Voice Critique

In my research of music education/classical music blogs to write a "voice critique," about, I realized that many arts critics, educators and even advocates use voices that are more mundane than the chord progression used in an average song by Miley Cyrus. Much of the blogs I found were the daily activities of education conventions, or some non-descript or opinionated activity of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), amongst other things. The blogging "voice" of a few opera critics had potential, especially since their blogs were also the most colorful.

The blog I chose happened to relate to my topic much more closely than I had anticipated.

Deceptively Simple is written by Marc Geelhoed, the Resound coordinator and administrator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his blog, he promotes the arts through his personal experiences, knowledge of classical music along with his knowledge of popular culture.

Last July Geelhoed wrote an entry about the advancements of technology, and how kindles, ipods and other technological items are keeping symphony goers from purchasing CDs, (specifically CDs of the CSO). His blog had definite structure, beginning with how the situation directly relates to him--the sale of CSO paraphenalia and CDs. His argument of using new technology without abandoning an appreciation for bookstores gets more complex, then culminates in a question of whether or not technology will actually make people more cultured. Questions are often commentary in themselves, I suppose. He uses short sentences as well as short transition statements.

"Ephemerality is the enemy. I like stuff that lasts."

Geelhoed prefers the "old-fashioned" ways of buying CDs from Tower Records, making conversation with the sales clerk and fostering the "community" of buying records in a store. His description of the scene reminds me of a mom and pop's store in the 1960s that a child might go to every day after school to buy a bottle of "pop." The scene he creates seems nostalgic, which seems humorous considering CDs are technology that, within 15 years ago, seemed relatively new and inventive, and of course, in my comparative scene, school children aren't allowed to drink sugary sodas anymore either.

"So, if you’re looking for me, you can find this 31-going-on-78-year old in the bookstore, grumbling about kids and their Twindles or Kitters or whatever they’re using these days."

Although he describes himself as a devoted "abebooks.com" shopper, he ardently claims to have never purchased items recommended by "Amazon.com algorithms." He points out that when he uses the word "browser," he is referring to a shopper, not Internet software. He demonstrates his ironic lifestyle by doing this--being so against internet shopping, but knowing enough to reference websites and terms that online shopper officianados, (who could be in his audience), might recognize.

Other blogs include youtube videos, pictures or references to songs that apply to the topic. One blog entitled "Guns don't kill people; people with guns kill people," is hardly about music at all. He makes a statement about his opinion regarding gun control, and posts a youtube video of a stand-up act by Eddie Izzard.

"But anyway. The more these sort of issues come around, the more I understand the immutable truth that Eddie Izzard has already addressed them, and unearthed logic such that no one can argue. Here’s Eddie on gun control. (NSFW)"

In celebration of Leonard Bernstien's would-be 91st birthday, Geelhold created a playlist of his favorite classical works that were conducted by Bernstein. Each was chosen in having significance in his life either as inspiring art or as "the first classical CD I ever bought," (Mahler's fifth). This particular post as much musical merit, without the pretentiousness of many classical music critic/junkie bloggers embody, which is actually more annoying than impressive.

"For sheer fun, Bernstein’s never been beaten in Rhapsody in Blue. I’m pretty sure I paid more than the $7.99 Amazon lists it for, too."

This lack of arrogance makes Geelhold's blog easy to read--and trust. The fact that he can describe Bach and Mahler without sounding like a know-it-all adds to his credibility as a person, which, in blogging, is so important. In his youtube-loving, Bach-obsessing and politically knowledgeable frenzy, Simply Deceptive offers a voice that is simple enough to simply appreciate.