I recently enjoyed my favourite 4 days of the year with my wife at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Time for reflection.                                                           

Let’s start with a few thoughts about ‘The Sphere’ in Los Vegas. Think IMAX and Planetarium combined into a building that would fit the Statue of Liberty. Think BIG.

It was initially envisioned as a new way to watch movies. Over time, it morphed into a virtual visual experience without a headset. The creator of live shows for the group U2 wanted to create an emotional connection between the artist and the audience, between the music and the audience, and between the audience and the audience.

In a small way, there might be an opportunity to generate empathy amongst the audience when simultaneously experiencing this sensory disorienting time. The designer knew that the magic of this disorienting – fooling the brain – had to begin before the show even began.

When you first walked into the auditorium, the sphere showed the inside of a Roman-type dome made from stone slabs, reaching a large opening to the sky. The audience reaction tended to be overwhelmed and confused. What was real?

A couple of minor additions helped complete the illusion. A pigeon was added to the screen. It was flying about, perching periodically well above everyone’s head. Then, a child’s helium balloon floated to the rafters, eventually escaping through the opening.

A key to maintaining the psychological illusion was to have no corners to help orient the mind. Thus, the sphere shape vs. the 4-corner IMAX screen.

I’ve only watched a bit of the U2 show on YouTube. It was still quite an experience on my flat TV screen.

Now, let’s return to my recent Folkfest experience. About 15,000 people attend the main stage each evening. This particular year, Jasper residents who evacuated because of a forest fire were invited to attend free of charge. Class act.

Empathy amongst strangers. I had never thought of this expression as describing the communal feeling around Folkfest, but I have had the joy of experiencing it. I can sit beside anyone who regularly goes to Folkfest, someone I’ve never met before, and talk for ages about our experience.

Sometimes, we shared a joint experience. An example was watching k.d. lang on Main Stage let everyone know that she owned the stage that night. She sang from every corner, including standing on the piano to belt out a tune.

Sometimes we missed the common experience at side stages that only one of us was present. Nobody could see everything with 6 stages going at the same time! We shared the feeling of awe, wonderment, serenity, and, dare I say, love.

So, in a small way, in this world with increasing hate, I experienced genuine love and empathy among folks whose paths might otherwise not cross.

Please give this a bit of a think. Where have you found that physical experience of serenity? Your happy place. A place you can return to mentally to anchor yourself in this topsy-turvy world.

I am curious about your thoughts. Please share your bit of a think in the comment section below. It will come to me for approval before posting.

Photo by Noiseporn on Unsplash

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glenn.walmsley@icloud.com