Performing on stage for a musician is a vulnerable place to be. I always thought of it as communication with the audience. The performer places a great deal of themselves out there. And the first time I had to record my pieces for a competition application, I felt a barrier. For me, the barrier was the lack of an audience. It seemed that there was no feedback. Playing for an audience seems to me similar to the direct experience in personal relationships. Should there be real communication in human relationships where friendships are formed, issues are resolved, or understanding is achieved between two parties, then the direct approach would be the best path to take. And the latter is my preferred method.
This brings me to today's question.
Is it better to listen to a live performance or a recording?
There is no right or wrong answer here. It is a matter of personal taste. However, both approaches have advantages and disadvantages.
When I want to get to know a performer better, I prefer to listen to their live performances. However, this might be a luxury sometimes, as the said performer might not frequently visit the city where I live. Therefore, I have to rely on recordings to familiarize myself with their playing style.
Listening to a live concert adds another dimension to the performance through the atmosphere, location, hall, acoustics, and social aspects that a recording cannot provide. Each venue provides a different experience.
Years ago, one summer, I had the opportunity to listen to an orchestra every night for something like two to three weeks. That was live, and it was one of the biggest eye-openers of my life. The same group sounded so different under different circumstances and conductors.
Having said that, recordings offer us many benefits, especially for musicians.
We can listen to our favorite pieces repeatedly as many times as we want.
Sometimes we need to study a piece before performing it ourselves; a recording can serve that purpose. However, when learning a new piece, I would not listen to a recording of it too many times. I might need to learn the norms and have a general idea of how a piece is performed, but I would like to do the rest of the work myself.
If someone wants a quiet evening without the social aspect of attending a live concert, listening to recordings again would be the way to go.
Dancers would need to use many recordings to accompany their practices.
Without recordings, I would not be able to enjoy the jazz music I love so much in my car.
Recordings, of course, play a major role in television, movies, cinema, and social media.
In this sense, having the opportunity to listen to recordings enhances our choices of the variety of music at our fingertips.
And the fact that many recordings are available on the streaming platforms brings today’s music-listening experience to a whole other level. Music is more easily accessible to everyone who has an Internet connection.
My daughter is always finding new music on streaming platforms, and today she asked me about a nineties heavy metal band. That is, if I knew about them. And I sure did.
Therefore, the possibilities for our listening pleasure have increased multifold.
In what venue do you like to listen to music? Please share in the comments below.
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