Meditative Performance

Photo by Rafael Baldwin, courtesy of New World Symphony

Goals

Audience will experience music in a new way through meditation.

Overview

Go through a meditation exercise with your audience before a performance to set up a relaxed, meditation-friendly atmosphere.

Process

  1. Identify the piece on your program you think creates a good atmosphere for meditation.
  2. Lead the audience through a guided meditation before the start of the piece, then perform!

Audience Type

What does this activity look like in action?

Example Script:

Piece: Arvo Pärt – Spiegel im Spiegel

Performer: I’d invite you to draw your attention to your breath. Feel the air as it passes in and out of your nose. Close your eyes… Imagine we are no longer in ____ Hall, but in …
As you listen, notice where your attention is drawn, or where your thoughts go. Simply notice where they go, don’t worry about controlling them. Now, see if you can direct it towards one instrument, or one line in the music.

 

Modifications

  • For a similar vibe without the actual meditation practice, try a crossover with “Introspective Feeling” or “Scene Painting”, and ask the audience to imagine a place they find calming while the performance takes place. You may vividly describe your own calm setting.
  • The guided meditation may happen simultaneously with the performance.

Notes

  • Dimming the hall’s lights during this section helps the audience experience this fully.

Create interactive performances. We have activities to help you connect with your audiences.