Concert Etiquette

Since I have a blog I'm going to get on my soapbox a little here.  We recently went to a fabulous concert of Gold Cup Winners in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival program.  Under this system, children taking lessons from a member teacher - in a number of different instruments, but mostly piano and violin - work on perfecting two pieces of music for a judge who gives them between 1 and 5 points, 5 being the highest.  Once the student has accumulated 15 points - meaning 3 Superior ratings in a row (three years) or a combination of lower scores over more years can earn a gold cup.  After another 15 points (total of 30) another, larger cup can be earned, up to a 6th gold cup, which must be mammoth!

All of the students in this concert had earned their gold cups, meaning most of them only play in this particular concert every three years - almost like waiting for the Olympics.  It's really an honor, and the level of playign ability and musicianship was quite outstanding.

I should say the students were outstanding.  Outstanding playing, outstanding stage presence, outstanding politeness.  Then there were the parents and others in the audience.  Those reading books, or worse, working on their laptops until "their child" performed, and then complained loudly that "that concert was too long".  LOTS of people were moving around during performances which were all less than 10 minutes, so you would think, except for a crying baby, you could wait until the slight break between performers before getting up to do whatever you need to do.  I won't even try to say what I feel about the cell phone use - fortunately none went off during a performance.

Does this kind of behavior show our children how we value their hard work?  That we are proud of every child who has the gumption to perform in front of 30 or 40 of their peers, plus teachers, parents and grandparents?  That we honor their talents and abilities and drive to do something well?

Please, at concerts, give students and professionals the benefit of your full attention.  They have worked hard on their art and they deserve to be honored for that.