When I grow up, I want to be a performer.

Performance has definitely grown into a phenomenon on all levels, whether is it cultural or social. Chapter 5 introduces different ideas and examples to deepen this opinion. The chapter describes what performance is as well as why it is so important. What is important about is the “explicit and implicit relationships between performers and audiences, and the complex dynamics that lead to or stem from these relationships” (128) Performances all around us, whether is it storytelling, music, or anything in front of an audience. Not all performances are apparent, as they can be very informal and happen on a daily basis. Clarity is imperative in the relaying of a performance, because if the audience doesn’t understand, or even worse the performers don’t even understand, then the message of the performance is lost. This chapter has deepened my understanding of performance because I used to think performance was just a group getting in front of an audience and doing something, just in general. I didn’t realize that just saying a joke with a friend in front of a couple people could count as a performance. The chapter also gave me a better understanding of the cultural and social aspects of a performance. Those things influence a performance, the performers, and the audience.

I recently went to a performance of Indiana University’s acapella group, Straight No Chaser. They are not a folk group, but essentially are a folk group of the university because they carry a history and are very much associated with the university. Along with them, everyday I see performances going on just on the street, and now I will be more aware of them due to the reading of this chapter.

This is a response to reflection question 5.