My first Groupmuse concert is tomorrow! In between playing some of the most popular piano pieces, I will talk about how to engage with the music to maximize its power to enhance your well-being. This blog will walk you through what to expect tomorrow, when attending this event. Please feel free to share.
What is Groupmuse?
Groupmuse made intimate and communal musical experience more widely available. The organization offers a platform where wanna-be home-concert hosts and musicians get paired up. As potential audience members, you pay $3 to register in exchange of the exact logistical details of a concert you wish to attend. This registration fee goes to Groupmuse’s operating cost. Then, before and after the performance, a basket gets passed around for people to put their cash or check in for the performer. $10+ is recommended, but that is discretionary. The ones I have attended were more than just concerts. They were social gatherings of those who find values in an evening of relaxed socializing, supporting musicians and the idea of community-building. This article calls Groupmuse “where classical music meets modern house party.” That’s how Groupmuse operated for years … until, of course, Covid-19.
Now, Groupmuse offers virtual concerts. They have reinvented the intimate communal experience of music, adapting it to our new virtual space.
There are three parts to the Groupmuse experience:
- The pre-concert hangout (via the Zoom video conferencing platform) 15 minutes.
- A staff emcee (Philip) and the online host (Toby) will let the guests in to a Zoom room at the announced time (for this concert, on Sunday July 26th at 4PM (PT)/7PM (ET).)
- Philip and Toby will welcome you, introduce themselves, and go over some technical details about muting/unmuting yourself, use of the chat room, etc.
- They ask each of the guest to introduce yourselves, ask you where you are watching from, etc.
- Philip will introduce Groupmuse and its mission, and collect the payment for the performer at this time.
- Also on how to find the link to my concert (either on YouTube (preferred) or on the Groupmuse event page)
- How to give a visual applause.
- The performance (2 sets of 20-25 min of music streamed via Youtube Live)
- Set #1: Chopin “Aeolian Harp,” Debussy “Arabesque #1” “Clair de Lune,” Beethoven “Moonlight Sonata”
- Set #2: Chopin Nocturne Op. 9-2, Scriabin Nocturne for the Left Hand, Excerpts from Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations.
- Philip will remain available in the Zoom room to take questions and comments
- The post-concert Q & A (via Zoom) 20 minutes
- Questions – either by unmuting and speaking up, or typing in the chat box.
The Program Tomorrow: “Dr. Pianist’s Healing Music.”
We find ourselves at a challenging time. Music can bring us a sense of normalcy. I programmed some of the most popular piano pieces that are familiar to many of us. Throughout the program, I will show my listeners to increase their active engagement with the music, because the more engaged you are with the music, the more effectively it works to enhance your well-being, the studies are finding. Music helps us manage our stress and pain, and increase our sociability by inducing the so-called “love” hormone (oxytocin), stimulating our mirror neurons. I want us to reevaluate music as a useful tool to make us healthier, happier and more humane!
Chopin Etude Op. 25-1 “Aeolian Harp” (breathing together)
Debussy Arabesque No. 1 (find the patterns)
Debussy Clair de Lune (move to the Baroque dance)
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata (1st mov) (follow the melodies)
Chopin Nocturne Op. 9-2 (sing along)
Scriabin Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9-2 (find the melodies!)
Bach Goldberg Variations (excerpts)
I hope to see you at Groupmuse!!!