Concert Etiquette

The concert hall is a unique place. I can think of no other place in which the attention of so many people is so singularly focused. Be it the opera, ballet, symphony, or chamber recital, the attention points to the stage. And because the rests, the silence, in music is as important as the notes (just ask John Cage), that attention remains unbroken through the performance. This leads to what may seem a stifling atmosphere to many -- full of obscure and antiquated rules and traditions. In actuality, there is only one rule, and it exists for good reason. That rule is: do not disturb.

This is a familiar rule. It is the reason we turn off our cell phones and keep our feet down at the movies. It only seems so uptight in the concert hall because nothing is amplified. Popcorn chomps are easily obscured in a theater with THX-certified surround sound. Any sort of noise, be it shuffling your feet or un-sticking your sweaty hand from your program, distracts fellow patrons from that which they paid and came to experience.

Indeed that raw, unfiltered connection to the stage is partly what makes it so exciting. In this hyper-connected, perpetually moving, modern age, how rare and precious it is to join hundreds or thousands of others in sharing an experience of human expression! Is it not for this reason we attend sports games and attend concerts of other genres? Yet, as with so many treasures, this one is fragile. Any small sound could obscure a delicate touch of phrasing that separates the pleasant from the sublime.

These sudden distractions are like scratches on your favorite cd. And as with cds, they are unfortunately unavoidable. I am very forgiving with drops, coughs, and gasps (when elicited by an occurrence on the stage) because these are involuntary. After all, most of the audience tends to be elderly, no? It is the shuffling, cell phone glare, and whispering that is so very distracting. I have heard announcements on more than one occasion suggesting, "if you would like to enjoy a candy or cough drop during the performance, please open it now." We are serious about the music.

There is one rule that I will confess is unnecessary. During multi-movement works such as concertos and symphonies, we are to hold our applause until after the final movement. I honor this, but I do not begrudge those who do not. In my opinion, if the audience's concentration really must not be broken between two movements, then it is up to the conductor to maintain engagement. That is accomplished as easily as by not dropping his hands. As for the performers' concentration, they are professionals.

So in the end, that is all. Do not make noises, do not move excessively, do not check your phone, do not wear strong fragrances, do not wear an enormous hat. Do not whisper until the lights come up. This one is hard for people, for some reason. But really, just do your best not to disturb your neighbors, and enjoy what unfolds on the stage.

As a final note, I have started my exploration into the data set mentioned in the last post. It may take me some time to execute my plans as I am still a novice programmer, but here is a peek without explanation at what I have found so far. I have accepted the assistance of a good friend with a doctorate in CS (AI) so I hope that we will have something fun for you soon!