The Forum
Concert Details: Composers Forum
Date and Time: Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 3pm
Location: Lagerquist Concert Hall, Mary Baker Russell Music Center – Tacoma, Washington
Welcome back,
This time around I was able to attend an open composers forum that consisted of different Pacific Lutheran University students who performed through instrumental pieces or vocal compositions for the audience. I really enjoyed how this forum included such diverse groups of performances, it is always refreshing to see a variety of different types of performances or performers. I believe that when performances tend to vary from one another, by nature the audience members are more prone to pay the same amount of attention to each performance.
You snooze, you lose! This time around I didn't make it early enough to receive a program of the event. This made it difficult to follow along with the performances because I didn't know what was being performed, by who it was being performed, or even how many performances were going to take place that afternoon! Instead, I was presented with a bright yellow Concert Attendance Credit Form to prove my attendance for the night. Moral of the story, arrive on time - if not early! Besides it being the respectful thing to do for the performers it is also better for your personal experience because you'll be able to follow along directly. I was however, able to find the online version of the program! That is one of the many reasons why technology has and continues to play a large role in assisting with the push for education about classical music, as well direct access. The online program allowed me to gain insight on the backgrounds of the performers as well as the performances. Here is the link to the program: Composers Forum Program. Below you can also follow a link to the university's online page which showcases live streaming of some to most of the performances at Lagerquist Concert Hall. One of the performances that intrigued me the most was the Paper Sounds piece that we witnessed towards the beginning of the night. There were several performers up on stage who all used some sort of paper (card stock, tissue paper, parchment paper, newspaper, aluminum, etc.) to create an accompaniment to the vibraphone that was on stage with them. As the melody picked up in pace so did the pace of the paper players, it was interesting to see how they could make so much noise as their pace intensified. In the end, they were playing with everyday household items and were able to create a visually and aesthetically pleasing performance for everyone present. This just supports the fact that art really is all around us, and that by trying new techniques for creating music we are continuing to support the evolution of music. This particular program did not give much detail about the pieces or the performers themselves but underneath each piece the composer did provide notes, in this case he stated, "This piece is an exploration of paper sounds accompanied by the vibraphone and an electronic track. The piece is a palindrome; it unfolds to the climax and then the track occurs in reverse at 2/3rds the speed." Providing a description such as this one gives the audience an idea of what they may be presented with during the performance. A "palindrome" is a sequence that reads the same backward as it does forward, therefore there would be a relation that we would see through the performance as it ending like it had begun. There was a good mix of different styles of performances in this forum, I enjoyed how there was great variety. Where some were group vocals, others were instrument ensembles. Given that this was a forum, I assumed it was a way for the students to showcase the pieces that they have been working on, it was great to see so much diverse participation.
Date and Time: Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 3pm
Location: Lagerquist Concert Hall, Mary Baker Russell Music Center – Tacoma, Washington
Welcome back,
This time around I was able to attend an open composers forum that consisted of different Pacific Lutheran University students who performed through instrumental pieces or vocal compositions for the audience. I really enjoyed how this forum included such diverse groups of performances, it is always refreshing to see a variety of different types of performances or performers. I believe that when performances tend to vary from one another, by nature the audience members are more prone to pay the same amount of attention to each performance.
You snooze, you lose! This time around I didn't make it early enough to receive a program of the event. This made it difficult to follow along with the performances because I didn't know what was being performed, by who it was being performed, or even how many performances were going to take place that afternoon! Instead, I was presented with a bright yellow Concert Attendance Credit Form to prove my attendance for the night. Moral of the story, arrive on time - if not early! Besides it being the respectful thing to do for the performers it is also better for your personal experience because you'll be able to follow along directly. I was however, able to find the online version of the program! That is one of the many reasons why technology has and continues to play a large role in assisting with the push for education about classical music, as well direct access. The online program allowed me to gain insight on the backgrounds of the performers as well as the performances. Here is the link to the program: Composers Forum Program. Below you can also follow a link to the university's online page which showcases live streaming of some to most of the performances at Lagerquist Concert Hall. One of the performances that intrigued me the most was the Paper Sounds piece that we witnessed towards the beginning of the night. There were several performers up on stage who all used some sort of paper (card stock, tissue paper, parchment paper, newspaper, aluminum, etc.) to create an accompaniment to the vibraphone that was on stage with them. As the melody picked up in pace so did the pace of the paper players, it was interesting to see how they could make so much noise as their pace intensified. In the end, they were playing with everyday household items and were able to create a visually and aesthetically pleasing performance for everyone present. This just supports the fact that art really is all around us, and that by trying new techniques for creating music we are continuing to support the evolution of music. This particular program did not give much detail about the pieces or the performers themselves but underneath each piece the composer did provide notes, in this case he stated, "This piece is an exploration of paper sounds accompanied by the vibraphone and an electronic track. The piece is a palindrome; it unfolds to the climax and then the track occurs in reverse at 2/3rds the speed." Providing a description such as this one gives the audience an idea of what they may be presented with during the performance. A "palindrome" is a sequence that reads the same backward as it does forward, therefore there would be a relation that we would see through the performance as it ending like it had begun. There was a good mix of different styles of performances in this forum, I enjoyed how there was great variety. Where some were group vocals, others were instrument ensembles. Given that this was a forum, I assumed it was a way for the students to showcase the pieces that they have been working on, it was great to see so much diverse participation. 
This was my second trip to Lagerquist, however this time it was decorated with the Christmas holiday in mind. There were Christmas trees and wreaths full of lights on display on the stage. Red accents throughout pleased the eye as the entire hall looked much more festive -- which I really enjoyed! As far as the audience, this time around it appeared as though a large portion of the audience members were parents or supportive family members because they were so attentive. The audience was mesmerized by the performers and definitely followed what we learned to be standard theatre etiquette back in week one! Everyone was vigilant during the forum as well as respectful of the Lagerquist rules, including no use of cellular phones or recording within the concert hall. I enjoyed how respectful everyone was because it allowed for a good experience watching all of the performances. I was able to focus on what every person on stage was doing and really appreciate the role that they played to partake in the performance.
Until next time,
- A
Until next time,
- A
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