Methologies III: Interpreting Performance
Interpreting Performance
Last night, urged by the promise of an academic grade and a chance to practice real-time ethnographic research, I attended the Williams’ Campaign Ultra Lounge event. Held in the hub of student life, there in Paresky Center a mixture of students, professors, alumni and their children gathered for free food, gifts, and a host of other side attractions with the main one being the Williams College Jazz Band… or at least that was my perception.
I arrived at the event around 7:40 PM, wanting to get a chance to set up, take in my surroundings, and to eat since the event was slated to start at 8:30. I walked into Paresky Center entering Baxter Hall expecting the dimmed lights, hors-d’oeuvres, and décor suitable for an evening event, as the poster advertised.
Instead I walked into a perfunctory mish-mash of haphazard signs, some misspelled, luxurious appetizer tables, scantily decorated standing tables, and a solitary stage dotted with instruments and three purple columns too add some sense of flair (that admittedly it didn’t do much) to the setup. As the outdoor activities drew to a close, numerous bodies poured inside the center searching for warmth. The confused and excited crowd seemed more concerned with the heady spread of fall themed ‘deserts’ than the impending performance.
Anxious to begin our observation and participate in the night’s festivities that included a photo booth and caricature drawings, my classmates and I decided to staunch the pain of the wait with apple crumble in a cup, hot cider, chicken wings, and random note taking. This bought us maybe 15 minutes until we noticed it was 8:36 and not a movement was made toward the stage. The lights were on at full power and errant conversations about celebrities and people exchanging pleasantries surrounded me. Hurried students tried to hunt down the source of the ‘free gift’ (a portable phone charger adorned with the Campaign motto: “Teach It Forward”) a lucky 250 people would get for attending the event. The occasional parent-child duo milled around unsure of the ‘next big surprise’ the Campaign had in store for them.
Everything about this atmosphere read as if people could care less about the band and it’s apparent tardiness except for my classmates and I. So what did we do? Took more notes. The ferocity of our note taking interested many the passer by. “What are you guys writing? Is that, like, homework?” “What’s this little writing circle you guys have going on?” And the plain, almost aggressive “What is that?” were the questions our peers and alumni had for us. At first I responded saying that this “was a part of our Africana studies senior seminar class, and [that] we’re currently studying performance ethnography. We’re supposed to be taking notes on the jazz performance.” And with that people either joked about their apparent absence or left us alone, satisfied with the answer; but as the night wore on I got lazier and lazier and wound up saying, “Yeah this is homework for class” with a what-can-you-do face. In hindsight stationing ourselves in the back of the hall at standing table in the center wasn’t the brightest idea. We made a quasi-spectacle of ourselves in the absence of the band.
After these visits we realized this on some level and stopped taking notes. Partially tired of writing and tired of waiting, we took a break. My two classmates and I turned to the childhood game of *M*A*S*H*, to pass the time. It would be an understatement to say that this wait hardly put us in the mood to watch a performance. Even the crowd grew weary of waiting and petered out to a mere 70 some odd people still floating around. Fast-forward a whopping 30 minutes later, members of the band saunter onto stage and eek out a couple notes. I shook my head in disbelief at my cellphone screen that read 9:50 PM. The band seemed just as tired as I felt. Their movements oozed nonchalance as they slowly tested out the sound of their instruments. A blare of a horn here, a lazy sax note there, and timid keying of a piano made up the first sounds of the Williams Jazz Ensemble. Eventually they found it in themselves to play “Play That Funky Music”.
Being the first number of the show, the performance was still getting its legs. The musicians peered over at each other trying to match nonverbal cues with the rise and falls of the song. After a time the band seemed to ‘gel’ with one another. The base and the drums created an infallible foundation on which the horns, the saxophone, and the piano keys not only stood but also weaved in and out of one another. The band seemed to actually like what they were playing. For a moment it didn’t seem obvious to the meager audience that they were contractually obligated to be here.
However the true magic happened when another student provided vocals to the instrumental. At first it was unclear as to if he was a part of the ensemble. He sat down on the edge of the stage for about 20 minutes of the performance, and all the sudden he started vocalizing. Low and timid at first the voice seemed lost in the muddle of music, but as the song progressed so did the voice. With a bowed head and singular concentration the vocalist made his words stronger, clearer, filled with intent. It seemed as though the others felt this intention; the saxophone player especially. He not only swayed fervently to the singer’s words but he replied to them. The rest of the band lived within the pocket of music the two created. Though the crowd had dwindled to nil, the band played their best number. Two spectators even got up to dance to the smooth sound. In that juicy moment what happened could be described by Dwight Conquergood’s principal of dialogical performance:
This performative stance struggles to bring together different voices, world
views, value systems, and beliefs so that hey can have a conversation with
one another. The aim of dialogical performance is to bring the self and the
other so that they can question, debate, and challenge one another (Conquergood, 9).
The musicians heard each other’s ideas and expounded on them, responded. The people in the crowd saw this exchange of ideas and internalized them into their bodies. Though these ideas I am speaking of are purely abstract it doesn’t change the act of dialogue. Live music and dance is always a conversation, whether it is one-sided is up to the performers themselves. In this moment such an exchange was present. In this moment this was a good performance. However that crumbled quickly.
After becoming hyper aware of the fact they were playing to a mostly empty room, the musicians let the atmosphere die. They let this dialogue “dissolve [back] into the performer”, killing the beauty they had just created. They once again sounded as if they were in someone’s garage practicing for the hell of it, but not in a good way. The band seemed detached from the room, enveloped in themselves no longer reaching out for some sort of interaction with their intimate audience.
All this is to say that this was a lukewarm performance with little shining moments. Aside from two numbers, the jazz band seemed uninterested in their material and the space. The novelty of a heartfelt vocalist gave the performance the wings it needed, but just as quickly they came they left. The Williams Jazz Ensemble lacked connection, which made this event a venture I kind of regretted attending.
Tags: methodologies, performance
Thank you for sharing this blog post! I found it to be informative and well-written. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and learned something new. Keep up the great work!
I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work… 白金ザ・スカイ
I was surfing the Internet for information and came across your blog. I am impressed by the information you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. 東京総合不動産
i never know the use of adobe shadow until i saw this post. thank you for this! this is very helpful. REITマンション
룰렛사이트
like water for chocolate » Assignments
Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I’m pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. ALPINE ICE HACK
I enjoyed over read your blog post.
Mount Abu Escorts
برای خرید ساندویچ پانل روی لینک سایت ما کلیک کنید
ماموت بهترین در خاوره میانه
ساندویچ پانل های ماموت را از ما بخواهید
linked web page
like water for chocolate » Assignments
I appreciated your work very thanks Hall Of Flame Weed
I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work. Luxurious Puppies For Sale
Yes i am totally agreed with this article and i just want say that this article is very nice and very informative article.I will make sure to be reading your blog more. You made a good point but I can’t help but wonder, what about the other side? !!!!!!Thanks bales of hay for sale near me
Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. Alpine Ice Hack Reviews 2023
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. rottweiler for sale
click here
like water for chocolate » Assignments
Thanks for a very interesting blog. What else may I get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I am simply now operating on, and I have been at the look out for such info. COCOSneakers
Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. ProDentim Supplement for Dental Health
It is looking awesome, and I can’t wait to see the final result!!
keto vitals electrolyte powder stick packs
like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methologies III: Interpreting Performance
Keep posting like this informative articles. 호텔카지노
You are providing wonderful information, it is very useful to us. 온라인카지노
I really appreciate your effort. 온라인카지노
Thank you for sharing such valuable and helpful information and knowledge. 카지노
포커사이트
like water for chocolate » Assignments
Awesome and interesting article. Great things you’ve always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this kind of post. watch MLB on DirecTV Stream
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. IKARIA LEAN BELLY JUICE
Exactly what I was searching for, appreciate it for putting up.ㅗㅗ
하나약국 비아그라
In the online iteration of Backrooms Game, you are tasked with using your superior brains to devise an evacuation strategy that is as effective as possible.
View website
like water for chocolate » Assignments
Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I’m pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. community platform
I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article… apk
카지노사이트 순위
like water for chocolate » Assignments
Thank you for the update, very nice site.. Ikaria Lean Belly juice Review
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. Alpine Ice Hack for Weight Loss
Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. one punch man manga
I’m really impressed with your writing skills, as smart as the structure of your blog
farklı vede özel
Excellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking. cheap puppies for sale
Thanks for a wonderful share. Your article has proved your hard work and experience you have got in this field. Brilliant .i love it reading. buy real documents online
You won’t want to miss this article, this article can bring you unexpected surprises.ChatGPT
I truly value this superb post that you have accommodated us. I guarantee this would be helpful for a large portion of the general population.
https://holyname.xyz
Thanks for sharing this knowledgeable post. What an excellent post and outstanding article.
¡Un gran artículo con una excelente idea!Gracias por un artículo tan valioso. Realmente aprecio esta gran información. 텍사스홀덤사이트
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks, very good post. parterapi København
시알리스 파는곳
Rattling clean internet site , thanks for this post
성인약국
Rattling clean internet site , thanks for this post
good site Lots of useful information here. Send to a friend.
Dolayısıyla üyeler herhangi bir mağduriyet yaşamadan sisteme giriş yapabilmektedir.
I’m gone to tell my little brother, that he should also pay a quick visit
this website on regular basis to get updated from hottest reports.
https://oncablog.one
cellulose
پد سلولزی چیست و در چه صنایعی کاربرد دارد؟
پد سلولزی یکی از واسطه های سرمایش تبخیری است که از لایه های متعدد ورق های نازک و موج دار کاغد کرافت با خاصیت جذب آب بالا تشکیل میشود. این ورق های نازک به وسیله ی رزین جهت جلوگیری از فاسد شدن و تجزیه شدن در مواجهه با آب، اشباع و مقاوم سازی شده اند. پد سلولزی به واسطه شکل هندسی و بافت منظمی که دارد باعث میشود آب در سرتاسر آن به طور یکنواخت پخش شود پد سلولزی و سطح تماس بالایی را با جریان عبوری هوا ایجاد نماید. حرکت هوا در لایه های صلب و خیس پد و عدم حمل قطرات آب به داخل فضای سرمایش، موجب تبخیر حداکثری آب شده و خنکای بالایی ایجاد میکند. شکل هندسی و بافت منظم پد حاصل استقرار زوایا و طول موجهای متفاوت لایه های کاغذ کرافت بر روی هم است.
پد سلولزی چه خصوصیات و ویژگی هایی دارد؟
استفاده از مواد اولیه کاغذ کرافت که درصد بالایی از آب را جذب میکنند.
خاصیت مویینگی کاغذ کرافت که باعث توزیع یکنواخت آب در تمام سطوح پد سلولزی میشود.
خاصیت خودشویی پد سلولزی که باعث جلوگیری از رسوب گذاری روی سطح پد میشود.
جلوگیری از ورود حشرات موذی
خاصیت ایستایی و مانایی بالا به واسط استفاده از کاغذ کرافت و مواد اولیه مرغوب
طول عمر حداقل سه سال
ایجاد خنکای بیشتر به نسبت محصولات جایگزین مثل پوشال