When was the last time you ventured to your local downtown theatre to sit and absorb all of the elements of a musical composition with all of the components alluring all of your senses? Truly being at peace without any distractions – aside from the occasional dry cough or the person who needed to be escorted to their seat because they didn’t time things right – to genuinely feel the ethos that is exuded from the stories projected with each ear gripping crescendo, each legato sway, the minor key twisting the heart, and the anticipated whimsical tune strummed by the harpist all purposed to hook and reel you into the aura of it all.
A friend and I were searching for a change of scenery and sounds and I found myself in the seats of the Carolina Theatre looking up at the Maestro conducting the orchestra with a face of such emotion, such deep rooted expressions of passion, light-hearted sombre, and rushed movement using his baton as if it were a paintbrush to guide the orchestra in their efforts to illustrate a the story written in the sheet music.
When you plug in your headphones, what is the reason? Is it to ignore the agitation curated from your surrounding environment or is it to serenade your feelings of exhilaration or even solitude? Regardless of how you use music there is something key that all of us humans relate with. In the world of mainstream everything is concordant in the message that is trying to be communicated. Conversely, everyone is trying to speak out and be different than the next. All things resembling dubstep, electro-pop, uber alternative, and so on [are becoming popular]. We are now entering a time period where unknown random artists can really take the stage and win favor.
But even in all of that we are still searching for content and meaning and relatability in the songs we listen to. Listening to instrumentals as well as watching the facial expressions and body movement of the musicians help you sculpt meaning and a story that you can personally identify with. I invite you to check it out a symphony or concerto night and listen with every outlet you have to listen; this doesn’t just mean your ears, but also your heart, truly move with the music.
Visit the Greensboro Symphony webpage for the upcoming performances; there are college student discounts. If you don’t have the money, but you still have the desire to try something new, UNCG has a plethora of themed concerts happening in the music building auditorium and all you need is your student ID.
Here are a few links to prompt your research in finding the concert to best fit your budget and your schedule: