I go to quite a few music concerts. My musical taste encompasses jazz, folk, rock, world and classical styles. I’m sitting during most shows, although occasionally I attend events where I stand through the whole event.
I respond to music with all my senses, but rhythm is particularly appealing to me (I probably should have been a drummer). Tunes often come to me based on a rhythm in my environment such as the sound pattern when going downstairs.
When I’m at a concert, I can’t help but tap my feet, nod my head, and generally feel the music in my body. Of course, I move more with up tempo numbers than with slower pieces, but I’m always reacting to the music with my body. It’s innate. It’s natural.
When I look around at the rest of the audience, I’m completely astounded that most people don’t seem to be moving at all. They are totally still. It’s like they are attending a funeral or an academic lecture. They should be enjoying themselves!
I thought we were decades past the era where you had to sit still as a sign of respect for ‘serious’ music such as with classical or jazz performances. I say that my total body experience of the music is more respectful than someone sitting very still with a completely impassive expression on their face.
This prevalence of sitting completely still is maybe a little more common with older audiences, but I see it with the younger crowd, too. Also, this phenomenon is not just in my conservative little city, I’ve witnessed the same behaviour in large world cities such as New York, Paris, London, Vancouver and Toronto.
My perception is that audiences have become more static and unexpressive over the last couple of decades. This may be a byproduct of my musical taste evolving towards more cerebral styles, but maybe something else is at work here? Is it possible that people are becoming less individually expressive and more conformist?
What do you think?
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