As part of the course activities in my music history and performing arts classes, which are open to music majors and non-majors alike, I ask students to attend a few of the student and professional performances held in our on-campus performing arts center. For some events, students are required to write a performance response paper, while for others they are asked to craft a set of talking points for use during post-concert class discussions. Over recent semesters I have observed a growing lack of interest in attending performances from some students, as well as an increasing number of students who would prefer to access music performances online rather than actually attend concerts.
On the first day of class each semester, I have students write an autobiography detailing instrumental and vocal music experiences, favorite styles of music to listen to, how they access music performances, and the types of concerts they have recently attended. My original intent with this activity was to get to know students musically so I could draw from their personal experiences to make the course material more engaging.
Usually I would read these immediately after the initial class meeting, but now I wait until mid-semester, after students have taken a couple tests and attended a performance. My intent has been to see if there is any correlation between their previous music experiences and the grades they are earning in the class. Test scores do not reveal much, as even non-musicians who are willing to study are capable of earning high marks. Concerning the concert attendance, however, I have occasionally observed that students with little or no formal performing experience are often the ones who enjoy attending the concerts the most, offering highly engaged written and oral responses, while some with performance backgrounds at times seem to be the least interested in attending and offering critical assessments. Although the latter group has obviously had extensive performance training, the thought of attending someone else’s performance, be it an amateur or professional artist, does not always appear to be that appealing to some of them. My informal, short-term observations may reveal one possible point of concern for music educators: We should not assume that high school musicians will automatically become engaged audiences and supporters of the arts once they graduate.
Performing arts presenters across the country work hard to attract young adults to artistic events. For decades, a primary strategy in the development of future audiences has been community outreach efforts directed primarily at elementary school children. Children who are exposed to the arts at an early age are considered more likely to become participants in the arts and to enjoy the benefits of the arts as adults.
High school directors are in position to make significant contributions to audience development and support for the arts as well. They can engage with young people as they are beginning to make the transition to adulthood and can have significant roles in shaping students’ musical tastes and views about the long-term value of engagement with the arts. Although school instrumental music programs should focus on preparing students for performances, there are several strategies that will also help prepare performers to be future audience members.
Why the Audience Matters
Begin by conveying to students the value and role of the audience. Be sure that students understand that the audience is a key ingredient in the music-making process. Whenever I encountered students who were nervous about performing in public or not excited about attending an event as a member of an audience, I always explained to them that concertgoers were needed to complete the musical goals of the performers, in essence the audience was our partner in achieving the emotional benefits of a performance, much like in the world of commercial music.
Professional entertainers work to create music and produce concert events that will attract and engage audiences to reap the financial gain that will support and further their careers. Emotion is obviously a key aspect of the process, as it is not unusual to hear performers talk about how they often feed off the reactions of an audience. Similarly, student musicians spend countless hours perfecting music that will produce expression and transmit feeling, and while money is not a motivating factor, performers must still be cognizant of the fact that an audience is needed to receive those expressive messages, as the emotional rewards for members of an audience can be just as powerful, if not more powerful, as those experienced by the performers on stage.
Students as a Rehearsal Audience
As a convenient way to illustrate this fact, I often gave band students the opportunity to be audiences in rehearsals. Beginning a week or two prior to a concert performance or competition, I rehearsed in the school auditorium so the band could get accustomed to playing on stage. As we rehearsed each number, a few students at a time would sit in the audience to experience the full effect of the performance. Afterwards I asked them to make notes to share with their sections and me prior to the next rehearsal. I found this to be an excellent way for students to experience the emotions they were trying to convey as a performer and for them to develop an appreciation for the unique sensations that listening to real-time music production can offer.
Building Rapport
On concert night, the conductor should engage the audience between selections. I have always been intrigued and puzzled by conductors who do not do this. Upon my arrival at one high school band concert, I was surprised at how few attendees there were, but by the end of the evening, the reason was obvious. No programs were distributed, which led me to believe that the conductor would announce each piece, but at no time during the evening did he speak to the audience. He simply walked onto the stage, nodded to the audience, and began conducting. Between selections he did not even turn around to acknowledge the applause. At the conclusion of the program, he motioned for the musicians to stand, bowed to the audience, and walked off the stage. I found this behavior to be extremely rude, especially given that the few in attendance were mostly band parents. Although he may have been considering this performance as simply a dress rehearsal for an upcoming competition, his actions were inappropriate for a concert. His arrogance gave the impression that we were uninvited guests. The worst part of this unfortunate display though, was that this conductor was essentially conveying to his students that the role of an audience is insignificant.
I have also attended concerts where a conductor’s engagement was minimal, but at least there were programs, often times with extensive program notes concerning the selections. In these instances I suppose conductors feel it is unnecessary to communicate much to the audience because the program contains everything the conductor believes a concertgoer needs to know about the pieces. Although this is a traditional approach, often embraced by college and professional conductors as well, I have always viewed this as somewhat shortsighted. Obviously the house lights are usually so dim that it is impossible to read the programs anyway once the performance begins, but the practice also seems to lend itself to an assumption by conductors that the audience will always be there whenever their ensemble performs. At the high school level, it is worth considering another approach that might better engage the audience, and perhaps garner long-term support.
Always have a printed program with the names of pieces and composers, as well as the names of all the musicians. View these as keepsakes for your students and their families. I rarely included extensive program notes, as I always viewed it as my responsibility to share interesting background information with the listeners before or after each selection. Rather than solely sharing dry facts about the composers and the pieces, research the music in an effort to discover something interesting about the work, its creation, or the composer that might make an emotional connection with the audience. Consider pointing out certain things to listen for in each piece, and do not hesitate to share your impressions of the music as well. On occasion I even asked students to stand and introduce selections, offering their personal perspectives regarding the pieces and how the music made them feel as they performed it. It is important to understand that spoken information intended to foster engaged listening and an emotional reaction will be remembered much more clearly than statements that evoke no emotion at all.
The Right Move at the Wrong Time
Students from my classes attended a modern dance concert performed by one of the nation’s top modern dance companies. The concert was filled with creative works, many with commissioned music composed specifically for the dances. A printed program with names of each piece and extensive background information about the artistic director, choreographers, and dancers was distributed as the audience entered the hall. Once the performance began, like most dance concerts, there were short breaks between each dance as the performers made costume changes and prepared for the next piece.
It was one of the most enjoyable dance concerts I have attended, with creative choreography and extremely talented dancers. As the audience was departing the hall following the concert an announcement was made inviting interested audience members to stay for a special talk with the artistic director. Many of those in attendance had already departed, so less than a fourth of the audience stayed. The director was eloquent and engaging, offering information about the creation of each work. If this type of information had been shared prior to or after each piece, I would have had a higher level of emotional engagement in the performance. I will attend future dance performances, but I cannot say the same for the people who did not stay for the post-concert dialogue. Many of those who left quickly were students likely attending their first dance concert.
In follow-up discussions in class, I learned that students who left immediately after the performance did not feel the same fondness for what they had experienced as those who had stayed and learned more about the inspirations for the pieces. Although not a traditional part of dance presentations, in this case, if the director had shared this background information between each dance, there would have been a much greater chance of those in attendance experiencing an emotional connection with what they were witnessing, and, I suspect, a much greater chance as well that first-time attendees would attend another dance event in the future.
The Audience as Part of the Team
Another event students attended was a harp concert. The young woman performed both solo pieces and works with percussion and violin. The technical abilities of the performers were remarkable, and the musicianship was outstanding, but a certain amount of the enjoyment came from the personable and passionate manner in which the harpist engaged the audience. She spoke between each piece in a relaxed, conversational manner, offering just the right amount of information to pique our interest and create a sense of anticipation for what we were about to hear. She even asked her colleagues to speak about the pieces, and by the end of the program, she and her collaborators had developed such a positive rapport with the audience that we felt that we had not only witnessed a great performance, but that we had been participants in helping the performers achieve it.
The next day, my students were excited about the concert as well. Although all agreed that they would not have attended if I had not required them to, the vast majority stated that they would definitely attend another performance by this artist if they had the opportunity. She had achieved what great performers in every style of music strive for: an emotional connection with the audience.
How to Be a Good Audience
Prepare students to be respectful and appreciative audience members by sharing common audience expectations. Do not assume students are learning proper concert etiquette through their experiences as a performer. While it is true that musicians will know basic things such as when to applaud, by my observation there are other aspects of concert attendance that students may be unfamiliar with. The basic message to concert attendees should always be to refrain from behaviors that may be distracting to the performers or compromise the enjoyment level of other audience members.
Performers routinely put considerable thought into their appearance on stage, and audiences should do the same. Encourage students to dress in an appropriate and respectful manner for the venue and the art they are about to experience. Be sure they know to arrive early to find their seats and examine the program. Impress upon them that all electronic devices must be switched to silent position and stowed away, as the glow of a screen when viewing or sending text messages is distracting to performers and other concert attendees alike. As an audience member they should listen closely and remain silent during the performance. Applause should only be offered when appropriate, and they should never wave, whistle, or shout to the performers on stage. They must also avoid approaching the stage before the performance or at intermission to attempt to speak to performers, and there should be no taking of pictures or videos under any circumstances. Finally, students must be aware that they are always to remain in their seats until intermission or the end of the performance, as it is rude to leave early without offering appreciation to the performers. Once students know how to be good audience members, it is time to plan concert-going opportunities for them. There are many ways to do this.
Opportunities to Be an Audience
Include audience time when attending competitions and festivals. When adjudicating, I have often noticed that there are groups that rarely listen to other bands’ performances. They simply show up at the appointed time for their performance, wait in a designated area for their ratings, and then leave. I always preferred to include ample time for my students to be members of the audience to hear groups that we were in competition with as well as other top bands in different classifications. I have noticed that many of the best instrumental programs embrace this idea. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the most accomplished performers are also accomplished listeners.
Any activity that allows students to experience artistic endeavors can be valuable for students to attend. For example, if your school is located near a university, consider taking students to hear college concert bands, wind ensembles, jazz bands, and marching bands. When planning a trip to see these concerts, I often contacted the university conductors to learn about their repertoire, so I could prep my students for what they were about to hear. On occasion, I would even acquire one of the pieces and rehearse it with my band, so they would have a greater appreciation for the musicianship required to play collegiate literature. It was a great way to prepare them as it allowed them to engage the music on a more knowledgeable level.
If possible, pursue opportunities for your students to experience professional artistic events as well. Students in my ensembles were always excited to attend performances by military bands and jazz musicians, as well as musical theater productions, as it allowed them to experience the emotions and artistry of live professional music. Consider having students research the performers, music, and venues, and hold group discussions to allow them to share their findings. Following an event, again have a discussion to give them an opportunity to share their reactions to what they experienced.
When attending concerts at professional venues, consider contacting the site to arrange a behind-the-scenes tour before or after the performance. Also request someone involved with management of the venue to share information with your students about patron support for the arts, fundraising, and financial challenges routinely faced by performing arts presenters. Discussions should focus on the fact that young people will be needed as audiences and arts supporters in the future if the arts are to remain a key component of American culture. Experiences such as these are also great ways to introduce music students to arts careers in fields such as administration, development, public relations, marketing, production supervision, lighting, and sound engineering.
Combine teaching the importance of support for the arts with a celebration of your students’ years of dedication to your program by coordinating an annual dinner-and-a-concert event for graduating seniors. Orchestra concerts, jazz performances, or musicals are great choices for this activity. Be sure to prepare students for what they are about to hear, as it will help them understand that a basic knowledge of the art form in advance can enhance the overall listening experience. Have dinner at a nice restaurant before arriving at the venue. Focus on making this event a fun night out to illustrate how experiences like these can be enjoyable social options as adults. Encourage them to view the experience as a rite of passage from high school to an adult life of engagement with music, perhaps as a performer, but also as an audience member and arts supporter.
Final Thoughts
Recently one of my students submitted a performance response paper that included a quote by acclaimed American poet and author Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Individuals in a variety of professions have embraced these inspiring words, but they can also apply to the emotional connection between the performer and audience, as well as the educator and student relationship. Emotions help us remember. The feelings that live music performance generated in me when I was young are what inspired me to seek artistic experiences as a performer and as an audience member.
During closing comments to my classes at the end of each semester, I encourage the students to attend live events and allow music to work its magic by putting a smile on their faces or bringing them to tears. In addition, I emphasize that the simple act of witnessing the creation of live music and sensing its power to shape our thoughts and feelings can be life changing.
When I was young, my aunt took me to a Louis Armstrong concert – one of the events that sparked my career path – and to us, and, I imagine, everyone who witnessed his performances, it was obvious that Armstrong understood the importance of making emotional connections with audiences. Although he thrived in the world of commercial music many years ago, perhaps his words can offer a degree of motivation today regarding the importance of preparing students to be active audiences and future arts supporters, “My life has always been my music, it’s always come first, but the music ain’t worth nothing if you can’t lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, ‘cause what you’re there for is to please the people.”
