There's something about really good acoustic music
You're sitting with friends at a small table with a white linen tablecloth and a single tea light candle. It's shortly after dinner and the conversation is light and funny. Suddenly, the lights go dim, the mood is calm and quiet, and the show is about to begin. A performer steps into the spotlight and thanks everyone for coming. A brief explanation of the song about to come is mildly sullen, honestly emotional, and always interesting. And when the performer begins to play, the entire audience is perched on every chord, enjoying the story of lyrics with a kind of after-dinner intensity. The hall is wonderfully reverberant and yet somehow, unless you pay attention to room design, this goes unnoticed. But for the musically inclined, an acoustically proper room or hall can make a ton of difference during a performance.
I'm describing, of course, a coffee house. Some people would call this a singer-songwriter showcase and others would call it a jam. However it's described, it's difficult to argue that when it's done well, it's very easy to enjoy. I do worry, occasionally, that such simple music is easily lost on the youth of today and that it's dismissed as being simple, lame, or boring. While everyone is entitled and certainly encouraged to have their own opinions of all types of music, it was Leonardo Da Vinci who declared that simplicity was the ultimate form of sophistication.
Club stars Lady GaGa and Usher are talented individuals who undoubtedly spend countless hours perfecting their respective crafts. They've got an entire crew of people including stylists, back-up dancers and a backing band to help them deliver incredible onstage performances. Now I'm not knocking either Usher or Lady GaGa; they each have a place in the music biz. In point-of-fact, I actually bought a copy of Usher's latest release Here I Stand featuring the smash hit “Love in This Club.” Oftentimes, it's great to hit a big show and enjoy a huge production (a.k.a. KISS). But there's still something almost magical about an individual who can entertain a room with little more than a guitar and a microphone. That takes talent. There's no hiding there. Something so simple and honest (dare I say pure?) can yield two consequences. A performer can be well rehearsed and warmed up or suffer the consequences of an unfriendly audience. Ever screw up onstage? Now that's frightening!
So what's the point? It's about diversity. Consider light and dark, hot versus cold, or loud and soft. It's easy to hear loud and popular music because of its ubiquity in headphones and overhead speakers. Yet everyone enjoys a good bonfire jam. Partially because it's an experience of being outdoors with friends, a fire and some brews. But you pay close attention to the music in such a situation. Perhaps next time you're deciding what to throw on your playlist you'll consider including something lighter. Who knows, you might enjoy it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
I'm describing, of course, a coffee house. Some people would call this a singer-songwriter showcase and others would call it a jam. However it's described, it's difficult to argue that when it's done well, it's very easy to enjoy. I do worry, occasionally, that such simple music is easily lost on the youth of today and that it's dismissed as being simple, lame, or boring. While everyone is entitled and certainly encouraged to have their own opinions of all types of music, it was Leonardo Da Vinci who declared that simplicity was the ultimate form of sophistication.
Club stars Lady GaGa and Usher are talented individuals who undoubtedly spend countless hours perfecting their respective crafts. They've got an entire crew of people including stylists, back-up dancers and a backing band to help them deliver incredible onstage performances. Now I'm not knocking either Usher or Lady GaGa; they each have a place in the music biz. In point-of-fact, I actually bought a copy of Usher's latest release Here I Stand featuring the smash hit “Love in This Club.” Oftentimes, it's great to hit a big show and enjoy a huge production (a.k.a. KISS). But there's still something almost magical about an individual who can entertain a room with little more than a guitar and a microphone. That takes talent. There's no hiding there. Something so simple and honest (dare I say pure?) can yield two consequences. A performer can be well rehearsed and warmed up or suffer the consequences of an unfriendly audience. Ever screw up onstage? Now that's frightening!
So what's the point? It's about diversity. Consider light and dark, hot versus cold, or loud and soft. It's easy to hear loud and popular music because of its ubiquity in headphones and overhead speakers. Yet everyone enjoys a good bonfire jam. Partially because it's an experience of being outdoors with friends, a fire and some brews. But you pay close attention to the music in such a situation. Perhaps next time you're deciding what to throw on your playlist you'll consider including something lighter. Who knows, you might enjoy it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
