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Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror
I wouldn't either. But, not everyone feels that way. Some people are just in it for the music, and separate that from the artist, as a person. For me, I find it difficult, if not impossible to separate the two.
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I guess that depends on how one defines fan. You can say you're a fan of something and mean you just enjoy it .. to me, "fan" as in member of a fanclub is closer to the MW definition, an ardent admirer/enthusiast .. and ardent implies a warmth of feeling, typically expressed in eager zealous support. So, again to me, separating music and artist would be difficult.
Also to me a perfomance consists of two things (whether studio or live) the music and the person, so the feelings of that person would always be important, and would inform the way I spoke or wrote to them about it, either directly or publicly where they might hear or see it. A couple of years ago I went to a concert to see a performer who had been one of the icons of my youth. I was very disappointed as were the friends I went with, and we wouldn't repeat the experience, but nor did we seek out his website to leave criticism. And the more I like and admire the person, the more I would want to be sensitive to their feelings.
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So, here's a question- again, strictly in a general sense- how much does that emotional attachment affect our enjoyment of the music? I honestly don't know, and I'm genuinely curious. Do we like the music more because we like the artist as a person- at least what we perceive them to be? Or, is it the other way around?
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Interesting and difficult. Certainly I have no emotional attachment to say, Motzart or Handel .. but I love their music. I don't need to like the composer as a person to enjoy the work being performed by someone else. I had no liking for much of wjat I knew of Michael Jackson as a person, but there were songs he performed that I enjoyed very much, and there are many artists with whom I feel no emotional attachment to the person, but whose performances I've attended which I've enjoyed, and some whose performance has made a real emotional connection.
In th case of Meat, his performances are so full of passion I'd find it hard NOT to make an emotional connection to the performance .. it doesn't have to be an amazing song for me to love the way he delivers it. The strength and power of any music imo is how far it can and does resonate with our emotions. Liking and admiring what I see in him as a person? Without doubt that enhances it for me greatly. Bottom line for me though is that special magic he has on stage, and that comes through to me in his studio work. Suspending criticism and just being open to it and to the feelings it evokes is what makes it extra special. At the playback, as the album started for a few seconds I was struck by how different it was, how different to what I'd expected. But I closed my eyes and opened my ears and my heart, and in return was lifted away on an incredible journey ..
Caryl