Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Mental Foot-tapping

One of the hazards of public listening is the possibility that someone in a nearby seat will be beating time.

Most of us learn at some stage that rhythm is based on body movement, so it is natural to express it with bodily movement.  I say it all depends.

Some rhythm is decidedly not based on body movement: the rhythm of song, for example, is subject to flights of whimsy that would cause a moving body grievous injury.  And there is the rhythm of the mind at play, many times faster than either the quickest body or the most mercurial lyrical impulse.

Sometimes when I play I make a semi-conscious effort to keep my listeners from even thinking of tapping their foot of otherwise slowing themselves down.  I want every vibration to be heard and felt.