Orchestra Concerts in Kalamazoo - Essay Example

On January 11, I attended a performance by the Ragbirds group, at Bell’s Brewery, in Kalamazoo. The Michigan-based group is led by five females and performs in a five-piece in most of their landmark performances. The Ragbirds are well-known for their multiple talents and mixing various musical influences around the world and the multiple styles of their performance. On this particular occasion, the group enthralled the audience with a series of performances, which included African influences, jam music, elements of hip-hop, and a variety of other performances. The performance can be judged as excellent based on the positive remarks and the great admiration drawn from the audience. Some of the issues that connect to the value of the Ragbirds performance thrill on account of its capacity to address the diverse needs of the audience through balance and energetic delivery of sound and instruments.

The performance was long and large-scale, although this aspect did not seem to subtract from its quality and style of performance. Parts of the symphony appeared decidedly sophisticated given the fact that they combined traditional styles with modern influences without losing the aspect of sophistication that is usually assigned to symphonies. I have always regarded symphonies with high esteem because of the manner in which they combine various sounds and effects to build meaning and impact people in particularly impressive ways. In this particular symphony, I was particularly moved by the expert use of preludes, postludes, and interludes to develop meaning in ways that showed the maturity of the performance and the many possibilities of style that were reflected within the performance.

One of the most noticeable positive qualities of this symphony was the emotional range and the scale in which it was rendered. I found it particularly tranquil and calming, in the sense that it connected appropriately with the aesthetic tastes of the audience. At some point, I thought that the impact was something totally personal and brought out by my own sensitivities to musical aesthetics. However, as the symphony launched into the different emotional zones, I could feel large sections of the audience deeply connected, with extremely high levels of concentration. In my opinion, the months of January and February are often languid and melancholic, due to the aftermath of the high Christmas season in December. The presentation of any symphony must target, as one of its goals, the purpose of determining the aesthetic tastes of the audience in ways that connect effectively with the demands of the occasion.

The audience was a mixture of ages. There were young children accompanied by their parents or guardians. There were also some couples either married or dating while many other people appeared single and seemed to connect very well with the performance and the situation nevertheless. At first, the younger children appeared to be somewhat disconnected from the details of the symphony but gradually built interest as the soothing aspect of the harmonics began to take effect. The composition was appropriately matched with the length of the performance in a way that captured the diverse tastes of the audience. In a significant way, the symphony represented the coming of age of the various aspects of composition that connected the influences of tradition and modernity in a seamless continuum.

On the 18th of January, I attended a second concert by the Big Boss Blues Band, which was performed in Bell’s Brewery. The group hails from Michigan and performs in electrifying live performances that kept the tempo and pace of the jolly mood in the auditorium. Much of their performance ranged from various songs and genres that reflected the level of flexibility by which this group generally performs. I was very pleased with the kind of energy that they presented on stage and the manner in which they mixed the different songs in a very harmonious way. Although I would have preferred the inclusion of youthful songs and performances for the occasion, I found the experience of the group very engaging and influential on the attitudes of the audience and the atmosphere within the auditorium.

The dominance of the male voices was assuring and very comforting to many of those who attended the performance. It was very pleasing to see how they moved from one piece to another with little effort and powerful experience. The instruments used and the vocals of the performers are some of the landmark features that remain memorable after the group’s performance. Orchestra performances are determined by the manner in which the performers combine art and instrumentation (Jackson, 2005).  The orchestra concert was not only pleasurable but also fulfilling. I think many of the positive qualities and high levels of success that attended the orchestra are ultimately attributable to the vast array of instruments that were featured in the ensemble.

My experience with chamber orchestra concerns in Kalamazoo has taught me that the kind of instruments used and their number remain a significant factor in the success of a performance. The two-hour concern achieved a lasting impact on the youthful members of the audience who thronged the auditorium. The popularity of the group attracted a large overspill of the audience, which was about the only negative aspect, especially for the young couples who had to be turned away prior to the event due to the completion of the tickets. In this particular case, the demand actually outstripped the supply in a way that disadvantaged many orchestra enthusiasts.