"I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom. I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients." Gustave Courbet

23 February 2015

Listening.

Bob Weir and Dennis Leonard present a brief introduction to the technical, physiological, psychological and social ramifications of the musical listening experience and how the present day low resolution standards have reduced and clouded the experience. Also presented are the high resolution alternatives currently available.

Dennis is a feature film Sound Supervisor and Re-recording Mixer at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound, he has been there for 26 years. He has been in professional audio since 1971 when the Grateful Dead hired him as part of their technical team. He also does independent consultation and was instrumental in both the acoustic and electronic design and construction of Bob Weir’s TRI Studios, he mixed many of the first shows which were Web Cast from TRI and remains a consultant there. He also consulted on the acoustic and electronic design of the Sweetwater Music Hall partially owned by Bob Weir.

He has been interested, passionate and involved in sound since his childhood and remembers a time when the quality of sound was one of the most important aspects, a time when folks gathered around a stereo together and listened to recorded music for extended periods of time. Back then there was no internet, MP-3 or pocket players and it was difficult to play a single track on an LP.

Born in 1947, Weir was adopted by a wealthy California engineer. As a teen, he secured his spot as one of the youngest members of the burgeoning folk scene that centered on a Palo Alto club called the Tangent—home to such future rock legends as Jerry Garcia, Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and Janis Joplin. In 1964, at the age of 17, Weir spent the majority of his time at a Palo Alto music store where Garcia taught guitar lessons. It wasn’t long before Weir and Garcia, along with Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, formed a blues and folk outfit. Originally called Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, the band was later renamed The Warlocks—adding Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzman to the lineup—and eventually came to be known as the Grateful Dead. 

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