Off to Pennsylvania

[voxwoman]

archangelbeth said to me in her LJ, where this conversation started:

Since I can't even read music, you might as well be casting an arcane spell...

And that got me to thinking about my gig today, and about all performances of any kind, and how they are really about magic and perhaps spell casting. I think this applies to theater, music, dance, the circus; whenever someone is on stage in front of others - magic is being worked.

Since I'm about as subtle as a sledgehammer most times, I deliberately plan my performances to be magical rituals... at least for performances of Music for the Goddess music. Since I started that project specifically to write liturgical music for the Wiccan/Pagan community, it makes sense to me to do it that way.

I have had one or 2 audience members over the years object to using my circle casting song to open a performance (this would be the song Calling the Quarters) and tell me I'm being sacreligious. I usually tell them that I mean no disrespect (while thinking to myself Lighten up, buddy! Sheesh!), and depending on the circumstances will launch into a discussion similar to this - that all performance is ritual and magic and that I'm just acknowledging that in an overt way - I figure since it's a PAGAN FESTIVAL that it's all right to bring up religious stuff at a musical concert - I believe that other religions do this as well.

Have any of you ever felt the energy in the audience at a large rock concert? I certainly have. And some of the performers recognize this and use this for magical purposes (watch Sully from Godsmack in his live videos, if you don't know what I mean). And maybe, just maybe, this is why some performers go off the deep end; because it is such a spiritual experience and there is so much psychic/spiritual energy being generated at a large concert, and they don't know how to deal with it on the proper level.

Well, I have to get ready for my ritual concert tonight. See you on the flip side.

Comments

[mcnutcase.livejournal.com]

I certainly know just how much energy an audience generates; I've used that to raise my game on more than one occasion. I can't rehearse well, but put me in front of an audience, and it HAPPENS. It's addictive, in a big way...

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

Indeed.