Live Musical Concert Performances Listening

Live Musical Concert Performances

Listening to recorded music can be a very enjoyable experience, but (by definition) the pleasure is limited to one sense of perception: hearing. The same musical piece is even more enjoyable when accompanied by visuals, such as on a television screen. Even if the sound is the same in both formats, it seems that the overall sensation is enhanced by the addition of a visual component that allows the listener to watch the musicians create their music. Sometimes, seeing the musicians helps one notice subtle elements of music that one might not even notice when listening without visuals.

Adding the visual component alone magnifies the music experience, but even that pales in comparison to the experience of a live musical performance. The mere element of sharing the experience with other people adds a degree of excitement on its own, which begins long before the actual performance begins. There is a euphoric energy in the crowd that is apparent even outside the arena where the shared anticipation comes through body language and a rhythm in peoples' gait as they approach the venue. This includes the many different instances of people singing some of the sings they hope to hear played by the artist during the show.

Everywhere, many of those who are not singing are talking excitedly about the musical experience they hope to enjoy. That shared energy of anticipation is something that heightens any experience and is missing from listening to recorded music. The crowd's excitement reaches a high point when the lights dim, because that means the concert is about to start and then it gets even higher when the artist first appears on stage.

The biggest difference between listening to recorded music and seeing a live performance becomes apparent from the moment of the first musical note. Whereas one appreciates music primarily through the auditory sense, the physical sensation of the vibrations magnifies the intensity far beyond the mere difference in volume, seeming to add additional dimensions experienced through the entire body rather than just through the ears. Every note seems to last longer and the blending of vocals, instruments and harmony seems more dramatic in person. Modern home stereo equipment allows for the appreciation of stereophonic channel separation, but few home systems can duplicate the intensity of the richness of sound generated by the multi-million dollar sound systems used in live musical performances. In listening to recorded music, one is only vaguely aware of the more subtle minor musical elements like the triangle and sometimes, one misses them entirely. During a live performance, the same subtleties seem to fit precisely were they belong.

Similarly, in listening to musical recordings, one tends to focus exclusively on whatever musical component is being featured most prominently: lead vocalists obscure background vocals; lead instrumentals tend to drown out supporting instruments; and one appreciates only the main beat provided by the percussionist. By contrast, in live musical performances, supporting instrumentals seem to come alive, supporting vocals provide a framework background for lead vocals, the myriad different rhythms and combinations executed by the percussionist are much harder to miss.

In live concerts, the musical mix is fine tuned and channeled to match the acoustical properties of the venue so that the various components of the music reach the audience from the right angles and in the right proportion relative to one another. The effect is that each element complements the others exactly as intended by the composer.

The juxtaposition of lighting coordinated with the musical performance further enhances the experience. By using coordinated stage lighting, the live concert performance allows the stage director to direct the listeners to different parts of the performance almost the same way orchestra conductors direct musicians on stage. Sometimes the lighting focuses on the most prominent element of the performance, but other times, it draws attention to the specific supporting element that is most integral to the combined performance; alternatively, the lighting can also precede musical transitions, such as where it highlights the background vocalists slightly in advance of their coming in.

Another difference between listening to recorded music and experiencing live musical performances is that there is an element of anticipation that comes from not knowing what piece is coming next. As the artists prepare for subsequent pieces, they often change instruments and fine tune them. Some of those in the audience take this opportunity to call out "requests" hoping to hear their favorites. Others in the audience who are very familiar with the artists' repertoire often recognize certain chords and rhythms, even partial ones, that sometimes tip them off to what the next piece will be.