Big Ears

I had the unforeseen and lucky privilege to obtain (through volunteering (side note: go UT VOLS side side note: compare/contrast "UT Volunteers" with Jesuit ideals of "community service", interesting, no?)) a STAFF PASS for this past Sunday's Big Ears Festival line-up.

In other words, I gained access to a little-known, yet amazingly attended experimental music festival. Thought it is only in its second year here in Knoxville Tennessee, Big Ears hosts "experimental" artists such as Joanna Newsome, Terry Riley, The Books, St. Vincent, The Caldera Quartet, Tim Hecker, and many many more.

This, in many ways, was my ideal music festival. I have never been so excited about live music before; I generally prefer going to plays or a number of other activities before I pick to see music.

I liked this festival because (1) it was mostly indoors which means calm, cool, cushioned seats. I find I am instantly more comfortable and attuned to listening carefully when I am sitting calmly rather than standing in a crowd (2) the music selections were all creative, exciting, and mentally stimulating (3) several things I noticed and enjoyed have distinct tie-ins to another blog I am contributing to, namely "Reading (w/) The Digital Human," those things being: (i) A band called The Books, which used live accompaniment and composition structured around audio and video feeds. This mixed media presentation offered an emotional and mental experience much like a book yet with an absence of books, perhaps even replacing a book and (ii.) when I sat on the ground level to a stage, the strain on my neck and posture proved distracting, yet when I sat in a balcony softly gazing down, I was immediately at ease in my position. I attribute this effect to technology because gazing slightly down at a computer or laptop screen is more familiar to my body where-as gazing slightly up is unusual and therefore uncomfortable.

More links and thoughts to come.