Making a Living with the L1®: Difference between revisions

Line 67:

# Use of a brand new musical instrument, based on your voice and/or your instrument of choice. This instrument will put you in close touch with your audiences and with all the subtleties and details of your performance.

# A new, detailed and highly spatial sound stage for your ensemble to work with. This allows and encourages new musical arrangements that feature spatial motion.

# A new, detailed and highly spatial sound stage for your ensemble to work with and within. This allows and encourages new musical arrangements that feature spatial motion and clear instrument/vocal detail.

# Close musical communication with your bandmates.

# Close musical communication with your bandmates. Everyone hears the mix.

# A clean, good-looking performance area that draws more visual attention to performers and instruments

# A playing environment that encourages considerate performance by putting performers and audience in the same soundfield.

# ~~Ability~~ to set up anywhere, including inside an audience, without toxic acoustic levels.

# A clean, good-looking performance area that draws more visual attention to performers and instruments and allows unobtrusive setup devoid of equipment clutter.

# The ability to set up anywhere, including inside an audience, without toxic acoustic levels. This appeals to situations that have limited seating areas or that prefer to maximize seating capacity. It also can lead to very intimate performer/audience contact, as in a "house concert" or the like.

Given these new tools to work with, what is then required of the performer? Here are some requirements:

# You must have the desire to reach an audience and to engage them intimately. This may be a new experience for some performers. Once you get to this, you will love it and so will your audience.

# Instruments must be in tune and mechanically and electrically excellent. Any flaws will show up very clearly in performance.

# Playing must progress from playing with a monitor mix to playing with the entire ensemble and producing one's performance in the ensemble so that the mix is right. For instance, if you can hear your instrument above the level of the lead vocal, you're playing too loud and must turn down. In playing soccer, beginners look at their feet and the ball. Expert players experience the entire game, head up, and have a full-spectrum view of the playing field. Playing music from a monitor mix is like the neophyte soccer player while playing within a full L1 system allows all players to hear the full mix, the game, like an expert soccer player. Most players will have to learn how to listen to everyone and play accordingly, possibly all over again. Thus, the player must play differently than he or she ever has. Fortunately, this draws on good but latent skills that every musician has. The comment that "musicians can't mix themselves" is totally wrong. And anyway, it's not mixing; it's "playing together". It's Ensemble 101 in music school. Everyone knows how to do it. With the L1 system in place, such skills are quickly brought forward and enjoyed.

# Playing must serve the song. Everyone must realize that the lead vocal or the lead instrument is selling the song and the band. And so, the rest of the band must support this effort to make the song reach its full potential. Listen to the great recordings of music of any kind. Note where the vocal is in the mix and make this happen at your own show.

# Look good. Since your stage will be clean and uncluttered, your audience will naturally focus on you and your instruments naturally. Give them something entertaining or attractive to look at, because they won't have much equipment clutter to look at.

*DJ's feature the L1 (and make more money) but musicians don't. WHy is this?

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 #  Use of a brand new musical instrument, based on your voice and/or your instrument of choice.  This instrument will put you in close touch with your audiences and with all the subtleties and details of your performance.
-#  A new, detailed and highly spatial sound stage for your ensemble to work with.  This allows and encourages new musical arrangements that feature spatial motion.
+#  A new, detailed and highly spatial sound stage for your ensemble to work with and within.  This allows and encourages new musical arrangements that feature spatial motion and clear instrument/vocal detail.
-#  Close musical communication with your bandmates.
+#  Close musical communication with your bandmates.  Everyone hears the mix.
-#  A clean, good-looking performance area that draws more visual attention to performers and instruments
+#  A playing environment that encourages considerate performance by putting performers and audience in the same soundfield.
-#  Ability to set up anywhere, including inside an audience, without toxic acoustic levels.
+#  A clean, good-looking performance area that draws more visual attention to performers and instruments and allows unobtrusive setup devoid of equipment clutter.
+#  The ability to set up anywhere, including inside an audience, without toxic acoustic levels.  This appeals to situations that have limited seating areas or that prefer to maximize seating capacity.  It also can lead to very intimate performer/audience contact, as in a "house concert" or the like.
+Given these new tools to work with, what is then required of the performer?  Here are some requirements:
+#  You must have the desire to reach an audience and to engage them intimately.  This may be a new experience for some performers.  Once you get to this, you will love it and so will your audience.
+#  Instruments must be in tune and mechanically and electrically excellent.  Any flaws will show up very clearly in performance.
+#  Playing must progress from playing with a monitor mix to playing with the entire ensemble and producing one's performance in the ensemble so that the mix is right.  For instance, if you can hear your instrument above the level of the lead vocal, you're playing too loud and must turn down.  In playing soccer, beginners look at their feet and the ball.  Expert players experience the entire game, head up, and have a full-spectrum view of the playing field.  Playing music from a monitor mix is like the neophyte soccer player while playing within a full L1 system allows all players to hear the full mix, the game, like an expert soccer player.  Most players will have to learn how to listen to everyone and play accordingly, possibly all over again.  Thus, the player must play differently than he or she ever has.  Fortunately, this draws on good but latent skills that every musician has.  The comment that "musicians can't mix themselves" is totally wrong.  And anyway, it's not mixing; it's "playing together".  It's Ensemble 101 in music school.  Everyone knows how to do it.  With the L1 system in place, such skills are quickly brought forward and enjoyed.
+#  Playing must serve the song.  Everyone must realize that the lead vocal or the lead instrument is selling the song and the band.  And so, the rest of the band must support this effort to make the song reach its full potential.  Listen to the great recordings of music of any kind.  Note where the vocal is in the mix and make this happen at your own show.
+#  Look good.  Since your stage will be clean and uncluttered, your audience will naturally focus on you and your instruments naturally.  Give them something entertaining or attractive to look at, because they won't have much equipment clutter to look at.
 *DJ's feature the L1 (and make more money) but musicians don't.  WHy is this?