<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Mar 15, 2007, at 12:41 PM, John R. Granholm wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">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.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>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.</FONT></P> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>I'm like Mark. I've been to enough of these events to pretty well know what to do. But I follow anyway.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>A lot of people in the world live by the "When in Rome..." philosophy. You are describing a similar community to my hometown -- not a lot of exposure to the nose in the air - ahem, "serious" - arts world. I rather think artists like some described in this thread need to get over the "how to do" and appreciate rather, the opportunity to express their artistry and the creation of the artist. As a general rule, the artist is being paid to be there, and if the audience hears something they appreciate and applaud at the "wrong" time, then so what? Take it as a compliment. Smile and move on. That is what is professional.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>But to insult a group of people for not knowing when they were or were not supposed to clap doesn't do much to cultivate interest in the arts. Rather, it reinforces why so many people don't have a lot of experience with it. Because of the attitudes of the haughty taughty, it turns people off to the art itself by association. Many people detest anything having to do with silly, meaningless "how to do" protocol, and if higher art fits into that category then advancing interest in that art is what suffers.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>As far as bringing children, sometimes a small town community event is just that - a community event. Families go. That means children will be there, and will be exposed to the music. For a lot of families, if children can't go, neither do the parents. If we lose perspective in what is being presented because of some so-so protocol, what does that do for advancing the cause of the arts?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Does "serious" concert mean it is like an R rated movie? You can't attend until you're old enough? (maybe that's why most of the hair in our audiences is white?)</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>