The Great Music Stand Debate

Some years ago I started a thread on the nz-folk list about how the use of music stands detract from a performance. Obviously this came with lots of qualification but the thing that surprised me was how vociferously the use of printed lyrics as a memory aid in performance was defended by some indignant list members.

Clearly there are musical disciplines, orchestras and show bands for instance, where music is read in real time; musicians play from the dots, but in this instance, no one person is engaging directly with the audience - even the conductor has their back to the audience. Classical soloists rarely play from music, they know their material inside out.

In the case of the solo or lead performer, whether it be a punk rock band or an a capella folk singer reading from the text (it's invariably text, not music) devalues even the best performance. First, a music stand creates a visual impairment. It not only distracts from the performer, it usually obscures part of them. Second, I get the clear sense that I am being read to and not experiencing the direct emotion of the artist's intention. One does not expect to see theatre actors perform with the script in one hand; playing a song is much the same thing.The difference is in which part of the brain is engaged in reconstructing the (say) song. Reading, although reasonably intuitive in most of us, is essentially a "logical" or "left brain" exercise. Rendering an emotive, humourous or satirical performance is not. There is some complex cognative processing going on in converting text and/or chords from a page to a voice-and-instrument presentation and this taxes the delivery no matter how well rehearsed.

Don't get me wrong, performing from lyrics and memory aids is fine and commonplace in our clubs and pubs - and if that's what you need to perform, do it. But if you aspire to a being more than a campfire singer then it is best to try to develop a repertoire that you can do from memory. I know of several overseas festivals, for example, that would think twice about engaging an artist that presents with a music stand for major concerts. It may seem unfair but in many of these circles it just seen as unprofessional. Some actually say this in their guidelines. They want you to genuinely know your material and not look like a work in progress.