Blog Post 1- Rachel Zain
From being in the city for only a few days, I was immediately thrilled by the amount of arts that one can encounter without having to make an effort to go out and find it. From the brightly colored crafts lining the sidewalks to the full band performances, every turn brings a further understanding of the cultural experiences this country has to offer. The vast contrast that this alone has shown me, in comparison to the states, has already shown me the emphasis placed on arts in this culture. Through our research project, we have concluded that the emphasis on the arts does not actually vary any in regards to the funding from the government. This in both South Africa and America is very low and is something that will continue to be a cause worth fighting for in both countries. The emphasis that I have visibly seen, in South Africa, comes in the form of social appreciation. In a few more specific experiences leads way into the fact that art is treasured, freely performed, adored, and is constantly surrounding the peoples at many different hours of the day.
Live music, as an art form, can be cherished for its many uses and the effects it has on people. The most obvious effect lies in the satisfaction that fills this artist or artists with the pleasures and joys of live performance. The second, and one more often not considered, is the amount of gratitude for the live performance art form that the audience experiences as well. I find it fascinating how the music affects every person differently and how that interpretation can be based on many factors within a situation. The performances, as mentioned above, can be found in many different areas of the city and when people are least expecting. The contrasts I will be discussing of South African audiences and American audiences viewing a live music performance has less to do with the musical performance and more to do with the state in which music is appreciated.
With my background, I am particularly drawn to how music entices people to move their bodies, more specifically in the form of dancing. I have a natural tendency to want to dance when I hear music of pretty much any kind. This tendency I do not share with other peoples of American citizenship. In the states, seeing a live performance often includes audience members singing along or nodding a head to the beat. There is a lack of full body participation. I have mostly concluded that this comes from a fear of judgment. The thought that if one expresses themselves in a way that is desired, others will look down on decisions made because it does not fall into the “social norm.” I think this way of observing live performance begins at an early age. After a certain point, it is no longer acceptable to jump around and go crazy at a concert. In public this “social norm” is made even more extreme. This way of being by no means lead me to believe that the American culture does not value the significance of live performance; it just goes along with the fact of free self-expression of the participation of an audience member is lacking. Going to see a live performance has turned into observing the performance internally rather than letting the music radiate through the body. Although, I typically find myself going against this stigma, I was very excited to have seen a vast difference in the reactions during my stay here thus far.
What I have observed from being in different areas of Cape Town is a glorified appreciation for the music that is being performed for them. This discovery over joyed me. I could visually see that there is an amazing sense of social welcoming to the talent and expression of artists among them. The appreciation of music happens in everyday life. While watching the dancers perform to the music, I observed their facial expressions that were the same or not even more filled with joy and appreciation of their surroundings than the musicians themselves. It was a euphoric feeling to myself to see that at any time of the day, one can be joyous. I could see that none of the participants cared who was watching them or how technically trained they were; they were letting the music take them on a journey. They were expressing themselves being motivated by another artistic expression. This compilation is a beautiful mix especially when all of the inspiration comes through in different art forms.
Overall, the small differences do not effect a large change in finances, government, or safety, but I believe that this difference does affect personal health and growing in a progressive way. It goes to show that in this country, even when times are bad, they continue to see the positive in situations. This speaks volumes for the citizens of this country and their personal strive to live every day to the fullest.
