Jul 2013
What Takes You Out of a Performance?
14/07/13 14:44
We’ve all been drilled in proper performance practice since the days of middle school band, yes?
1) Make sure you wear black socks
2) Don’t shuffle your music until the audience stops clapping
3) If you mess up, DO NOT show any physical response
4) Guys, don’t forget your ties
5) Ladies, resist the desire to display your…assets
and so on…
But here’s what I’ve been wondering lately - other than these tried and true etiquette rules. What else removes you from a concert experience? I recently attended a wonderful choral concert and heard some lovely singing. However, I must admit, I cringed every time the piano gave the performers the pitch for an unaccompanied piece. Now, hold on, don’t get all up in arms yet. I understand this is sometimes necessary with vocal ensembles, but the fact remains that it took me out of the experience of listening to such lovely music, and I wanted to stay in that bright and colorful world.
This experience reminded me of other distractions I’ve noticed at concerts - pianists who bang their feet on the floor in exuberance, wind players who draw in massive, noisy, CPR breaths before a passage, screeching speaker feedback, etc. But I want to know what takes YOU out of the concert experience. Please share!
1) Make sure you wear black socks
2) Don’t shuffle your music until the audience stops clapping
3) If you mess up, DO NOT show any physical response
4) Guys, don’t forget your ties
5) Ladies, resist the desire to display your…assets
and so on…
But here’s what I’ve been wondering lately - other than these tried and true etiquette rules. What else removes you from a concert experience? I recently attended a wonderful choral concert and heard some lovely singing. However, I must admit, I cringed every time the piano gave the performers the pitch for an unaccompanied piece. Now, hold on, don’t get all up in arms yet. I understand this is sometimes necessary with vocal ensembles, but the fact remains that it took me out of the experience of listening to such lovely music, and I wanted to stay in that bright and colorful world.
This experience reminded me of other distractions I’ve noticed at concerts - pianists who bang their feet on the floor in exuberance, wind players who draw in massive, noisy, CPR breaths before a passage, screeching speaker feedback, etc. But I want to know what takes YOU out of the concert experience. Please share!
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