The first concert that I experienced this quarter had the largest impact on me. I experienced two performances at Benaroya hall witnessing the magic that the Seattle Symphony can produce. However, the first concert was all instrumentals. Don't get me wrong, listening to Rodgers and Hammerstein's collaborations was great, but to me the singing detracted from what I thought was so great about the symphony. The music loses its boldness when it has to take a backseat to a singer. I was in absolute awe while listening to Mozart's piano concerto No. 22 during that first concert. All the moving pieces working together in unison. It was a true sight to behold and to my surprise rather exciting. Who would have thought that a classical performance could put you on the edge of your seat. I experienced a very surreal moment during this performance. It was as if I entered a trance like state. At these performances, you cannot occupy yourself with anything but the music and your own thoughts. I felt that the music spurred the most creative thoughts. It was almost like a form of meditation. I became very relaxed, as sitting for such an amount of time can have that effect, but I was constantly coming up with interesting solutions to problems I had been tackling that week at work. I don't know if it is just some wives tail that listening to classical music can make you more intelligent, but I feel like it can benefit anyone just as a stress reliever and maybe acting as a bit of a muse while providing an opportunity for your brain to concentrate on particular problems. I feel like there are a lot of other outlets that can provide such a stimuli to invoke such a reaction, but I would argue that there isn't one that comes close to providing such an amazing auditory experience.

When you sit and watch a symphony or similar musical group it is not like a rock concert. You are quite, content, and focused on the music and the musicians. While in this state it is a good opportunity to find an appreciation for artists and music in general. You notice the little things and begin to understand the level of depth that goes into creating and performing a piece of music. I have definitely found an appreciation for classical music because of this class. I am looking forward to the next time I find myself in Seattle's Benaroya hall watching the symphony perform the great works of great composers. I was surprised to find myself slightly moving to the music. You really lose yourself in the music and it is interesting to see where your mind goes during this time. I have begun to really focus on how people play their instruments. I've never really played an instrument before, but I have begun to long for such an opportunity. Right now I'm in the process of hunting down a drum set. But I digress. The beginning of this class focused on a lot of different vocabulary associated with music. During musical performances I'm always thinking of how to explain things based off of such vocabulary. It makes me want to know more about the different pieces I'm listening to and further breakdown what each section is doing that allows for the overall performance to come to life.