Yesterday I attended a performance of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. As I sat in the hall with it's beautiful acoustics and watched the passion on the musicians' faces, I started contemplating how we listen to music. I blogged before about how we should take advantage of the convenience of technology for sharing music, but there is a danger in that.
There is no replacement for watching live music being performed. The best recording technology and HD video cannot replicate that experience. If you had a choice between listening to your favourite band on your iPod or going to their concert for free, which would you choose?
There is something about seeing music performed in front of you that is impossible to describe. Feeling the wave of sound pass through you, seeing the expressions on the performers' faces, hearing the music echo through the hall, watching the musicians warm-up, seeing the conduct of a professional...these things and many more all make up a unique experience. We cannot afford to depend solely on recordings and videos to expose students to music. They have to be there and see it happen right in front of them. This is an experience all student musicians can't afford to miss.
(I still think that recordings and videos have a vital role in the music classroom, but I strongly believe that students should see as much live music as possible)
I agree with you, I certainly very much enjoy going to concerts. Live just adds so much to the experience.
ReplyDelete