With concert dates set from April 11 and 12, 2014, renowned composer, conductor and music instructor Alice Parker leads the event that features individuals with mental and physical disabilities. With such makeup of the concert, it is obvious how Miss Parker does not only want to impact the audiences’ thinking and perception about music as a mere source of entertainment, but instead, she wants to get the attention of her listeners to view music as more than just a tool for merriment. Hoping to invoke inspiration and hope to those who are experiencing difficulties in their health, the concert has been considered as one of the most implicative presentations of the year that defines a specific message for the public to realize.
Dubbed to be one of the most interested and compelling performances of her time, music conductor Alice Parker entails to bring a new defined perception among her audiences in relation to what music is and what role in represents among the people. It is evidently true that her desire of brining music into a much higher level of recognition among her listeners brought her to a specific course of determining how to bring music a lot closer to their hearts with a deeper meaning that will surely affect the way they envision the role that music plays in their life.
Enjoined by the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum and the Brattle Street Chamber Players, the musicians showcased their talents and brought life to the concert held at the Sanders Theater on Friday [April 11]. Showcasing the Joyful Noise Chorus, Alice Parker goes on to direct the whole musical event in support of the idea that she is brining a new meaning to what music is in a community that has known strife and struggles and are simply aiming to escape the hardships of life. Determined to identify the power of music, the enthusiasm of Miss Parker throughout the show gave the audience a sense of satisfaction towards the end of the concert.
Presentations such as this one entails to create a connection among the listeners in the aim of helping them see the therapeutic effect of music in their souls that later on transcends to their thoughts and their body. The psychological impact of music upon the thinking of the listeners affect the overall being of each individual thus creating for them a more defined process of healing themselves from either the physical, mental or emotional strife they have to contend with in their daily lives. Bringing into light the role that music plays in determining the unity that a community takes into account, the concert hopes to bring together every individual into an event that would help them see the oneness they have with others.
The choral presentations were indeed moving. There is no doubt that people who have attended the event were inspired to see individuals with disabilities come to life with the intention of sharing the language that they could all relate to, music. Yes, this concert goes on to prove that music is a universal language; a language of the heart that almost everyone could relate to, including those who may have some limitations and difficulties understanding common language. Music speaks to everyone else and each person could relate to the message each piece hopes to send depending on the background of the listener, specifically determining how his experiences entail to create a distinct measure of how he is able to appreciate the music he hears.
‘Noise’, as the chorus’ name suggests, may seem to be a mere clutter of sounds created by the choir. Nevertheless, with the distinct direction of Miss Parker, such noise becomes a remarkable source of inspiring music, one that is original, unique and moving. It is one kind of music that brings the listeners into a new realm of understanding how music itself brings life to the hopeless and meaning to the supposedly ‘worthless’ members of the society [as some may see them]. Giving them better worth and understanding of what they are and what they could do, the chorus that Miss Parker established has created a new source of inspiration for many among the listeners to see life differently in a much positive light.
The conclusion of the concert was remarkable. Simple yet compelling in nature; these words may be few, but they are fitting enough to define the experience that is brought to life by the presentation of Miss Parker and her group. The simplest form of ending turns out to be the most phenomenal part of the presentation as it has even brought some of the audiences to tears; something extraordinarily inspiring.
With presentations such as this one, one might think, ‘what is it that music actually brings to me? ‘. Every now and then, people feel down and practically dragged down to the edge of giving up; thus pushing them towards losing everything and becoming less indulged in the desire to live. Seeing the Joyful Noise Chorus sing their hearts out with all their smiles reminds everyone that life it itself is already a gift worth celebrating.
Works Cited:
Concerts: http://www.bostonsings.org/. (Retrieved on May 7, 2014).
Harnsberger, Lindsey. "Articulation." Essential Dictionary of Music. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. Los Angeles, CA.
Laske, O. (1999). AI and music: A cornerstone of cognitive musicology. In M. Balaban, K. Ebcioglu, & O. Laske (Eds.), Understanding music with ai: Perspectives on music cognition. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
