Porchfest

Porchfest was so much fun!  The demographic of people who attended Porchfest ranged from families with little kids to teenagers to the elderly.  This multifarious group of people was present at Porchfest because of immense amount of musical diversity that was put on display.  At one porch I heard a duet with two electric guitars, but at the neighboring porch I found a group with a woman playing the base and a man playing the guitar and another man playing the banjo.  Although each of the groups that performed had a unique display of music, it was clear that each musician played their music because they enjoyed bringing the community together to bond over the different types of music.       

The most interesting and unique group that I watched was a group of six or seven people doing improvisation.  Their idea of improvisation was a neat way to interact with the crowd.  For example, for one of the songs that they performed they asked the crowd for a random word.  The word they heard first was “dragons”.  They then had to perform an entire song about dragons’ right on the spot.  Porchfest in and of itself is a highly interactive venue for the audience and the performers, but this group took it to another level.  I really enjoyed listening to their songs because it kept me on my toes, and they were able to make the songs somewhat comical.  The social function of this group’s music was family oriented due to its fun-loving nature.  They were able to combine a catchy beat with jokes that young children could understand and laugh at.  The music communicated to the audience through hidden jokes and silly lyrics.  The rhythm of their tune about dragons had a medieval feel to it.  The guitar that was continuously playing in the background served as a steady basis for the tune since the lyrics were completely random.  As each performer had to sing their portion of the song they had to adjust the pace at which they sung their lyrics so that it matched with the beat of the guitar.  Despite the difficulty of this task the members of the group did a very nice job.

I thought it was cool that Jenny and I were able to figure out the meter of one of the songs that we heard.  Half way through the song we were both composing the 4/4 meter.  This song consisted of a woman and a man playing electric guitar.  Their piece was interesting because they put a modern spin on the song by using electric guitars, while the woman singing displayed vocals that were similar to those one may have heard in the late 80's.       

While walking from porch to porch it was very difficult to decipher the different cadence structures.  The inability to repeat the song as many times as I would like and the vast amount of uncertainty that each song held made it challenging.  However, due to the exposure that I have had in class to cadences I noticed that I was more aware of when a phrase or period would come to an end.  My ears were more attuned to expect a pause at specific parts of a song.       

From Lady Gaga to a tune from the Wizard of Oz, Porchfest provided a wide range of entertainment for my Sunday afternoon.  I was surprised that I heard music from a base, tuba, banjo, electric guitar, and drums all in one day!  I look forward to going again next year!