Music is an art that you hear almost every day (Shah 1). Unlike other forms of art, attending music concerts is something that I have always loved since high school. On March 25, 2017, at 7:30 pm, Seicento Baroque Ensemble performed two thrilling pieces at First United Methodist Church. The artistic director, Evanne Browne conducted the two pieces including Dixit Dominus and Laudate Pueri Dominus (Cole 1). Other artists included Sopranos Amanda Balestrieri and Kathryn Radakovitch. In this concert, the performers were in black and white attire while the audiences, including people from different background, wore different apparels. The second concert was on April 19, 2017, at Red Rock Amphitheatre. The artists who performed on that day included Method Man, Redman and Flatbush Zombies. It was a unique adventure as Method Man and Redman performed songs from the album, Tical O: The Prequel and Sooperman Luva. Another hilarious group, the Flatbush Zombies were able to entertain the crowd with their songs “Thug Waffle” and “Bath Salt.” Unlike the classical concert, artists in this concert were not uniform in the way they dressed. Their dress code was similar to that of the audience. I chose the two concerts because of the hype and the thrilling performances I have heard from people regarding the artists.

Classical Concert

The medium-sized venue had a capacity of approximately 2500 audience. The sitting arrangement was good enough to offer every individual in the room a glimpse of the performance since all sits were facing towards the front of the function room. The performers’ dress code was distinct portraying how they were in a different class. Upon entering the stage, the conductor orders the orchestra to stand up to acknowledge the presence of the audience (Hill, Richard and Nadine 65). The interaction between the conductor and audience was through applause and bows (Alexander 1). Regarding the audience, the concert included elderly couples, students, formal and informal.

There was silence in the hall when the musicians tuned their instruments. I loved the opening section and the way the conductor directed the flow of the music with gestures. The free flowing music, “Dixit Dominus” by George Frideric Handel had started with a low melody before the orchestra dazzled us with high melody and fast tempo. There was a perfect balance between the orchestra and the conductor (Cantus 5). The use of brass instruments, the speed, and accuracy of the performers softened the mood. I liked the movement of the music because it brought consonance and the dynamic was soft.

Non-Classical Concert

The performance by Method Man, Redman, and the Flatbush Zombies was worth a celebration. Many music fans celebrate this event to mark the 420 Eve on the Rocks (“Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater” 1). Moreover, the cultural context of this performance is celebrating the cannabis culture. The concert was held in the amphitheater, which had thousands of people. The stage of the amphitheater was elevated to allow the audience to have a clear view of the performers. Both the audience and performers in this concert dressed informally. Some of the audience expressed solidarity with the musicians by wearing the same outfit. Since the event was worth celebrating, it attracted different people of all ages and class including children, couples, students and elderly. There was extra enthusiasm when the artists entered the stage with their instruments, piano, keyboard and guitar.

“Thug Waffle” was a great piece by the Flatbush Zombies. I enjoyed the music from the beginning because of its high melody and fast tempo. The composition of the music provided a free flow. The music opened with a distant interesting and processed sounds from the guitar and keyboards. The melody was high and strongly rocked with repeated rhythm and variation in form. The use of dynamics in this piece was amazing; it was fluctuating, and one could not predict. The loud and soft dynamics aroused the audience who kept on shouting and whistling.

Compare and Contrast

The classical music conducted by Evanne Browne portrayed the Italian music style. The performers interacted in accordance with the formal ritual of the piece. For instance, the performers were not allowed to speak to the audience except when they were announcing the encores. Moreover, Citing Garfias (112), the culture of this music requires the performers to have the official dress code. Regarding the audience, the dress code was relatively formal. The performers used constructed the musical language that portrayed soft mood in the hall.

With the non-classical concert, the performers celebrated the cannabis culture to mark the stone holiday. Both the dress codes of the audience and the performers were informal. The performers had the chance to talk to the audience. The instrumentation in both concerts was different. The classical music used violin and double bass while the non-classical concert involved the use of the keyboard, guitar, and drums.

I was surprised by the attendance in both concerts. I could not imagine so many people could turn up to attend the concerts. I liked both concerts because of the thrilling atmosphere that was created. I learned a lot about music and culture. The thing I did not like about both concerts was that the artists were given less time to perform.

In conclusion, both concerts were an unforgettable musical experience. I experienced the most thrilling and brilliant music that I could ever hope. I did not know that people loved attending music concerts and I was surprised by the attendance number. I enjoyed watching Seicento Baroque Ensemble and Method Man, Redman and Flatbush Zombies show their prowess in the music industry.

Works Cited

Alexander, Peter. “Evanne Browne says farewell with Handel.” Sharps & Flatirons, n.d. https://sharpsandflatirons.com/2017/03/23/evanne-browne-say-farewell-with-handel/. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Cantus 5. “Handle-Dixit Dominus-Gardiner.” YouTube, uploaded on 4 Feb. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS65-ZvUSSM

Cole, Charles. “Seicento Baroque Ensemble.” n.d. http://www.seicentobaroque.org/Concerts.html. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Garfias, Robert. Music: the cultural context. National Museum of Ethnology, 2004.

Hill, Brad, Richard Carlin, and Nadine Hubbs. Classical. New York: Infobase Pub, 2005. Internet resource.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater. “Method Man & Redman, and Flatbush Zombies.” n.d. http://redrocksonline.com/concerts-events/detail/method-man-r-4-19-2017. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Shah, Vikas. “The role of music in human culture.” Thoughts Economics, 26 May 2015, https://thoughteconomics.com/the-role-of-music-in-human-culture/. Accessed 2 May 2017.

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