Did you know Music can be seen and felt too? Here’s how.
On a cold, wintry night in the ‘90s, a father hums a lullaby for his newborn son. Moments later, the boy’s eyes light up, eyelids press close against each other and mouth curls to suggest a hint of a smile. Dad looks at me puzzled, trying to understand why the age-old and time-tested technique to put a toddler to sleep is failing so miserably. Little does he realize, he is passing on his love for music, giving birth to the musician-to-be inside me. Yes Moms, Dads can give birth too. And it’s painless. And I digress.
And thus began my twenty-five year long journey with music. Or that’s how I’d like to believe it went down. My point being that I’ve appreciated music for over two decades now, and have progressed from knowing nothing about it to singing, playing instruments, composing and writing lyrics, penning blogs and performing on stage. At each point, I believed that I understood music enough to be a connoisseur. I am not that naive anymore.
The world changed when I attended my first concert. It all started with the soundcheck, when the drum tech pounded the bass drum to get the sound levels set up. Little did I know that each vibration from the drum would quicken my heartbeat considerably, as they raced from the array of speakers, hit me like a truck and passed right through me. For the first time, a second sense had woken up inside me for listening to music- the sense of touch.
The equipment and instruments were now ready for the band. The stage was shrouded in darkness. Everyone around me was getting antsy, excited, and eager to get the show started. My eyes, now accustomed to the dark, could see five silhouettes on stage taking their places. I know everyone else saw that too, as a huge roar emanated from the 20,000+ strong crowd. After a pause long enough for the crowd to settle down but short enough to keep the interest alive, the band began performing their first song. Huge screens filled with a million LEDs flashed bright perfectly synced with the drums. Strobe lights darted all around the venue like a kitty’s nightmare. Several screens above the stage melded perfectly into one, displaying visualizations that correlated with the song. This wasn’t just music, it was a performance choreographed and executed to perfection. And for the second time, a sense woke up inside me- the sense of sight.
Live music is unlike what you might have ever listened to on your home entertainment system or headphones. Each instrument is lively, nuanced and gets its due credit. The sound levels on the massive array of speakers are just about right to give you goosebumps. And the performers themselves give more than a hundred percent to play their music to perfection, without missing a beat. It is an elevating experience, where the crowd sways together like one organism — soaring high like an eagle at one moment and simmering down at another.
More often than not, the sense of smell is activated at concerts too. The unmistakable smell wafts over the cool evening breeze, signaling that the party has begun. But that’s a discussion for another time!
