Live Music As Community Adventure

Cellist Joshua Roman articulated this truth in an interview: Music as a performance is beautiful, but music as a way of being and communicating, being in community with other people and that connection and shared experience…is very powerful.

With warmth, playfulness, and chemistry among performers, live music can offer an experience that crosses generational boundaries. Our JazzLove Trio initiated that kind of group vibe at French Park in Minneapolis last week. Toddlers and kids invented new dance moves; adults joined in singing classic Motown tunes.

And check out this audio clip where teenagers guess the jazz standard and start singing before I do!

If the gathering is willing, a bridge can be built through storytelling and encouraging all to sing, dance, or drum on a lawn chair. Even relaxing into the sound after a long work day is a valuable contribution.

Most believe music happens on the stage and broadcasts to an audience that participates only by listening. As a longtime performer in both music and theater, I can tell you that the individuals who attend greatly influence the total experience. Are they open? 

In an act of giving and receiving, a kind of energetic figure eight begins to dissolve the fourth wall, opening into an expanded sphere of community adventure. And with an outdoor event, the sky is literally the limit.  It’s like flying.

In rare cases, a collaborative event takes shape that’s magically unforgettable.

For us, patio and hillside resonated with a rare joy carried by music, a celebration of the moment.

Try noticing next time you witness a live performance if the players are inviting a different kind of participation, even energetically. Join in, or initiate your own! 

That is living as music.