[HN Gopher] Isolated older adults find joy and connection throug...
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       Isolated older adults find joy and connection through virtual
       singing
        
       Author : gnabgib
       Score  : 3 points
       Date   : 2025-04-22 21:39 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (news.northwestern.edu)
 (TXT) w3m dump (news.northwestern.edu)
        
       | AStonesThrow wrote:
       | This is a horrible idea and nearly impossible and I cannot
       | believe they didn't bother addressing the nearly insurmountable
       | technical hurdles which face any group trying to synchronize a
       | musical performance online.
       | 
       | Even using specialized software and hardware, it is difficult.
       | Trying to (ab)use Zoom or Teams for simultaneous performance is
       | an exercise in futility and frustration.
       | 
       | It is not merely latency that gets in your way, but that is a
       | large part of it. It is also the nature of the codecs, and the
       | nature of the processing. These videoconferencing apps are
       | designed to spotlight _one speaker_ with _many spectators_. They
       | were never designed to accommodate everyone having a go all at
       | once!
       | 
       | Many people found out, during the pandemic, that they needed to
       | "fake it" if they were trying to record a choral performance.
       | Record your piece one at a time. Send it over to the next person
       | and they add to it; it's manually "touched up" and synced by an
       | editor. And so forth.
       | 
       | "Virtual choirs" are divisive and ableist. Only those who have
       | the "proper technology" can even consider admission to these
       | groups. I have been a member of various choirs in my life.
       | Sometimes this was even possible when I was living on the
       | streets. I did not require a car, nor an iPad, nor an Internet
       | connection to be a choir member. I only needed to bring myself
       | and a positive attitude.
       | 
       | Membership in real choirs is a fulfilling and uplifting
       | experience. There are no words for the way it makes me feel, to
       | sing together with other people, in a room. Especially when we
       | are fully rehearsed and we perform for an audience who applauds
       | and appreciates our work. Choirs are the ultimate in
       | collaborative and cooperative recreation. I've sung Disney songs,
       | I've sung songs by Rogers & Hammerstein; I've sung ancient Greek
       | hymns. The experience is simply unparalleled.
        
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       (page generated 2025-04-22 23:01 UTC)