Art Form and Music

¶ … Post: Music I have been lucky enough to have attended dozens of different concerts, in many different genres. Most recently I have been interested in electronic music and have seen a few local DJs as well as a few international ones. I have also seen some avant-garde rock, underground hiphop, punk, and "electroclash," like Peaches. I have seen symphony orchestras and arena rock, such as Bruce Springsteen too.

When people ask me what my favorite music is, I usually have a difficult time answering because I enjoy so much music, especially when it is performed live. Live music is special because it is never the same performance twice. When I see a band or artist live, I am taking part in a moment of history. People have become accustomed to listening to music with their headphones, which is great, except that headphones offer a limiting sonic experience.

Other ways of engaging with the art form of music should be experienced. In fact, each artist creates their sound according to the medium used by the audience. An artist who is geared for live performances will not have a vibrant studio album, and vice-versa. Classical music is especially important to listen to live. "It should tell us something when engineers spend their lives trying to make recordings sound like a performance in a great concert hall," (Gilmore, p. 7).

Music lovers should try to see a live performance regularly because there is nothing quite like it. When heard live, music can even be felt in the body as the sound waves vibrate through the space. The other members of the audience also add to the experience. Sometimes the crowd is lively and enthusiastic, and the band feeds off their energy for a better performance and a longer encore. The venue makes a big difference on the overall live music experience.

As Gilmore points out, the structure of a concert hall or concert venue makes a difference in terms of acoustics. Other issues such as overall layout, whether there are seats or just standing room or both, and how many people can fit in the venue, all have a bearing on the experience. When listening to music, I usually try my best to keep an open mind and look for things to learn about such as paying attention to an instrument I do not usually notice or appreciate.

Discussion Response 1: Theater To Asantewa The Shakespeare in the Park experience with no props and a more minimal set design must have been an extraordinary experience. I would truly love to see a Shakespeare play being performed in the historic Globe Theatre. When I was in England, I went to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's town, and where the theatre is always in full swing showing not just Shakespeare but also other Elizabethan-era plays that are just as valuable and interesting but less famous.

However, most tourists who go to Stratford-Upon-Avon went to see a Shakespeare play set in a town that still has the old architecture from Shakespeare's time. Modern audiences can never truly know what it would have been like in Shakespeare's day, when all the actors were male, even for female parts. Also, I believe many of the jokes and innuendoes in Shakespeare's writing are lost on modern audiences. Discussion Response 2: Musical Stage To Joseph I have attended several modern dance performances and one classical ballet performance.

All were interesting, and I enjoyed the different approaches to the art form. I have also.