Published: 2025-01-31

Does music still play play the first fiddle in contemporary concerts? A concert as a multimedia event and as a space for cultural communication

Justyna Kusto , Dagmara Jaszewska
Kultura Media Teologia
Section: Artykuły i rozprawy
https://doi.org/10.21697/kmt.2023.60.05

Abstract

This paper presents new multimedia forms of music events, such as mapping, holograms, silent discos, virtual concerts, augmented reality concerts, and hybrid formats combining these phenomena. These types of events became popular in Poland during the pandemic when concerts shifted to online spaces, though they are already known and discussed in foreign literature on the subject. The article reviews existing research on multimedia concerts and provides examples from both the Polish and international music scenes. The paper examines the technical conditions of these innovations, but more importantly, the changes they bring to the experiences of listeners. These changes align with the phenomenon of culture aromatization, which transforms musical experiences into unique sensory events by enhancing musical and visual perception. Contemporary music audiences constantly seek new stimuli and the pleasures associated with them, and creators strive to meet their expectations. The paper also presents the results of audience opinion surveys on this new type of concert. Findings indicate that participants assess these events differently, both in terms of the sensory experiences they offer and their communicative and relational aspects. An important thread of the paper is the analysis of new technological solutions in terms of their impact on cultural (musical) communication, particularly the relationship between creators and audiences. Research shows that some listeners positively evaluate the experiences provided by such concerts and appreciate their community-building aspects, while others respond negatively. Therefore, it seems likely that both traditional live concerts and technologically advanced multimedia events will find their audiences in the future. The choice of appropriate practices and possible additional effects for organizing concerts will rest with the creators of these experiences.

Keywords:

multimedia concert, virtual concert, concert in augmented reality, visualization in music, mapping, hologram, silent disco, culture aromatization, cultural communication

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