorinen patented Bohemian Vibra-Slap".
On the other hand, if the universe were just, someone really ought to go mano-a-mano with Terry Teachout over late Stravinsky, Patrick Swanson could hold his own against anyone, and I'd gladly take on the critic-who-shall-not-be-named over Webern. A new music video blog might also offer an opportunity to finally decide if A.C. Douglas and Heebie McJeebie are really two different people, or if in fact, A.C.D. is actually the good professor's sock puppet. There really hasn't been a good video interview with a composer since that with Alvin Lucier in Nam June Paik's John Cage documentary, comparing the two great events at Woodstock -- the premier of 4'33" and that thing with the thousands of young people rolling around in the mud.
Heck, maybe on balance, this would be a good thing.
7 comments:
Chuckie Wuorinen patented Bohemian Vibra-Slap... I just lost my lunch.
I'd watch.
Heck, I was just talking to my girlfriend about how I thought it would be fun to do some sort of New Music talking head show. A classmate of mine (a transplanted San Franciscan) independently had the same idea. He thought it should involve an easy chair, a pipe and either a fireplace or a gigantic analog studio (such as we have at school).
You finger is on the zeitgeist.
Les --
That imagery is right. Ideally, it should have the look of Walter Piston in his living room ca. 1948. Tweed coat with patches on the elbows and a bow tie. It'd make a nice contrast with those polit-blog slobs, who all dress and live like grad students.
I would totally participate in such a thing though I'd be out of my league with guys like you and Teachout. You simply put my ka-nowledge to shamez.
I like Bloggingheads quite a bit. I don't know why. I really don't like most of the people on there except Bob Wright. It's a good idea though.
I'm already thinking about doing some podcasts for my blog. You should do some too. Me and my buddy Chaz were going to write and do some.. Wacky comedy and interviews and bits, but play some music too.
Love the La Boheme/Chucky Wuorinen lumping together. However, I'm lost. What is a "Vibra-Slap"?
Sorry. One should always try consulting Wikipedia before asking dumb questions. Vibra-Slap is not only a percussion instrument but the name of a New Zealand band.
vibra-slap didnt sound remotely musical to me,... but i shouldnt get into that.
such a show would need to be filled with radicals and real conservatives to be able to garner some energy, otherwise we'll have a group of people lazily talking about their favorite work of messiaen or something.
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