In reading the chapter from Aaron Fox’s book, titled, I Hang My Head and Cry, there was one particular part of the reading that stuck out to me, quoted at the very beginning: “Songs are more like plays than poems . . . [they bear] meaning not just semantically, but also as structures of sound that are direct signs of emotion and marks of character.” This quote is actually from Simon Frith’s Why Do Songs Have Words, but the impact is nevertheless the same; the beauty of a live performance is in that you are not only able to hear amazing music, but you are also able to witness the character and emotion of the performers, which would otherwise be impossible. I had the pleasure of being able to witness a performance over my short time home over …show more content…
These performers would come on stage for their acts, followed by waves of cheers, and the emcee would then provide comic relief, as well as call up the next act. Apart from my friend, there was one performer who truly stood out for me; she was a singer from Northwest DC, and the beauty in her singing was not necessarily the flawlessness of her singing style or her being able to hit each note, but the amount of emotion she carried in her lyrics. Her song was about her trouble in finding love and her harsh luck in relationships, and for a moment, I truly felt as if I could feel the pain she was emulating. There were countless times in which it was almost as if she was going to break down on stage, as the waves of emotion continued to flow throughout her and to all of the audience. The performance was truly touching, and a crucial reason for the quote I highlighted at the very beginning; seeing music as a play, it is not always the script that makes a play truly special, at times it can be the acting and the emotions of the characters that can generate empathy from a great deal of the audience. That was truly the case for this performer, and a reason why I believe she will truly be remembered.
It was this timbre that made many of the other performances special as well, including the one from the friend I arrived with; as a poet, his performance
The concert that I attended last Friday was an interesting one where I got to have some new experiences and learn about classical music.
An identity crisis is defined as a period, at which an individual struggles with one's own sense of self. I believe that everyone goes through such a crisis at one point or another; however, I do not feel it is correct to say, everyone goes through this type of crisis entering their first year of college. Now, I am not say that someone can’t have an identity crisis entering college for the first time, for is was made clear in the essay, that some people can indeed, have a sudden realization of either finding or losing one’s self in college. In turn, it is fair to say that most people do develop a sort of crisis when embarking in the college life. It's a time in your life when you experience the world in a new light—and usually on your own.
During a musical performance many elements to be looked are not easily recognized by the average critic. A musical performance has multiple interactions taking place between the music, text, performers, audience, and space that all can contribute to a great performance. Overwhelming majority of the audience does not realize so much can be looked at during a single performance. At a performance by the University of Maryland Marching Band I was able to analyze the Musical Sound, Contexts of the Performance, and Interpretation of the Performance.
I counted nineteen total performers with occasionally two others and a vocalist. Each performer was dressed in black pants and a black shirt except one who showed up late. He was wearing blue jeans and a sports coat and he definitely stood out from all the others. The performers related very well with the audience. Each acknowledged the audience after applauses and there was a narrator between pieces. There was a lot of humor among the performers and they seemed ...
In the musical world, there is so much that you can learn and take from a song. However, the only way you can understand a song is by picking up the themes that the artist has used to represent in his music. The way that the artist conveys his/her themes, is by the use of different literary devices to strengthen the emotion in which the artist wants to express the themes of his music. An example of artist portraying their emotions through their music, would be the artists Common and John Legend. In their song “Glory” they talk about the three themes of freedom/glory, togetherness, and power in peace, with the help of using simile, ballad, rhyme, anaphora and lyric.
In a world of many different religions and beliefs that are separated by physical boundaries, imposed values, and moral codes there holds a universalized question by all who believe in the existence of God: Why would a being capable of creating good things also partake in the creation of evil? Many people often find themselves asking that same question when a tragedy has occurred which is a common happening in this day and age. The poems “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen and William Blake’s “the Tyger” both contain this bewilderment as to why God would create and disperse negativity throughout the world to display this theme that is universalized through time, culture, and
One can argue that the emotional impact of the musical delivery may have much more impact on an audience than the original message Springsteen hoped to portray through his
In this video, the one thing that caught my attention was when Charles Colson stated that “when he worked in the prisons 35 years ago there were 229,000 people in prison. Today there are 2.3 million people in prison.” This really caught my attention because it is just a great example of how our culture is starting to crumble right before our very eyes. There is an epidemic of drug abuse, corruption, thievery and all-around madness going on in America today. It really does seem like ethics are non-existent and this is the very reason why our jail system is currently overloaded. I don’t know about anybody else but to me sometimes I wake up and wonder if I am still on planet Earth. Even though I am only 30
Putman, D. (1990). THE AESTHETIC RELATION OF MUSICAL PERFORMER AND AUDIENCE. British Journal of Aesthetics. 30 (4), 1-2.
The blues is a music genre that laments inequality, while expressing sensitive distress for death of loved ones, optimism for an improved life, trade, and cash. The central idea of blues performances is that after listening or performing the blues, one is able to overcome grief and ov...
performance to a major degree reflects the spirit of the times, and some of today's 'authentic' performances have less to do with historical accuracy, attempting rather to produce a performance which, in John Eliot Gardiner's words, will 'excite modern listeners.' (Sartorius)
Musical concerts are undoubtedly an incredible opportunity to experience a great aesthetic pleasure by listening to the musicians perform in front of your eyes. The power of music can hardly be overestimated – it can transfer a number of messages, thoughts and feelings through the performed sounds. Therefore the one can comprehend the music in the best possible way only when it is heard live. Musical concerts are often revelatory and highly impressive experiences to me. This essay thereby aims to provide my reflections and impressions of the concert of Gregory Porter & the Metropole Orchestra which I had the opportunity to attend in Nashville, TN.
... a way for audiences and performers to connect on a closer level. They are both experiencing the surreal, disassociating themselves from the performance taking place. They both become more introspective. The performance becomes a vehicle for self-understanding, metacognition.
After the show had ended, I felt slightly empty. I had waited years and months for that night, and it was over in the blink of an eye. Although I was sad that the show was over, I felt completely content. Now, when I hear their songs, I get to remember what it felt like to hear the band perform them live. I can watch the videos and try to wrap my mind around how it was real. Going to my first concert was an unparalleled experience that I will always cherish. The ambiance, the band’s performance and the unity the audience
Though, I knew it wouldn’t be the same as a concert, I still intended it to be similar. To my surprise, it was a completely different atmosphere. Overall, I did enjoy it, but there were a few things I disliked. I wasn’t a fan that the majority of the songs performed by Anthony Lovano’s band had no words. I didn’t like this, because that is my favorite part about the concert; getting to sing along with the band. When only two songs had words, I was confused how the band could ever interact with the audience to build their reputation. This being said, that is the second part I disliked; lack of participation with the audience. A member of the band would announce the song being played, with few explaining the meaning behind it and then they’d perform. I disliked this because I always find it more entertaining to interact with the performers. I think it’s exciting when they let you sing part of the song, while they play the music or when they just talk to you about their day in between songs. Again, I have only ever gone to a concert before, so this is all I was able to base it off