Live Music \u2013 A Raw Experience\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
The feeling of bass in your chest, the sound of everyone singing to the same song, a shared sense of community amongst the crowd \u2013 these are all things society has taken for granted for the past year due to the worldwide pandemic. Now, to claim that your favorite song has some sort of \u201cpower\u201d may seem abstract at first, but the truth is that the experience of live music provides limitless benefits to everyone involved \u2013 the artist(s), the venue, and especially the audience \u2013 the listener.<\/p>\n
Expansion of Music in the Digital Age\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Up until the recent and rapid expansion of technology in the last century, music has always been a live, visceral experience. Now, in the age of streaming services, nearly any and all music ever recorded is easily accessible at our fingertips, via one of the many popular music streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.). On a coexisting parallel \u2013 the global use of social media has become one of the primary catalysts for the expansion of music to new listeners.<\/p>\n
A survey by MusicWatch<\/a> found that 90% of social media users perform music-related activities on their social media \u2013 liking, sharing, checking for updates from artists, and more. On top of this, musicians are the most followed celebrities across all social media platforms \u2013 ahead of politicians, actors, and professional athletes. This behavior in social media users reaps massive benefits for music artists, but amidst the popularity, likes, and shares, how effectively are these artists actually connecting to the listener?<\/p>\n Social Effects of Social Media\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Although the concept of the internet as it pertains to \u2018social technology\u2019 spans for just 25 years, the use of the internet and mainstream social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube have always been under the scope of psychiatric medical professionals due to reports of increased anxiety and depression from excessive interaction with the internet and these platforms.<\/p>\n In fact, a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine<\/a> cites that not only does internet usage decrease one\u2019s tendency to communicate with their family and close \u2018social circle\u2019 but results indicated that, \u201c\u2018users\u2019 subjective perception of well-being and life satisfaction felt undermined.\u201d. It goes without saying that while social media can expand the outreach of music (new and old) \u2013 these platforms do not create a deeper sense of social connectivity across communities. After all, great music is often found to be relatable across a widespread audience through a shared interest in sound or lyrical content \u2013 music is meant to connect people, not fuel solemn individuality.<\/p>\n On top of all this, forced spatial restrictions from COVID-19 over the past year have prevented in-person social interaction and further driven social media use \u2013 deepening the lack of social connectivity within each community.<\/p>\n Live Music as a Remedy for Social Disconnect\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n When friends get together and say, \u201clet\u2019s do something\u201d or \u201clet\u2019s go out\u201d, this often indicates going to a restaurant, a bar, or some social venue. The majority of the time, and regardless of the establishment, there is one commonality serving as the \u2018social glue\u2019 for these venues\u2019 patrons \u2013 music.<\/p>\n While many venues utilize background music to combat crowd noise and awkward silence, other venues choose to hire a band or DJ. These venues choose to hire live performers because they know the impact of a live music experience.<\/p>\n On a physical level, music is sound, and sound is vibration. Experiencing live music allows the listener to experience vibrations from the music that cannot be felt otherwise by headphones or speakers, which are limited to the quality of speakers and the audio mix\u2019s quality.<\/p>\n Why is it Important to FEEL the Sound?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n While it may seem insignificant, experiencing vibrations with musical qualities inhibits a plethora of natural biological responses that not only benefit the individual listener but inhibit synergistic biological responses when experienced in crowd settings. One study by the American Psychological Association titled, Music as Medicine<\/a>, shows some of the profound effects music can have on chronically affected individuals, such as those with Alzheimer\u2019s or Parkinson\u2019s disease. The steady rhythm of musical vibrations has been shown to create drastic changes in both Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s patients \u2013 two diseases that are affected through disoriented neurological\/physiological connections. In a separate study provided by the USNLM<\/a>, results show that experiencing music in a live setting, especially with \u2018participating\u2019 audience members (i.e., drumming along, singing, playing air guitar, etc.), has been linked (but not limited) to:<\/p>\n\n