Performance

Transcript

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  [MUSIC AND SINGING]

Transcript

In its broadest sense, music performance is the creation and execution of a piece of music by one or more musicians that normally takes place in front of an audience. For this reason, performance can be regarded as both a sonic and a visual spectacle—the members of an audience go to see a performance, as well as to hear it. Music performance may be understood according to the practices of a particular culture or society, so one's appreciation of what performance is, does, or entails varies across the globe: The improvisatory interactions among Balinese gamelan players differ from those produced by a Western jazz soloist and accompanying ensemble; and the bodily and hand gestures integral to Hindustani vocal performance differ from those evidenced by drummers in Korean farming communities. Performances may involve the participation of some or all of the members of a group or society, while different levels of distinction will emerge between performer and listener/observer. The ritual of performance, along with appreciation of the skills involved in preparing for it and matters of musical interpretation that define a given performance, are fundamental in one's understanding of performance.

Musicians provide entertainment through performance. Performances can take place in a range of venues and on different occasions, such as in formal concert or community settings; “gigs” in public houses; accompaniments to civic, religious, or other ceremonies; and as informal background music. Performances can be recorded using audio and video technology, enabling the material to be stored and repeatedly listened to or viewed. A musician can record a performance live or via repeated takes in a studio. Because of advances in modern technology, recorded performances can be broadcast around the world on the Internet, encouraging global appreciation of different types of music and different performance traditions. Some musicians have created live musical material in real time through the medium of the Internet, leading to the development of cyberperformances.