Comments on The Unlikely Salsero - Don Baarns: Using Your Eyes to Hear Music

Makes sense!Few people hear all the layers, and yo...

2008-10-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

Makes sense!

Few people hear all the layers, and you being around so much live music will provide insights others miss.

Even though today your hearing isn't as strong, the roots are there, and that foundation will stay with you even if the details are lost due to the nerve damage.

I always wear ear protection these days, and even use it in classes. Few people pay attention to that (I didn't) until after they notice some loss.

I wrote an article on that subject last year and I'll dig up the URL.

I appreciate your feedback!

I suffer from a severe hearing impairment ( nerve ...

2008-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

I suffer from a severe hearing impairment ( nerve damage )that has always made it difficult for me to make out the lyrics in songs since my teen years in the sixties. What I have developed over the years is quite literally making the vocal part into an "instrumental" part of the total sound that I hear coming from either the radio or the stage ( at a live performance...I did security work at rock, jazz, and pop concerts for many years...usually close to the stage, which speeded up my hearing loss considerably...nothing quite like "feeling" the music, NOTHING! ).

I didn't start wearing ear protection until the late seventies, but by then I was no longer working concerts. What I found was that in the midd-seventies I became enamoured by latin percussion music and celtic music ( I am a mixture of Irish, Cuban, and Cherokee Indian ancestry ). I have long had an urge to study percussion instruments, but I put my time and money into jazz dance and latin dance studies instead. My ability to hear "voice" as "instrument" has developed over the years...who needs to understand lyrics (especially since I love latin coros, but I understand only rudimentary espanol...Ismael Riviera, Beny More', Ruben Blades, ahhhhh! ). Of course, some voices like Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Beny More, Ruben Blades, Ismael Riviera, and Sade sing lyrics so clearly that they really put my brain and my feet into smooth overdrive...another layer?

I do know that when I first heard Santana live at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago-circa 1970-I was able to "hear" the band, the percussion, the guitar, the singer, as "distinct waves of rhythm." I have always been able to hear all the parts of latin recordings as "layers" rather than as the multi-part chaos that most western listeners hear latin music as ( this includes western jazz players with lots of chops and experience! ).

It is difficult to find latin dance partners who can follow the various "voices" in latin salsa music that I "hear / feel."

I hope this makes sense.

The point "anonymous" is trying to make here is ob...

2008-10-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

The point "anonymous" is trying to make here is obviously flawed.

In my experience there is mostly no correlation between being a great dancer and being able to analyze and explain dancing and related subjects.

I've had several dance teachers, and the best dancers (actually world class international performers) have so far been the worst teachers.

Their advice, if any, have not been very sound. (Nonsense like "relax, have fun, stop counting" etc..)

I do not expect this to be some kind of rule of thumb, but do not expect great dance skills to indicate a great teacher or thinker. It's not that easy.

This is not too surprising, when considering that a truly great dancer, born with talent, who might have danced since childhood might very well have less awareness of what they are actually DOING and why.

Their dancing comes with less concious effort, they might have forgotten the theoretical foundation that a beginning dancer can benefit from. They don't need it anymore.

Actually that's exactly how the brain works, the cerebellum that handles the feedback from the body get's sort of "disconnected" from the concious mind after many years of training. It's called "LTD, Long Term Depression", necessary to get the flow we're all looking for. It's impossible to move with great precision and speed if you don't inhibit the feedback system.

I don't remember who pointed out that the best coaches in sports usually aren't the best athletes, but rather the mediocre.

I am also, naturally, quite curious about Don's dancing. But I can see how it would be a bad idea for him to show it if he's not convinced he's nothing short of a world class performer. (Which would be most unlikely)

Far too many visitors would prematurely dismiss his insights, sound and very useful advice just because they believe "Great Dancer = Great Teacher", which simply is not true at all.

Nothing forces you to read my point of view. You a...

2008-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing forces you to read my point of view. You are not paying for my articles, and you're not required to read them. I put my credentals out there on my profile, and you may or may not believe my expertise.

You're hiding behind being anonymous to express your thoughts (complaining) about my work which costs you NOTHING.

www.Blogger.com is available for your point of view, and it's free. Start your own blog, build your own following and make your voice heard. There are other options.

Tens of thousands of people read my articles, and a few others find them enjoyable even if you don't.

If you want to be my critic, take a number. The more you complain, the more private mail I get telling me to ignore you. It's kind of funny.

Understand that I'm done wasting my time responding to you as long as you are anonymous.

If you want to have a civil conversation person to person, cool. Send me private mail with your phone number and I'll call you.

You can always take advantage of my triple your money back guarentee, but again, I suspect you should simply go elsewhere.

I'll delete all your future comments, and I'm not wasting my time responding to an anonomous complainer, especially about work I do that is FREE for you.

Heck, I might delete all these comments, other than the fact it's generated so much positive mail for me. I'll still probably eliminate it at some point.

Best to you.

If the advice is so valuable, then the end result ...

2008-09-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

If the advice is so valuable, then the end result (=the salsa dancing) has got to reflect that. But still no video... "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches."

"I'm not clear what my personal dancing has to do with your ears improving."

Well, I'm not clear how my ears 'improving' will improve my dancing, and I'd like to see what it has done for you. It's a simple matter of credibility: if you teach somebody to play tennis, it's fair for the student to see you hit a few balls, no?

I'm a work in progress on dancing (as I've stated 30 time in my articles) and I don't have anything I love at this point.

Then wait until you love your dancing before giving others advice!

Hi Don,I just found your blog this weekend and I a...

2008-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Don,
I just found your blog this weekend and I already love it. Yes, I find that my greatest weakness as a dancer is that I am rhythmically challenged so I really appreciate your articles about training ears to really listen to the music and all the nuances that occur during live concerts. I'm looking forward to reading all your past articles on this site. My compliments to you on providing this excellent, informative blog!

Didn't criticize; just asked for a video.

2008-09-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

Didn't criticize; just asked for a video.

It is much easier to be a critic than to be correc...

2008-09-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

It is much easier to be a critic than to be correct.
-- Benjamin Disraeli

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does ...

2008-09-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

He who knows, does not speak.
He who speaks, does not know.

And one more thing: I put my name and photo out th...

2008-09-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

And one more thing: I put my name and photo out there so I'm directly accountable for things I say. I'm not posting anonymously.

Of course, there's always my "Triple Your Money Back" guarantee on my articles. Anytime you wish I'll send you three times what my readers pay for my insights.

It may not be obvious, but each articles takes hours to create, write and edit. Still, we'll refund all fees with no questions.

At this point I don't have any recent videos of me...

2008-09-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

At this point I don't have any recent videos of me dancing, but I'm not clear what my personal dancing has to do with your ears improving.

My expertise is based on playing music for 30 years, teaching thousands of students with Edie the Sslsa Freak and my own classes/private lessons.

I have plenty of third parties who are world-class dancers who hire me and consult with me for my expertise. They all out dance me ten to one.

How I dance personally is a distraction in terms of musiciality and ear training.

Feel free to send me private e-mail if you have questions or comments on that policy, or start your own blog with your examples and your point of view.

I'm a work in progress on dancing (as I've stated 30 time in my articles) and I don't have anything I love at this point.

To state the obvious: If you are uncomfortable with my views, reading this blog is optional.

If you disagree with any of the articles, then start your own blog as your voice is as valid as mine.

Musicality again... when are you going to actually...

2008-09-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Musicality again... when are you going to actually SHOW us what it means by posting a video of your dancing?