Should we continue with Listening Projects through 2013?

[Seán]

I wonder if members want to continue with our monthly projects on a particular piece of classical music? If you do do you have any strong opinions on what we have done so far and are there any changes to the current approach that you would like to recommend?

If members do want to continue with it we will need a few more volunteers from March 2013. I will happily pick a piece of music in February 2013 if these projects are to continue and give people time to plan their approach for later in the year.

Please vote and let us know what you think.

Thank you.

[Seán]

Oh, and I have just voted to continue into 2013 with these music projects.

[Diapason]

I haven't voted yet, but my sense is that the current model isn't working too well. I'm not too sure why this is in general, but speaking personally, if the piece in question doesn't interest me, or isn't on my shelf, my intended plan of buying it and trying to understand glad better isn't happening. Time is just too short.

Still, I really like the idea, and I think it would be a shame to see it go in many ways. I wonder can we figure out a way to encourage more participation?

[Ivor]

I haven't taken part at all and only dipped in occasionally purely because I've been too busy but... I'd really like to see this continue. It seems to me to be the best use of a forum such as this regardless of genre.

[Seán]

Well the current model is to leave it to the member to do all the research and present it in their own way. One must bear in mind that most of us are not musicians, several of us are relative newbies with a deep passion for music and may not have the language tools required to adequately express ourselves and how we feel about the music.

[Seán]

I haven't taken part at all and only dipped in occasionally purely because I've been too busy but... I'd really like to see this continue. It seems to me to be the best use of a forum such as this regardless of genre.

I am thinking of doing one in the Jazz section, I am more comfortable with that to be honest.

[james]

I have quite enjoyed it -- it made me / encouraged me to listen to stuff I would not normally listen to.

To be honest I have not made any great discoveries but still I enjoyed it and I would like it to continue.

The problem may be getting more people to lead the discussion -- it is interesting to get lots of different views -- and it would be a pity if it ended up with just one or two people leading the discussion.

[I note the 'What are you listenning to' and 'Recent purchases' threads have a lot of baroque, lieder and mahler and these are three areas in music which I rarely listen to -- Bach excepted -- so it might be a way of encourging me to listen to more of this stuff].

[I really learned about classical music from the free rte symphony concerts in the F.X. hall years ago -- the selection was eclectic -- and it is great to get introduced to new stuff].

james

[jaybee]

I must say I'd like to see it continue, I've had new insights into music I know well, and introductions to pieces I don't!

I also think the mixture of the expert and the enthusiast can be of benefit to all interested; in giving a different view to that held it can open up different areas for people...

If I were to make any suggestion it would be that perhaps we could get the less expert to focus on a work and dissect it while getting the experts to introduce us to a new area? (at least from a novices point of view...!)

meanwhile I'd like to thank everyone who put in huge work into some great threads over the past while....

[Jared]

To be quite honest, my problem is that I really, really struggle to put across my feelings about music in any informed and meaningful way. If we are talking about historical events or trends, then I'd be absolutely fine, but music is an abstract which I have a heck of a job even writing a paragraph about, because I have no musical background or training. I simply end up saying that I enjoy something or I don't, which doesn't really help anyone.

For me, the 'Pictures' took a heck of a lot of work to get as far as I did, and whereas I found it quite rewarding from a learning perspective, I constantly felt like a fraud because the vast majority of the notes and ideas weren't original. Admittedly, I certainly didn't 'cut and paste' because you all deserved more than that; indeed I scoured the web for many different insights and interpretations to put together something reasonably comprehensive. The problem was that there was very little 'Jared' in there, other than a vague ramble at the bottom of each section.

I deliberately picked a very straight forward piece however, and if I was to have another bash, I really don't know what I'd attempt.... a Symphony would simply be beyond me.

Anyway, I'm not saying no... I'll see what everyone else says, and go with the flow...

[Seán]

I thought you did a fabulous job Jared, I was very impressed with it and I really enjoyed reading your notes and appreciated the efforts you put into it too.

We only have a month or so to prepare these projects, we are mere enthusiasts so we are gathering information from a variety of sources adding in our own thoughts and this goes to make up the complete package for good or ill.

We don't have anyone challenging or criticising us for what we write either as there is a healthy respect for people here too so I do feel comfortable utteering my utterances.