Music plays a vital role in human society. Good music provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dances to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere; in auditoriums, homes, elevators, schools, sports arenas and on the streets. Recorded performance is a sensational innovation of the twentieth century. Thanks to modern technology like compact disc (CD), digital video disc(DVD) and the MP3 player, music can now be heard in diverse places. Such places include living rooms and cars. Jogging paths can also function as new kinds of concert halls where we can hear what we want as often as we want.
Live performances provide a special excitement. In a live performance, artistes put themselves on the line. To avoid embarrassment, the artiste must train beforehand and ensure that technical difficulties are avoided and that the listeners are actively involved. What is performed, how it sounds and how the artistes feel that evening exist for a fleeting moment and can never be repeated. An audience responds to the excitement of such a moment and feelings are exchanged between stage and hall.
Our response to a musical performance or an artiste is subjective and rooted in deep feelings. Even professional critics can differ strongly in their evaluations of a performance. There is no one 'truth' about what we hear and feel. Does the performer project a concept, an overall idea, or an emotion? Do some sections of a piece, but not others, communicate something to you? Can you figure out why? It is up to use as listeners to evaluate performances of music. Alert and repeated listening will enhance our ability to compare performances and judge music so that we can fully enjoy it. People listen to music in many different ways. For instance, music can be a barely perceived background as in a film a totally absorbing experience as in a concert.
