In recent years, concerts are not just music but an experience, encapsulating the entire intention of a project. They’ve taken a new form, everything from production, choreography, costumes, features, stage presence, and improvisations. Students at East are amongst the concertgoers who feel the energy of live music.

According to Nielsen Music’s 2018 Music 360 report, “More than half of Americans—52 percent—attend live music events each year”.

Many concertgoers convey the idea that attending concerts allows a listener to feel fully entrapped within the music, more so than listening at home.

There is a disproportion between attending a singular concert and being an active concert participant, which mainly stems from the emotion connected to each show.

Zamarion Taylor, an East student who has only been to one concert, reflects on the disproportion.

“A person who has only gone to one or two concerts will appreciate those singular concerts they’ve been to, rather than an active concertgoer, who has those experiences much more frequently” Taylor said.

On the other hand, people who frequently attend concerts tend to feel and have deeper connections with the music and artists they listen to. While it’s true that anyone can listen to a song and feel deeply connected to it, there’s a different feeling that washes over you when it’s projected straight from the artist. 

The energy of being surrounded by people who love the music as much as someone else, the volume, all the aspects of the show coming together, actually leads to elevated dopamine and endorphins in your brain, leaving you with a sense of euphoria and a “natural high.”

Senior Addison Springer has attended 15 concerts which have had a profound impact on her.

“I think going to a concert makes you appreciate the music a lot more, because you’re seeing it live, and you feel the music in its atmosphere, and honestly, the people in the crowds at festivals are much more interesting, and it’s exciting having fun with strangers,” Springer said.

Not only do concerts result in a positive reaction in your brain, but also in the community. Art brings people together; it’s a beautiful thing. All kinds of people from different walks of life are coming together for one purpose. Someone could feel like their whole life that they are not really connected to the world at large, and something just clicks.

Concert-going is a wonderful experience, and it doesn’t always have to be pricey; small local shows can be just as exciting as large productions. Go see some live music and appreciate it for what it is.

Written by seniors Micah Monahan and Kai Bugg. Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.