While attending a chamber music concert today, I noticed how well everyone in the audience seemed to understand the “rule” of not clapping between movements. And while this was clearly a knowledgeable and attentive group of veteran concertgoers, it also reminded me of something a wise friend once said: he loves hearing people clap at the “wrong” time during concerts because it means someone new is attending!
The concert featured musicians including the renowned violinist and conductor Jaime Laredo, whom I had a chance to chat with informally after the performance about concert etiquette. We’ve all seen people clapping at the “wrong” time and others shushing them, and Mr. Laredo made a passionate case for cutting people slack for showing their appreciation when they feel moved, and for not shaming them when they do. Too many people already feel intimidated about attending a classical music performance because they don’t know what to expect, what to wear, how to behave, and yes, when to clap.
So here is a thought: those of us who are insiders can mentor, teach and draw in new audience members, bring friends, help them feel welcome, and guide them along so they can fall in love with this music, too. That’s something we can all applaud whenever we feel like it!
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I love the atmosphere at jazz concerts, where people enthusiastically applaud for well-done solos. If I were a chamber music performer, I would not mind at all if people applauded between movements! And just for the record, I have been performing music in public for (gulp!) 5 decades.