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Alvin Lucier – Nothing is Real

 Alvin Lucier – Nothing is Real

This was just weird to listen to and watch. I don’t know what to make of it, really. It started with this elderly guy, Alvin Lucier, playing on the piano. He played some parts from the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but in different octaves. Sometimes normal, then very high or very low. All of this was not very cohesive, as he took breaks between each individual sequence of notes.

Then after a while, he just stood up, closed the piano, and took out a teapot. All of this in such a slow manner, I was not sure if this was part of the performance or due to the fact that he is just old and needs a little longer.

The teapot seems to be connected with a cable, to a device where he recorded the piano earlier. He then starts opening and closing the teapot slowly, again, I am not sure if it is supposed to be that slowly, but I guess this time it may be. He has a sheet laying on the piano, possibly with musical instructions on when to open or close the teapot.

The teapot amplifies the sound, changing it. Every time it is opened, the sound is louder. When it is closed, it is less loud. However, it is very quiet in general. I was surprised so many people were watching and listening, and by the amount of applause he received at the end.

It is an interesting experiment, amplifying sounds with a teapot. However, I do wonder how he got that idea, and how people actually go there and enjoy it. Or did they just clap to be polite? I don’t want to be rude, but I personally did not enjoy this. But it seems like some people do, which is surprising to me.
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