I ended up spending most of my attention listening to the performance and engaging with the live chat but here is a collection of the few posts I wrote while live blogging the concert. I’ll write a post in the next day or two to reflect on the experience. Overall I found the live chat with other audience members and moderator wonderfully engaging and thought it added an entirely new layer to the concert experience.
I’m here in Gammage Hall at ASU live blogging my “E-volution of Experience” concert experience. Upon entering Gammage I saw the following sign:
There are options to listen to a play by play through a headset, sit in a discussion zone to discuss the piece either during or after the peformance, and to live chat with someone on stage.
I’m attempting to live chat, live blog, listen and to the play by play at the same time so we’ll see how this goes. I pick up my free headset and find my way to the laptop chat zone:
Frank Zappa’s Dogbreath Variations are up and musicians are being elevated onto to the stage. I’m a huge fan of Frank Zappa. There won’t be any paper programs tonight, as the school of music has developed a series of initiatives to contribute to the sustainability of the University (and planet) by going green and using other means to share concert info such as projecting the program before the concert and providing pdf files online.
Here’s a quote from the moderator of the chat room:
“18/09/2008 19:34:50 ‹Moderator› Zappa, Frank. American composer, fl. 1940-1993. For further information regarding Frank Zappa and his music, please visit his official website at: http://www.zappa.com/ ”
I was just told (through the headset) that the ensemble is transitioning into Uncle Meat. He prompts us to listen for the bassoon solo….
There’s some discussion on the chat about the casual dress of the ensemble and whether or not the piece sounds “traditional”. The group is doing a very nice job with Zappa’s music here. Some discussion on the live chat about the orchestration and a comment about the history of concert dress.
The piece is over and people are applauding. Very well done!
In transition for the next group some discussion on the play by play about the arrangement.
A different ensemble will be playing next.. The school of music has moved to an instrumental format in which students are in a large “pool” and switch ensembles every three weeks. There are several ensembles performing tonight.
I just gave my headset to the person sitting next to me so I’ll be participating in the live chat and live blogging – that’s enough to handle for now..[ I seem to be spending the majority of my time focused on the music and the live chat. ]
George Washington Bridge Overture – right now – beautiful piece. [The acoustics in the hall are phenomenal and its wonderful hearing these lush chords in the space.
Took a big break from the live blogging – working out some chat issues — I really like the live chat – it adds a really interesting layer to the concert experience and it is interesting to read what other people are thinking about — and except for the glowing screen and little typing sounds it doesn’t really interfere ..
Stage transition for a different ensemble now…
Workers Union is up!!! Love the Bang on a Can performance [and looking forward to this ensemble’s interpretation] The announcer is giving some info on the piece….there are no pitches provided in the score just rhythms.
In the middle of workers union by Andriessen — it is certainly generating a lot of discussion on the live chat:
Interesting debates and conversations on the live chat — it seemed a lot of people were not used to this style of music and there’s a lot of back and forth regarding questions of aesthetics and the performance. There are also a lot of questions about the performers’ process in rehearsing/performing the piece.
world premeiere —
=antiphonal brass in the wings… nice The composer is speaking on the stage — More info later [I’m trying to share my attention between the speaker, liveblogging and the livechat –]
The antiphonal brass is great — wish there were more concerts and pieces that made use of spatial elements in performance – beautiful contrast between winds and percussion on stage with the brass in audience wings. Interesting how the music being performed really plays a role in the type of conversation and discussion the live chat —- [People discussing perspectives on the composition, on the acoustics and brass, the composer, ]
Schafer Mahoney’s dance machine was just performed —- [Great piece]
I’m giving up on the liveblogging for now because my attention is split between the performance and the live chat which I’m having a lot of fun with — I’ll write something up after I process everything.
So far I’m thinking live chat during concerts is great!!! –
More soon……..