A Concert for Life – Discovering the Inner Musician

A Concert for Life – Discovering the Inner Musician

It was the dawn of a beautiful Sunday morning. The day that I went to a metal music

concert that could only be described as “legendary”. The sun shone brighter, the birds chirped melodiously, and I smiled wider than ever before. The thrilling excitement, the overburdening anticipation, the liberating journey through the concert that transformed my life and developed me as a musician.

During the ‘80s, Christian metal bands encouraged youth with their one of a kind and controversial style of music defying the conventional belief that rock and roll was ungodly. However, live performances of Christian rock groups impacted a multitude of people across many nations and ages with biblical principles and the message of hope. One notable Christian band in the ‘80s was Stryper who gained acceptance in the mainstream with their “good” rock and roll. Being a Stryper fan, getting VIP tickets to their concert was an opportunity of a lifetime which I was blessed to witness. What I didn't expect coming was a critical trip into the universe of groundbreaking music and the discovery of what it means to be a musician.

That day, I could sense the eagerness all around me as we were queued in line. The anticipation was palpable, and the gnawing wait cannot snuff out everybody's fervor. I remained there and held my ticket apprehensively as it was my first Stryper concert. While I waited, I envisioned what the concert would be like. I had seen concerts through DVDs before, and imagined their classic yellow and black stripes on the set, the instruments, and the attire. I imagined the lights and the loud abrupt intro of their classic opening song, “To Hell with the Devil” setting the concert in motion. And out of nowhere, my reverie was interrupted with the sound, "Roxas, over here!" The organizers recognized me and beckoned me into the concert hall. As I crossed the threshold to the outside, I saw that the concert hall was covered with yellow and black stripes with Stryper’s logo centered over the stage. Around the stage, there were large speakers and amplifiers, and in the center a large drum set that was truly rock-n-roll. This set the stage for loud things to come. The organizer lead me through a passage with dull lighting and distant ambient melodies reminiscent of classic Stryper songs – an appetizer for the show to come – towards the “mosh pit” (the mosh pit is an area directly below the stage reserved for the VIP). With every step through the passage, I could feel the alacrity of my persona rise. There were only around 30 individuals in the mosh pit – hardcore fans dedicated to the band from the start. They wore black peppered with yellow accessories, colored their hair bright neon or wore wigs.

A few fleeting moments, the lights faded away quickly and the sound had died down. In those moments of silence, one could hear the deep fast collective hearts beat of the multitude behind us. The anticipation was at an all-time high, and you could cut the tension with a knife. All of a sudden, a voice turned out from the backstage, and the band was raised onto the stage. Everybody roared to greet and offer support to this special band. Then, the deafening blasts of the bass, the magnificent voice of the vocalist, the frightful tone of the guitars, the thundering rumble of drums launched the show. The excitement and commitment leaked through the artists as the strumming guitars, thumping drums and beating bass resonated through the arena and our souls. After an hour of screaming and singing our favorite songs, our energy did not waver, but energized further song by song. I saw the entire setting of the audience change into an immense collective chorus, singing the verses at the same time. No one thought about how good or bad they sounded, however we all agreed to be in unison.