Goddess of Groove
By Mad Royal
An all-consuming passion for music–I have it for sure. Maybe you do, too. Music is known as the universal language, the language of love, the spice of life. Studies have shown that listening to music and playing an instrument increase aptitude in math, science and language. One study shows that people who dance have a 40 perc
ent less chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease, more than any other single factor. Music permeates our lives. We listen to it in our cars, at home, and, in some cases, at work. It is as big a part of entertaining as good food. A party can do without one or the other, but not both. Music brings us together, and it helps us to share our emotions. It makes us cry, and it helps to heal us. It is a big part of worship. There is a saying, “He who sings, prays twice.”
Whether music is live or recorded, it enhances our lives. I love to listen to music in the car, and I love to listen to my CDs and records (in fact, I can’t clean the house without it). I listen to the radio at the barn, and the horses seem to enjoy it, too. For me, though, nothing beats the experience of listening to a live band or musician, and, at the risk of offending some of you; I’m going to make a case for it here.
Oh, karaoke is fun and all that. I can see the appeal–to an extent. The problem with karaoke, as I see it, is that there is little more creative process involved than singing along with the radio. The track you sing along to is familiar and predictable, with no variations. Since the track is pre-recorded, the singer can’t vary the tempo or play with the lyrics. There is no interaction with the musicians whose music you’re singing. I’m not saying that there aren’t some great 
karaoke singers out there. I know there are, I’ve heard them. To those singers I’m issuing an invitation: Go to a jam or an open-mic night. There is nothing like singing with a live band. I can tell you, it will be a mind-blowing experience for you. Be prepared: know what key you sing in, and you might want to bring chord charts for the musicians. As far as support for the musicians goes, there really isn’t any. Some might go to a host, but the rest goes to the bar. I am always stunned by how successful karaoke nights are. I guess it’s because people can participate, but again, go to a jam and see what you think.
DJs have their place. I think that place is to provide music during the band breaks. A lot of people think they are saving money when they hire a DJ to entertain at their wedding or other special event, but in most cases, that’s simply not true. DJs make good money; musicians rarely do. There is a Facebook post that defines a musician as “someone who puts $1000 worth of equipment into a $500 car to drive 100 miles for a $50 gig. Sad, but very true. Again, there is not much creative process involved. The DJ plays music which is made by someone else, and those musicians are left out of the financial loop. It’s true many DJs work at being as creative as they can, and some really do interact with the audience. I don’t want to slight them on that, but I still think the experience with live musicians is better.
I don’t think that many people would dispute that the Beatles are the most popular music group in history. Many of us have listened to the Beatles music so much that we know every lyric of every song by heart. We go to see Beatlemania or The Fab Four as our closest experience to seeing the real Beatles. Unfinished Business, a great local band which performs only 1960’s rock and roll, puts on a Beatles tribute every year. Last year, 500 people crammed into a local venue which had a capacity of 300. The people on the dance floor could only wiggle up and down. People were singing along to the songs in the bathroom. It was a ton of fun. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the experience of those who actually saw the Beatles perform live, even though they couldn’t hear a single word the lads sang because of all the screaming fans.
When we love a band or a musician, we listen to their recorded music, but we hope to see them live. When we achieve that, we feel as though we’ve had a bonding experience. Why? Because we actually do. Why do think there are “Deadheads”, who followed the Grateful Dead from show to show? Why do you think there are “groupies” who attend as many of a band’s performances as they possibly can? When you listen to a band in person, and especially if you dance, you become PART of the live experience. You actually have some influence on the creative process, and you become part of it.
How? For one thing, every audience has its own personality. Unless the band is so rehearsed that they never vary, the way the audience reacts to and inter-react with the musicians will influence the way songs are played, and sometimes even the set list (which songs are played). The smaller the venue, the more likely this is to happen, but even in settings where there are thousands of concert-goers, the musicians feel and feed on the audience’s energy. After all, that’s a huge reason why musicians do what they do. Except for a chosen few, they don’t get enough money to compensate them for long hours of rehearsing, their equipment, transportation, and setting up and breaking down. Except for the very successful, few musicians have roadies anymore. Musicians are artists, whether they play original music or covers. Many of them are naturally shy and sensitive souls, but they crave an audience. They do it for the magic of applause, for validation of their art.
When you dance to a live band, you are even more part of the creative process. Dancing completes the music, and the band will play for you. They also like to watch.
Going to listen to music and/or dance is a social occasion. It’s a great way to meet people who share your interests. If you pay a cover, buy “swag” (CDs, T-shirts, etc.) or tip the musicians, you are directly supporting live music and the musicians who provide it. I really encourage you to consider tipping local musicians to be part of your entertainment dollar. In almost all cases, that money goes directly to the musicians, and they are woefully underpaid for all the magic they provide. Please support the venues that provide live music by buying food or drink, and be willing to pay a cover charge, of which all or part will go to the musicians in many cases.
I encourage you to see music performed live whenever you get the chance. It’s a great experience socially, it keeps the local economy flowing and it’s good for your health, See you on the dance floor!
