I feel I have quite a wide musical experience having performed professionally as a jazz and classical musician, but also having worked in extremes of the genres (free improv: pub rock and blues, new complexity music: wind band marches.) I’ve also studied and taken part in music from many parts of the globe: Samba, djembe drumming, indian classical music, morris, gamelan. So it is rare for me to have new musical experiences. However last month I travelled to Andalusia… A trip which, of course, would not have been complete without seeing and hearing flamenco… and this is where I had my latest musical adventure.
My thoughts about this experience are about language, shared language, even a global shared language. But also about expectations, format, participation and the rules of engagement with a musical performance.
Why the (utterly phenomenal!) flamenco performances that I experienced were interesting to me is that I didn’t understand how to participate as an audience member in the music. The performers worked brilliantly to create tension, release and musical climax, but as a listener I had to be led as to when I should show my appreciation and applaud as I discovered the format of their music. Similarly the rhythmic basis of the was alien to me. I know about additive rhythms and have some theory about what this music was based on, but musically I didn’t have a key to unlock the multi-layered rhythmic complexity. The new and unexpected experience for me was digesting the music as an outsider!
As a trained musician when I hear music I understand the mechanics of what is going on, I can empathise with the experience of the performers, I know the underlying harmony, rhythms and musical direction. I can see when things are going well for the performers or not and sense their frustrations, or successes. In this new musical experience I was able to listen without some of these expectations and higher level knowledge. To actually succumb to the pure musical tension and joy without having to engage in the higher level meta-musical thoughts. To engage with the music as a novice was much purer in many ways it allowed me to discover the music as it progressed without expectations as to format and purpose.
Of course more engagement can only ever be temporary as more experience will lead to learning, understanding and higher level knowledge. But the experience was great, and an exciting way of discovering more about our musical experience for me.
By the way… the tapas was very good too! (but didn’t present me with the same challenges!)
Musical Adventures 