That's why concerts are good for your health
Reports claim that live music is health-promoting. In times of recession, it is extra important to treat yourself to a few evenings in the concert hall.
It is conservator at Rockheim in Trondheim, Bjørn Østrem, who points this out in an article on NRK Ytring recently. He receives support from several professional groups.
Everyone knows how enriching it can feel to go to a really good concert or be at a festival with friends. We know this extra well, since we have all lived through a pandemic, where we were deprived of the opportunity for this type of experience for a long time.
A really good concert experience must certainly not be underestimated.
Leads to lasting change
Østrem starts from how we experienced the so-called streaming concerts during the pandemic. And that these concerts lacked the actual concert experience. The lack of anticipation, the applause, the shouting, the pushing and everything else that is alive. That is the reason why the phenomenon practically disappeared together with the authorities' restrictions.
The conservator points out that, in addition to concerts being a pleasant activity, more and more research tells us about the health-promoting effects of common meeting places for musical experiences. He refers to a report from Yale University which reports on so-called temporary transformative experiences, i.e. experiences that lead to a change in people.
It says, among other things, that the group-feeling remains long after the end of the festival or concert. So it is more than just the hours on a concert that we are left with. Forskning.no refers to an American survey conducted at festivals, where 63% of the respondents report on the mentioned transformative effects. With each passing day of the festivals, the participants' circle of generosity expanded. From family and friends to strangers, according to the website.
The concert experience is more than just the music, it is the anticipation, the applause, the shouting, the pushing and everything else that is alive.
Increases generosity
Forskning.no has been in contact with Aksel Tjora, professor at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at NTNU. Among other things, he says the following about the survey:
- This research shows that traveling to festivals has a lasting effect.
He adds:
- This type of research shows that festivals and cultural events help to maintain the degree of solidarity, generosity and trust in society.
Who wouldn't want to help maintain the level of generosity and trust while having a good time and a great experience? Fortunately, Sandefjord has finally got a really cool club scene in the Harmonie arena, so the possibilities for sustaining positive effects have increased considerably. So off the sofa and into the concert halls, folks!