When I was an undergraduate student in the late '60s, I was ushering at the recital of a concert pianist. A young mother brought a pre-schooler to the recital and the little one was pretty noisy almost from the first of the recital. It was obviously bothering the pianist. I approached the mother and volunteered to take the child out and watch her while the mother continued her attendance in the recital hall. She smiled and quickly agreed. I "babysat" the child for the rest of the recital in a classroom adjacent to the recital hall. When it was over, she came in and thanked me for doing it; and the concert pianist thanked me over and over for removing the interruption. That would never happen in this day and time! Personally I kinda liked it when there was trust, honesty, and decorum...those days are long gone. 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 John R. Granholm Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:41 AM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] The politics of clapping (o/t) On a related topic, I witnessed a "first" in my tuning career a couple weeks ago. Our local Community Concert Association (Southwest Oregon) brought in a brilliant young New York pianist for a solo recital. Some audience members in the first row were dealing with a noisy child after he started playing. First he leaned toward the offenders and glared at them. When that didn't satisfy him, he leaned toward them again, not missing a beat of his Debussy, and went "SHHHH!" And then he did it again, quite loudly. The people took the child to the back of the hall or left, I'm not sure which. I've watched concert artists put up with a lot of audience noise and distractions, but I'd never seen one do this from the stage in the middle of a performance. I don't know why people bring tiny children to these concerts, or why some of them come to concerts and then carry on conversations or wander in and out during the performance. As has been suggested, I suspect they have not been educated, and most people, at least where I live, do not have a lot of experience with "serious" concerts and customary behavior at them. John R. Granholm RPT On Mar 14, 2007, at 3:41 PM, Elwood Doss wrote: > 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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