To further build your children's interest in classical music,
play classical radio or CDs around the house. When they are old enough to sit
quietly for an extended period, you may wish to bring them to the first half of
a standard concert. An interested preteen or teenager could also have a
marvelous time at an orchestra concert, particularly if it features several
different pieces.
Also, be sure to ask us about discounts for students, children and families!
Q. I've never been to an orchestra
concert before. What should I expect?
A. Expect to enjoy yourself! This is the time to let go of any
preconceptions you may have about classical music or the concert experience. If
you feel a little nervous, that's OK. Some things about the concert may seem
strange because they're new to you, but if you just focus on the music, you'll
have a great time.
Open yourself up to the music. Let it trigger your emotions - maybe even your
memories. Feel the rhythms; follow the tunes. Watch the musicians and the
conductor, and see how they interact with each other. Notice how the music ebbs
and flows—surging and powerful at some times, delicate and ephemeral at others,
and everything in between.
Q. What if I don't know anything about classical
music? Do I need to study beforehand?
A. There's no need to study. The music will speak for itself. Just come
and enjoy!
Over time, many frequent concertgoers do find their enjoyment is deeper if they
prepare for a concert. This can be simple, like reading the program notes
beforehand (they’re posted on our website); or it can be more involved, like
listening to recordings of the music to be performed in the days before they
attend a concert.
You know yourself best, so if research interests you, go ahead and follow your
curiosity. But if studying isn't your thing, there's no need to be concerned
about it. Just listen with an open mind.
Q. Will I recognize any of the music?
A. You might! Classical music is all around us: in commercials, movie
soundtracks, television themes, cartoons, retail shops, and even some elevators!
Popular music often quotes classical melodies, too. While you're listening in
the concert to a piece you think you've never heard before, a tune you've heard
a hundred times may jump out at you.
Whether or not you've heard the music before the concert, as you listen, you'll
notice that each classical piece uses its own group of several tunes over and
over, in different ways. You'll start to "recognize" these melodies as a work
progresses. Listen for the ways a melody is repeated: Is it exactly the same as
the first time, or with a different character? Is it played by the same
instruments, or different ones? Does it start the same as before, but go off in
a different direction? Or start differently and surprise you by developing into
the tune you recognize from earlier in the piece?
Q. What should I wear?
A. There is no dress code! Anything that makes you feel comfortable is
fine. Many people will be wearing business clothes or slightly dressy casual
clothes, but you'll see everything from khakis or jeans with a nice shirt to
cocktail dresses and suits. Some people enjoy dressing up and making a special
night of it, and you can, too. Still, evening gowns and tuxedos are pretty rare
unless you've bought tickets for a fancy gala—and if you have, you'll know!
If you do decide to dress up, though, go easy on the perfume and cologne, which
can distract others near you and even prompt them to sneeze (which may distract
you)!
Q. Should I arrive early?
A. Absolutely! Plan to arrive 20 minutes before concert time, so you can
find parking, find your seat, turn off your cell phone, take a look at your
surroundings, absorb the atmosphere, and have time to glance through the program
book, too. You won't be alone. Most concertgoers make a point of coming early to
read the program notes, visit with friends, or just watch the orchestra warm up.
Rushing to your seat at the last minute doesn't really give you enough time to
get settled, so you may not fully enjoy the first piece on the program. And
there's another good reason to come early: Most concerts start on time. If
you're late, you may end up listening from the lobby! If that happens, the usher
will allow you inside during a suitable pause in the program, so your arrival
won't disturb other concertgoers.
Q. How long will the concert be?
A. It varies, but most orchestra concerts are about 90 minutes long, with
an intermission at the halfway point. Very often there will be several pieces on
the concert; but occasionally there is one single work played straight through.
It's a good idea to take a look at the program before the concert to get an idea
of what to expect.
Q. When should I clap?
A. This is the number-one scary question! No one wants to clap in the
"wrong" place. But it's simpler than you may think, and quite logical on the
whole.
At the beginning of the concert, the concertmaster will come onstage. The
audience claps as a welcome, and as a sign of appreciation to all the
musicians.
After the orchestra tunes, the conductor (and possibly a soloist) will come
onstage. Everyone claps to welcome them, too. This is also a good moment to make
sure your program is open, so you can see the names of the pieces that will be
played and their order.
Then everything settles down and the music begins. Just listen and enjoy! The
audience doesn't usually applaud again until the end of each piece.
In most classical concerts - unlike jazz or pop - the audience doesn't usually
applaud during the music. They wait until the end of each piece, then let loose
with their applause. But this can be a little tricky, because many pieces seem
to end several times - in other words, they have several parts, or "movements."
These are listed in your program.
In general, musicians and your fellow listeners prefer not to hear applause
during the pauses between these movements, so they can concentrate on the
progress from one movement to the next. Symphonies and concertos have a momentum
that builds from the beginning to the end, through all their movements, and
applause can "break the mood," especially when a movement ends quietly.
Sometimes, though, the audience just can't restrain itself, and you'll hear a
smattering of applause - or a lot of it - during the pause before the next
movement. It's perfectly OK to join in if you enjoyed the music, too.
(By the way, disregard anyone who "shushes" you for applauding between
movements. It's only in the last 50 years or so that audiences stopped
applauding between movements, so you have music history on your side!)
What if you lose track, and aren't sure whether the piece is truly over?
One clue is to watch the conductor. Usually, s/he won't relax between movements,
but keep hands raised; the attention of the musicians will remain on the
conductor. If in any doubt, it's always safe to wait and follow what the rest of
the audience does!
At the end of the piece, it's time to let yourself go and let the musicians know
how you felt about their playing. Many pieces end "big" - and you won't have any
doubt of what to do when! Some end very quietly, and then you'll see the
conductor keep hands raised for a few seconds at the end, to "hold the mood."
Then the hands will drop, someone will clap or yell "Bravo!" - and that's your
cue. There's no need to restrain yourself. If you enjoyed what you heard, you
can yell "Bravo!" too.
Q. What if I need to cough during the music?
A. Everyone gets the urge to cough now and then. Worrying about
disturbing your fellow listeners is a laudable impulse, but don't let it ruin
your enjoyment of the concert. There's a funny thing about coughing - the less
worried you are about it, the less likely you are to feel the urge! So chances
are you'll feel less need to cough if you're prepared:
1. Be sure to visit the water fountain in the lobby before
the concert, and at intermission.
2. If you have a cold, take some cough medicine in advance
and bring wax paper-wrapped - or unwrapped-lozenges with you. (At most concerts,
our ushers will have cough drops if you request them.) Have a few out and ready
when the music begins.
3. Allow yourself to become involved in listening to the
music and in watching the performers. The more you are absorbed in what's going
on, the less likely you are to cough.
4. If you absolutely can't restrain yourself, try to wait for
the end of a movement. Or "bury" your cough in a loud passage of music. If this
is impossible, and you feel a coughing fit coming on, it's perfectly acceptable
to quietly exit the concert hall. Don't be embarrassed—your fellow listeners
will probably appreciate your concern for their listening experience.
Q. What should I do with my cell phone during the
concert?
A. Turn it off! The same goes for pagers and alarm watches. It's a good
idea to double-check in the few minutes before the concert begins, and again as
intermission draws to a close. Better still, leave them at home or in the car if
you can.
Doctors and emergency workers who are "on call" should put their pagers or cell
phones on “vibrate” or they can give their pager to an usher, who will summon
them quietly if they are paged.
Q. Can I take pictures?
A. Cameras, video recorders, and tape recorders aren't permitted in
concerts. If you have a camera and want a souvenir of a special evening at the
symphony, it can be fun to ask someone to take your picture outside the concert
hall before you go in, in the lobby, or with one or some of the performers
following the concert.
Q. Why is there an intermission, and what should I
do during it?
A. It's a short rest period for the musicians and conductor - once you
see how much activity goes into a performance, you'll understand why they need a
break!
Listening to music is also an intense activity (even if considerably less
physical), and a break in the middle helps the audience concentrate better in
the second half. Rarely, a concert will have no intermission because it would
interrupt the flow of a long work. Check the program before the concert so you
know what's coming.
Most intermissions are fifteen to twenty minutes long, which gives you time to
socialize with your companions, get a drink or a snack in the lobby, visit the
facilities, or simply sit in your seat and read the program notes. Do whatever
puts you in a good frame of mind to hear the second half of the concert.
Special thanks to the League
of American Orchestras
