There’s something magical that happens when artists come together, hearts full and open to their audience, bravely showing themselves in their entirety. Such was my experience this past Saturday, when I went to listen to three recent graduates of our Laurier Music program perform their program “Thank You For The Music”. Note the repertoire listed on the program cover I’ve posted above; it’s not every day you hear a voice recital that includes Laufey, Piercey (her own composition!), Donizetti and ABBA in the same breath.
I’ll fully admit to being nervous about how they might pull this off, but within minutes I was transported into the personal worlds and selves of these three unique artists, as they individually and collectively showed us themselves and the music they so deeply care about. Their obvious enjoyment of one another as humans and artists was evident (this is something audiences can absolutely feel, and we love it when we do). Their clear commitment to the text, the musical line, the integrity and authenticity of delivery was exemplary, regardless of genre. Despite the crushing heat, their music was balm for all of us.
In times where things feel hard and hopeless, such performances lift us up. For me in particular, it was a welcome antidote to other recent concert outings where I felt pandered to and sold something that felt neither truthful nor genuine. What a treat to hear such diverse music so beautifully and carefully packaged and delivered, so that it all fit together in one seamless and inevitable gift. It could not have been otherwise, because these particular three artists were presenting it: their selves, their stories, their voices. Thank you for the music indeed.