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LETTER of the MONTH
Do the eyes have it?
I enjoyed the Grand Final of BBC Young Musician (see p12), but it did lead me to wonder whether the judges would have come to the same conclusion had they only listened to the performances and not watched. To what extent does the visual aspect influence one’s opinion? For a live audience and those watching on TV, it’s interesting to see how players interact with each other and communicate with the audience. But essentially music is about listening. A flautist playing the Ibert Concerto is never going to be as visually flamboyant as a percussionist athleticly managing a battery of instruments across the stage.
