Above: Jon Batiste, photo by Scott Newton (Austin City Limits)
With so many ways to communicate at our disposal, we must not forget the transformative power of a live music experience and genuine human exchange. —Jon Batiste
Good news: Attending live music shows can help you live up to nine years longer! As little as 20 minutes of live music every two weeks can result in a longevity boost by increasing your sense of well-being, positively influencing self-worth, and enhancing connection with others. This from a study by Patrick Fagan, a “behavioral science expert” which, while neither peer-reviewed nor published, seems to make intuitive sense.
And live music’s appeal, according to an article by Olivia Perreault, is on the rise. Summarizing Live Nation’s “global survey of 40,000 people across 15 countries,” the article indicates almost “40% of respondents said if they could only choose one type of entertainment for life, they’d pick live music.” Most hopeful, 84% of respondents “believe live music unites people across borders.” And, remarkably, “70% of people said they’d rather see their favorite artist live than have sex.”
That last reminded me of a woman I dated (in my 20s) from Lafayette, Louisiana, who frankly stated that dancing is actually better. Disregarding my dubious expression, she explained one could dance, without stopping, for 3-4 hours, and that the resultant feelings of intimacy and satisfaction were comparable. She was in fact talking about dancing to live bands and, while I wasn’t a dancer at the time, I’ve since come to understand what richly sensual, emotional, and connective experiences dancing and listening to live music can be. Allons danser!
If you’d like to increase your life expectancy, see numerous events where you can enjoy both dancing and live music at the Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan