I teach, adjunctively, a Music Appreciation class or two each semester and one of the first things I do is hand out a "concert etiquette" form to teach them how to act when they attend the recitals they are required to attend. It seems to work well and they appreciate it since rarely if any of them attended a recital or concert. In rural West Tennessee, the only culture many of these students will experience is as a result of this class and I at least want them to know when to applaud and when not. Applauding at the correct time, unless providing a quick exit for a teacher, is very important to the audience and especially to the performer. Joy! Elwood Elwood Doss, Jr., M.M.E., RPT Piano Technician/Technical Director Department of Music 145 Fine Arts Building The University of Tennessee at Martin Martin, TN 38238 731/881-1852 FAX: 731/881-7415 HOME: 731/587-5700 -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Mark Cramer Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 5:53 PM To: CAUT Subject: [CAUT] The politics of clapping (o/t) Last Sunday, Cheryl and I decided to take in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's performance with guest pianist Stewart Goodyear. The Grieg Concerto is a sentimental favourite, and I just plain enjoy listening to the piano from different seats around the auditorium. Anyhow, the first movement finished up quite nicely, but all the same, it was surprising to hear some of the audience burst into applause. "Newbies," or just sincere appreciation for Mr. Goodyear's nice work,.. I don't know. He briefly acknowledged the applause, and off to the second movement. Later in the week I was at a brown-bag, noon-hour recital in a stately Cathedral for a solo piano recital. A faculty member, international concert pianist and friend sat with me, and his student was in fact the soloist. Halfway through the recital, and my friend was starting to figet. "Mark" he said anxiously, "I have to teach a lesson in ten minutes" as he scrutinized the program looking for a strategic point of exit. But there was none to be had, as we were in the middle of a setting of short thematic peices. Finally in desperation, as the hint of a musical pause approached, he begged "Mark, I will clap, please support me...!" And I did. The young fingers barely took a moment's leave of the keyboard, when from some twenty rows back, the hands of his teacher cracked the silence... and I followed suit, along with half the audience. This brief, unanticipated display of appreciation invited a beaming smile from the pianist's face, turning to bewilderment, as he caught the fleeting form of an adult male with winter coat pulled over his head, making a mad dash for the exit! :>) What a tricky art this "applause" business can be, knowing when to start, when to stop, when to stand, when to fling one's personal items upon the stage... no thanks, I'll just gladly follow. Have a great day, Mark Cramer, Brandon University
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