Purple Haze by the Kronos Quartet

Like most people my age, I grew up on rock and roll. The music can be so powerful, with the sounds of electric guitars screaming through the amplifiers. And with rock to enjoy, I've never gotten into classical music. Although an experience watching a string quartet perform live convinced me of the power of strings.

It was back in college that I used one of my electives to take a music appreciation class. And one of the requirements was to attend a live performance. This was in San Luis Obispo, and I found a concert being given by the Kronos Quartet at a place called The Spirit. That evening, a friend and I watched the Kronos Quartet come out wearing bodysuits, which let us know that it was going to be anything but a stuffy concert. The music they play tends to focus on 20th century compositions (and maybe 21st century now too), and not on the classical music that most of us think of initially when thinking of string quartets.

As I went because I was taking a music appreciation class, I really did appreciate the music! But what really stood out for me was when they performed a medley of rock songs - I loved it. I loved the familiarity. In particular was when they performed their version of Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. That's when it dawned on me the true power of orchestral strings: how the act of drawing a bow across strings resonates. The vibratory effect is so much more powerful than simply striking or plucking the strings of a guitar. It was memorable how they played that song as powerfully as can be imagined - I can hardly capture the experience I had with mere words. I guess you had to be there...