A live concert of Alexandr Rybak, a Norwegian singer-composer took place on 13 November 2010 in Gusman Hall in Miami Florida. The attendance of this live musical performance became a memorable experience for me.
The overall atmosphere of the Gusman Hall was favourable for establishing the personal contact between the performers and the audience. The lighting and the special effects became a valuable contribution to the performance, intensifying the impression from the beautiful music and the personal charm of the talented performers.
The excitement of the audience had no limits and seemed to encourage the Norwegian singer. Playing the violin, one of the most difficult musical instruments, Alexandr managed to sing and even to dance. Nobody could remain indifferent during the performance, receiving a supply of energy from the live music and enjoying the amazing music.
The transitions between the compositions and the music themes have demonstrated that every detail has been reasoned out during the preparation for the concert. Along with the inborn talent of the singer-composer, the hard work and constant self-improvement were significant for getting ready for the concert.
Concerning the musical instruments which have been used during the performance, it seemed that there was only a minimum of them. There were percussion instruments, guitars and the main emphasis was certainly put on violins.
For rating the skills of the performers at their true value, one should take into account that playing violin is really difficult though the performers managed even to combine it with dancing, singing and establishing the eye contact with the audience. The musical themes which have been chosen by Rybak for the violin view the opportunities of this musical instrument from a new perspective.
Developing the skills of playing this musical instrument on the level on which the Norwegian singer-composer does it would take years of hard work. His approach to playing the violin can be recognized as revolutionary, taking into account the tempos and the sophisticated transitions. However, the instrumentation of the performance was not limited to the violins only, and the beautiful guitar ballads were amazing.
The compositions of various styles, composers and dates were combined in the concert, providing the audience with an opportunity to enjoy the various sides of the performer’s talent.
At the same time, this combination of diversified pieces reduced the risk of boring the listeners with the monotony of the themes. Along with the songs written by the Norwegian composer himself, such as the well-known Fairy Tale, the performance included the interpretations of compositions of various time periods which now can be regarded as close to the classic of rock.
Performing the songs by Beatles and Secret Garden, Alexandr provided a new interpretation of the compositions, adding his personal charm to them and showing them from a new perspective. Though the original versions of these compositions were different from Rybak’s performance, they remained recognizable and the audience had an opportunity to enjoy the well-known musical pieces, comparing the original and the modified versions. Even particular compositions of classical music have been included into the live performance.
The centuries between the dates of creation of the musical pieces were not noticeable and with the talented performance of the Norwegian musician the compositions became a whole in the world of music. Particular folk motifs have been also incorporated into the program of the performance, reminding of the national origin of the singer-composer whose talent has been recognized internationally. The well-known Fairy Tale was the climax of the live performance and one of the brightest moments of the concert.
The live concert even exceeded all the expectations of the audience, producing a long-lasting impression upon them. The storm of applause seemed to be never-ending and during the most famous compositions, the listeners could not help singing with Rybak.
It is amazing that with all the energizing compositions of the performance, particular lyric motifs of the concert pulled at the listeners’ heartstrings and appealed to their personal feelings. The personal charm of the performer was a significant contribution to the success of the concert. It was noticeable that Alexander did his best to establish the interpersonal contact with every listener.
The performance of the most complicated compositions looked easy and it created the illusion that they were not so complicated. It can be explained only with Rybak’s talent and the level of his preparation for the live performance. The concert generated the public interest in Rybak’s works and his talent of combining various styles and making elegant transitions between them.
I enjoyed the performance greatly and was really impressed with the talent and charm of a young Norwegian singer-composer. The performance had a significant impact on my perception of violin music and the range of opportunities of this musical instrument. Even the performance of classical compositions sounded different from the accustomed traditional concerts of classical music.
The unexpected combination of various styles persuaded me that there are no strict borders between various genres and all the compositions can be united into a whole in the world of music. I would attend the performance of this singer again and decided to learn more details on his creative works and his main achievements along with the well-known victory at Eurovision.
The long-lasting impression from the attendance of the concert filled me with new energy and encouraged to do my best to improve my professional skills. The achievements of Alexandr Rybak in playing the violin and combining it with singing and even dancing proves that the human abilities are not limited and training and hard work can help to polish skills and develop talents.
The attendance of Electric Zoo, a two-day festival of electric music was the realization of my dream and one of the brightest memories of the year. Twelve hours sessions of music exhausted all the fans who still wanted more and more. There were several sections at the festival which could satisfy the wide range of the fans’ interests.
The overall atmosphere of creative freedom and the unlimited opportunities for self-expression united the thousands of fans who came to Randalls Island. There were four stages at the festival and the sounds which could be heard from each of them united into the rumbling which could be annoying under different circumstances but was appreciated by the fans of the festival coming up to their expectations.
The combination of the sounds and various music styles created the unforgettable atmosphere of the festival which intensified the impression from the performance of the bands. The crowds of youths were overwhelmed with emotions and sharing their impressions intensified the effect of the festival.
The bands used a wide range of electric music instruments, demonstrating not only their talents and unique style of the band themes but also the latest achievements in the technical side of the issue. The innovative technologies have changed the approach to the performance of the musical compositions as well as the musical preference of the audiences.
It is possible that the older generation would never appreciate all the advantages of the big beat sounds and techno rhythms. The fans of the electric music, on the contrary, were delighted while listening to the sounds produced by the innovative instruments. The beats and the techno rhythms made the bodies of the music fans move with their favorite themes.
An opportunity to attend the live concert and not only to listen to the music but also to see the musicians with their own eyes impressed the audience greatly. The view of the electric guitars and the percussion instruments influenced the perception of the music by the listeners, especially those who play in music bands themselves and can appreciate the quality of the sounds and the instruments at their true value.
The festival of electric music hosted bands which represented different styles and directions. It was only the second festival but it can become a good tradition and the victory at it would become more prestigious. This year The Chemical Brothers, ATB, Chuckie and Boys Noize became the winners of the festival. The big beat sets by Chemical Brothers got the audience dancing. The work of their visual effects team was remarkable and the lasers as well as the trippy screens became a valuable contribution to their victory.
ATB as the second nominate of the festival was playing on the main stage and paused between his energetic compositions for not more than several seconds. The exhausted audience was not irritated. On the contrary, the youths enjoyed this endless marathon and the song Till I Come was a real success.
The singles of Chuckie were spectacular and did not allow the audience to pause of r a single moment. Every track by Boys Noize was welcomed with the audience. His performance techniques were recognized as innovative and it is hypothesized that he will make a contribution to the future of the electric music. Surprisingly, the list of the losers starts with Benny Benassi, who is followed y Afrojack and Major Lazer.
Benassi’s set was not energizing this time. The time lag is required for defining whether it was an occasional incident it can be regarded as the beginning of his crisis. Afrojack’s set was not enough persuasive as well. Though the fans enjoyed his Riverside and Take Over Control, something was missing in his performance.
The performance of Major Lazer lacked energy and the performers looked lazy. Perhaps, it could be explained with the lack of dancers and traditional Chinese dragons. Still, disregarding the level of success with the public, every band contributed to the overall atmosphere of the festival and became a real holiday for their fans.
The two days and nights of the festival became a significant event in the cultural life of the country. It was a unique opportunity to enjoy the techno rhythms and to participate in the dancing marathon. The spirit of the crowd and the dominating emotion of delight did not allow the listeners to remain indifferent.
Getting them dancing and energizing them for the prolonged dancing marathons, pausing for only few seconds. By the end of the second day, everyone was exhausted but could not get enough of favorite music and bands. Though the largest part of the audience was the American youths, the international language of techno music united the representatives of various age and ethnic groups.
The musical performance and the visual shows as well as the interpersonal communication with other fans became a memorable experience for all the guests of the festival.
Providing plenty of opportunities for self expression, the festival became a splendid opportunity for the release of energy and getting emotions for escaping from the daily routine. The prolonged dancing marathons and the enormous excitement of the fans have shown how powerful the impact of the energizing electric music can be.
The Electric Zoo festival produced a long-lasting impression upon me. At first, my delight with the event was so overwhelming that it could hardly be translated into words. I must admit that the live music performance cannot be compared to listening to the studio record.
The atmosphere of the festival as well as the common excitement of the music fans has a significant impact on the perception of the themes. My favorite rhythms got me dancing for hours not taking into account the exhaustion and the natural needs for rest. The positive emotions were so strong that I could not get enough of the music and enjoyed the music sessions. I though t that the simultaneous performances on the four stages would interfere one another and spoil the overall sound.
On the contrary, the combination of the styles produced a peculiar effect and intensified the impressions of the fans. If it is possible and if it becomes a tradition in the world of electric music, I would go to the festival next year. The splendid idea of the Electric Zoo festival can be developed in future, welcoming wider audiences and new bands and making particular improvements in the organization of the event.