BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield has been very welcoming to Murray Hidary. The musical mastermind behind the live-to-headphones “Silent” Piano Concert is returning to the city for the third time with a 4 p.m. show Nov. 23 at The Park at River Walk.

“The park there has been just a great spot for folks, and we are excited to bring it back,” Hidary says. “We are building an audience, and we are excited to invest in the community and bring it there to provide something different.”

“Different” is definitely an understatement when it comes to MindTravel. Those who have attended one or both of the previous shows will know that this is a very unusual concert as to the casual observer, it looks like people sitting around a silent piano player.  Only those who purchase a ticket will be able to hear the original compositions created on the spot by composer and pianist Hidary.

Those who attend will be able to hear the performance through headphones for what Hidary calls an individual and shared experience. A general description of the show is that Hidary sits up his specially designed piano – that has the dimensions of a baby grand but is much lighter – in parks, on beaches or anywhere a group can come together.

This is possible because Hidary designed and built a special modular electric piano that is not impacted by weather conditions or humidity. Because the grand piano is electric, the only way the sound can be heard is through the headphones. Those walking by the event will only hear a light tapping of the piano keys as Hidary performs.

The performer has always been at a loss for words to fully describe the unique concert. He always suggests that experiencing the concert is the only proper way to understand what is happening.

“Because no matter what you look at, no matter what you listen to, it just doesn’t live up to the full experience of being there with so many people sharing the experience,” Hildary says.

It also will be a different experience as the last two visits by Hidary came during warmer months and with longer days. Hidary recalls his first trip to Bakersfield came during a very hot day and everyone who attended was grouped around the trees in the park to take advantage of the shade.

He points out because of the shorter days, the upcoming concert in Bakersfield will have a completely different look. It will also have a different feel as the evenings are cooler.

The music Hidary will perform will be different from his last two shows here but that has nothing to do with the darker setting or cooler weather. Each performance is different from the others because of what Hidary calls a “real-time composition.”

The NYU graduate in Music and Composition is inspired by the works of the minimalist movement and the Baroque period. The show is designed to run between one hour to 75 minutes of uninterrupted music.

While the music is never the same, what Hidary is trying to project through his compositions is to create a meditative situation to help those who attend to relax and find a little escape from the demands of the world. It is a little bit of calm and quiet in a very noisy world.

Unlike a regular concert where there would be breaks between songs, Hidary keeps the concert flowing from beginning to end. It is designed that way to avoid the kind of stops and starts that might disrupt the calming flow of the show.

Audience members are encouraged to relax and allow the music to be a soundtrack for the world around them. The intent is for each person to react individually while connecting with the humanity and nature around them.

Concertgoers are given wireless headphones because the show takes place outdoors. Unlike a regular concert, those in attendance can walk around, move to different areas or even do some shopping while the concert is happening.

Having the music go directly from the piano to the headphones is a way to make sure the audience member is getting the most pristine sound experience possible. Hidary points out that the show is very direct, immediate and intimate.

He adds, “It is as if I am almost playing for each person individually.”

His MindTravel show has been performed at Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Grace Cathedral, The National Arts Club and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. He has appeared at such festivals as Wanderlust, Carlsbad and Burning Man.

Those attending are urged to arrive 20 minutes early to register. The concert experience is scheduled to end at 6 p.m.

To be part of the experience, tickets for the local concert are available at https://www.mindtravel.com/events. The Park at River Walk is located at 11298 Stockdale Highway.

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