The Power of Shared Experiences

A friend of mine shared an article recently titled, “Attending live concerts increases life expectancy, improves well-being more than yoga, dog-walking, study finds” where the discussion of the overall benefits of attending a live concert performance was explored. The article mainly attributes the benefits to attending a symphony orchestra performance, but the study does not single out just orchestral experiences.

Something I have been exploring recently, is the power of shared experiences where an audience respond as a group to a live performance of some kind. So, this thinking could apply to almost everything from DJs in a nightclub to certain kinds of theatrical performances and, yes, symphony orchestra performances. The common thread amongst these is the linked connections between the performers, between the audience members, and between the performers and audience. Part of this involves a perception of the audience by the performer, so film, for example is not the same as live theatre. There is something powerful about a performer who is giving you their time and energy in live performance.

The primary phrase on the front page of this website is “Networked Humanity,” which, I think, needs some context in order to get to the heart of what I mean by the phrase. For me, networked humanity is the realization that as human beings we have a network of connections that allow us to share experiences with one another. What struck me about the article was the contrast between the activities described. On one side is the yoga or dog-walking activities versus the symphony orchestra activity on the other. What struck me immediately, was that I thought of the yoga and dog-walking as solitary and the symphony as networked. So, it seemed obvious that the networked activity would yield greater overall health because our opportunities to experience shared experiences are becoming more and more rare. It is similar to dying of thirst in the ocean. We are surrounded by networks and are more connected than we have ever been, but we seem to be lacking the health benefits of those artificial connections.

I am not saying that computer networks and smart devices are bad, but I am saying that because we are replacing some of our human networking, we are weakening those networking muscles. It’s part perception, part empathy, and part awareness.

I have had the privilege of starting my career as a professional actor at 15 years old. I got an early start on a professional career in live performance and tuning my perceptions to my audience. I would often find myself altering my performance in barely perceptible ways in order to give a scene some added energy. Backstage, we would often speak of the energy from the audience and the impact it had on our performance. Developing that sense was vital if I was going to be successful with my work. You begin to think about your performance and the subtle changes needed in the same way a master Japanese carpenter will alter their work based on the character of the wood they are working with. (https://www.stonebridge.com/sbp-blog/the-meticulous-art-of-traditional-japanese-woodworking)

In my second career, I have had the privilege of seeing computer networks connect our globe at the speed of light. The immensity and immediacy of being able to contact a dear friend on another continent is nothing short of continually astonishing. We can know more about each other in the blink of an eye more than any other time in human history. This comes at a cost though. The easiest way to characterize this is through a parallel experience; the invention of the personal automobile.

The automobile enhanced our quality of life in gargantuan ways. Suddenly our ability to travel freely and safely over long distances in relatively short amounts of time allowed us to transfer the energy and time needed for less efficient modes of transportation. Walking or riding horses required a fair amount of energy. With the arrival of the automobile, our need to walk or ride horses became less necessary for survival. In many ways our walking and horse riding abilities weakened or disappeared completely.

This is similar to what is happening with our computer networks. We can easily have shared experiences in an artificial environment. While we get the benefit of the experience, we lose the benefit of the thing that the computer network replaced.

It seems to me, that as humans, we have a need to gather together and share an experience. That experience needs to be connected to a live performance of some kind and needs to be with a group of people that go through the experience together. We are hungry for experiences that allow us to connect to our human network. Try it. Go somewhere that has the elements I describe here and see what happens. I suspect you will find yourself feeling more connected and part of something, and that it will help you feel good.