THE TODDCAST · WITH TODD MICHAELThe Quiet Part of the Dance
Todd Terry spun a tiny record while Todd Glass counted beats for a turtle. The turtle only danced during the pauses. A dust jacket slid from the shelf and waited for its cue.
A little silence made room for one graceful turn. The turtle bowed slowly; the dust jacket joined the audience without making a sound.
A beat with a pause
Todd Terry set a tiny record spinning in a quiet shop. Todd Glass brought a turtle who wanted to learn a smooth dance turn. The turtle moved only when the music paused, so every time the record played, it stood still with the focus of a dancer waiting for a very specific cue.
Todd Terry mixed a little silence into the beat. The turtle stepped during the pause, then froze as the rhythm returned. Todd Glass counted the steps and accidentally counted the silence twice. A nearby dust jacket slid off the shelf, perhaps trying to join the choreography, but the turtle gave it a patient nod to wait its turn.
At last, the turtle completed one elegant turn in the quiet between two notes. Todd Terry replayed the mix; Todd Glass gave the dust jacket a place in the audience. The turtle bowed, slowly enough for everyone to notice. It left the shop with a record tucked under one arm and no intention of hurrying home.
One More Turn
Todd Terry played the record; the turtle stood still. Todd Glass counted the pause twice, and the dust jacket slid off its shelf in anticipation.
They mixed in a longer silence. The turtle turned once, bowed, and left with the record at an appropriately unhurried pace.
The Silent Spin
Todd Terry lets the record play,
Todd Glass counts the rests away.
The turtle waits, still as a stone,
The dust jacket taps along alone.
A pause lets one smooth turn begin,
The turtle bows with quiet grin.
The record goes beneath one arm,
And rolls home safe, away from harm.