This reading contextualizes the way we see “musical art” today and how it was developed. It provides the theories and history behind its evolution as a concept and examples of works and artists in the field. There are several main ideas that I found to be relatable on a personal level, not in a way that they apply to me personally but rather based on my observations. Since we started this class, whenever we have a performance or look at documented works or experiences, I always think of house music or shows and concerts like Martin Garrix and similar artists. This, I feel, relates to section 5 which looks at the computer being a universal machine that combines clubs with galleries under a “one-person enterprise”(5). The author discusses how the artist-musician/musician-artist label has been influenced by the spread of electronic music such as techno and house. This led to clubs being a place that combines forms of expression like music and visuals, as well as other factors. I would say that such factors apply to concerts as well, alongside clubs. Not only does the performers’ music allow people to vibe, move with the beat, and dance together, but performing it live makes it 1000 times more interesting and captivating, engaging multiple senses at the same time. It creates some kind of immersive or 2D experience where you can see the visuals reacting with the audio/sounds and incorporating fire or smoke, in some cases, that also go with the beat.

I have been to many concerts in my life but I had the most fun at a Martin Garrix concert where I was close to the stage and could see all of the colors and visuals changing up close with the music. He also incorporated aspects that we have learned how to use in class such as images or videos within the visuals, which personalizes the performance even further and maybe incorporates the “filmic” form discussed in the reading. Another topic that I found to be very interesting when reading was how some terminology used for visuals has been taken from music to apply to paintings, for example, which we still use to this day. Referring to a visual work or producing it as a “composition, symphony, improvisation, or rhythm”(2) is a recent change, that emphasizes abstraction in art. However, I believe that there is a wider room for interpretation when it comes to understanding what each word means when applying it to visuals than it does for music.