To all instructors, judges, or actually anyone for that matter, I was wondering what the general concencus was for "visual dynamics" in the front ensemble. Most are in favor of them, but a few are adamantly against them stating "You wouldn't see them doing that while playing in a symphony orchestra." I, myself, am totally in favor of them. Let me know what you all think.

i am completely in favor of it. i think that it is one of the few mays that we get through to people. in order to play a piece of music, wether it be a solo, in a symphony or on the field, that you really have to feel the piece and really get into it. i myself do it all the time.

I don't see what the problem is with it. I've seen symphonic and percussion ensemble pieces that incorporate visuals. Those that are against it and say it isn't traditional must realize that once upon a time, mallet instruments themselves were new and atypical.

I am against the visual dynamics because when you think about it how can you get the whole pit to do it not just one person. Some people either forget to do it or do it differently. When a pit can do it perfectly or close to that I would say I am wrong. I have not seen up to today one pit that has done visual dynamics the way I want to see them.

I am for. Yay on the pit who do it boo on the pit who can't do a visual

I'm kind of in the middle. I'm all for the technique to visually show the character of the music (i.e. bringing the mallets up more slowly rather than snapping them up on a slow piece.) However, I'm not a fan of lots of body movement, etc. I have played under instructors who were very into the visual aspect of the pit and others who liked the players to show no emotion at all. I personally fall more to the side of less emotion, although I don't see anything wrong with a little as long as it isn't overdone.

i suppose i could be against it if it was done horribly, out of place, ya'll look like idiots, something like that. i don't think it's something that should be forced, i mean, when you're bobbin your head to a song in the car, you're being natural (usually). so if it's something like that, cool, if it's like the little 90 year old white guy listening to snoop, trying ever so hard to be "cool" then there's a problem

If you're talking about everyone in the pit simultaneously getting lower behind a board while you're playing softly, etc. then I'm totally against it. I think it usually looks too contrived and corny. I've had to do it, and I didn't like it. It felt unnatural. I felt like it was cheating because even if some people weren't playing the proper dynamics, it wasn't as obvious if they were doing the body movement correctly. It seemed like the excess body movement detracted from the quality of the playing and the technique.

However, I'm a fan of showmanship. I think that things like appropriate facial expressions that correspond to the music do add to the show and allow the performer to communicate with the audience better. If the performer truly understands the music and experienced enough, then they should be able to easily emote the piece without resorting to corny visuals.

All very good and valid points. But just to be clear, we are talking about "Visual Dynamics" not the pit doing mallet flips and twirls and stuff. And let us assume for the sake of arguement, that if visual dynamics were done in a group that it would be according to the individual players part. That way when a unison ppp section comes in, the effect is very noticable with all players. (Especially if it's followed by a crescendo to ff.)

Even orchestras take into account what the audience sees.

While on tour in Japan, one of the Israeli Philharmonic's concerts was going to be broadcast on Japanese TV. Zubin Mehta, the conductor, asked one of the percussionists what mallets he was using for a particular, very prominent bass drum part.

The percussionist looked over at his tray table at the mallets he had been using all along, and instead picked up a pair with bright red heads and showed them to the conductor. Mehta said, "Good. It's color television."

So, even big–shot conductors recognize what the audience sees will influence what they hear.

By the same token, one of the dudes in the percussion studio where I went to school forced himself to move around while he was playing because people told him he was too stiff. But when he moved around and trying to look more emotive it just came across as forced and he looked ridiculous.