by Glen Brown
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright
- Billy Joel
Billy Joel was onto something. As one of the most skilled and popular performing musicians of our generation, Joel understood the intangible and mysterious connection between the audience and the musician.
Think about these examples:
- Musicians go through all the trouble to set up a live performance, just for the purpose of playing a few songs that could just as easily be piped over a sound system from a digital source.
- Club and pub owners still choose to pay extra $$ to hire live bands week after week when they could just as easily pump the music out of their rockin’ speaker systems, having already paid their royalties for any performance of previously recorded music.
- Hospitals see staff morale rise and patient well-being improve when musical performers come in and play for them.
- Overall grades improve for children who regularly hear and interact with professional, performing musicians in their school.
Despite all of our fancy digital recording and playback technology, games and gadgetry, kids still choose to learn how to play “real” instruments at an early age, and their parents are willing to spend $$ to make it happen.
Live musical performance has not been hurt at all by the addition of new digital technology. In fact, we have increasing evidence that live music brings a magical, intangible benefit to people who experience it!
Are you convinced of the power of music? Music’s power to touch the deeper parts of humanity is what will help you develop perseverance in your study and in your career.
No comments:
Post a Comment