Category Archives: Psychology and perception

Disturbance in the Force: a Natural Experiment with Audiences

Posted on June 13, 2020 by

With all the performers, musicians, artists social distancing at home, you might think that this is an opportunity, that they’d be busy singing, strumming, painting…. All that time to create, right? Yet it’s not what I hear on social media. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Essays, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gone With The Pandemic

Posted on April 10, 2020 by

Last night we watched the first half of Gone With the Wind. The film began at 10:00 pm taking us up to the intermission around 11:30 pm.   Whatever misgivings I have about the story it remains an amazing achievement. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception | Tagged | Leave a comment

Talking to Stacey about fearing fear: Choose Joy

Posted on March 28, 2020 by

When you have a toothache you go to the dentist. When you’re feeling troubled in spirit where do you go? At times in my life I’ve gone to a psychotherapist or to a church for solace. Live theatre & concerts … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Food & Nutrition, Interviews, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Lost Karaoke Tapes

Posted on January 31, 2020 by

I’m impressed. Nicole Lizée has more reason to be pompous & full of herself than any composer or performer I know. But she seems to be totally unpretentious. Exhibit “A”: the piece we saw & heard tonight is called “Karappo … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

AMPLIFIED OPERA @ birth: The Way I See It 

Posted on October 11, 2019 by

I was among the audience present at the Ernest Balmer Studio for the birth of Amplified Opera, the brain-child of Teiya Kasahara & Aria Umezawa, in the first of three different programs to launch a new opera company. Directed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not quite forgotten: Liszt’s Valses oubliées

Posted on October 6, 2019 by

The composer centennials & bicentennials may be artificial stimuli to research, but the effect is real. Knowing that everyone is suddenly focusing upon a particular period seems to inspire all sorts of interesting studies, conferences where people share their research … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The miraculous simplicity of Hearing Beethoven

Posted on August 14, 2019 by

I’m very grateful for the serendipity that led to Robin Wallace’s book even if the fate governing its creation is cruel indeed. A shy and short-sighted musicologist named Robin married a nurse named Barbara. She was losing her hearing.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Robert Lepage’s 887 this time

Posted on May 4, 2019 by

Have you seen Robert Lepage’s 887? This show’s been all over the world. I missed the first Toronto incarnation in 2015 but saw it & raved about  it last time, brought to Toronto via Canadian Stage (one of the co-producers) … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Evolving past jealousy in opera

Posted on March 13, 2019 by

I was thinking about jealousy today.  It’s funny how sometimes a word can come up over and over again. I confessed to some envy in my last review, admiring the way Stephen Walsh wrote about Debussy.  I don’t know if … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Psychology and perception | 1 Comment

Vitals

Posted on November 16, 2018 by

Whenever I see a new theatre piece, whether spoken or musical, I’m juggling a few balls, responding to the work that was composed / written the interpretation / direction of that piece the performances / acting in the piece Whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment