How to deal with disbehaviour audience during piano performance?

[dora96]

Hi guys,

I have been playing and performing around my local communities, retirement villages, high schools. I enjoy very much and as well as gaining performance experience. However, I find that it is very annoying lately, some people come late, chatter during performance. At once time, there was an argument outside the hall between one of the resident and the staff. I find that it  was hard for me to concentrate, and completely spoiled my performance. Every time, when I go to these places, some residents are lack of respect, even manner, they talked with friends, getting up, fall asleep, and even snoring, coughing, blowing their noise. I am getting so fed up with it. After the performance, some residents love what I am doing will ask the other to keep quiet. I feel that it is not fair for other music lovers to be disrupted by these misbehavior audiences. 

I don't understand why some people are so ignorant absolutely have no respect and consideration  for others  , if they don't want to listen, they can sit at the back or go outside the hall. No, they have to sit in the front and interrupt other people. I am doing it voluntary because the staff of the retirement village invite me to play and the majority of residents love music and wanted  me to share music with them.   It is already hard for any musicians  to perform in front of people especially the high technical classical literature. I do announce to the people before I start, I play classical music, this is proper classical piano recital.   They know that and they said that's why they are here.

After the performance, some of the residents will come to me, they said to me" I am doing it very well and they appreciate my performance, they will feel the  embarrassment  that other residents misbehave, at once point, one guy ask other people to shut up, let pianist  play and concentrate, I feel the embarrassment as well. It is really spoil the concert. I don't know do you have any horrible performance like mine? Of course, I can't help people coughing, and want to get up to go the toilet. I am trying as hard as I can't to ignore these nonsense. Nevertheless, it is shame.   

[Etude]

random sforzando

[aewanko]

walk out of the concert?

[slobone]

That's a tough one. It's disappointing to hear that older people would behave that way, you'd think they'd know better.

I think part of the problem is that the performance is free, so maybe it seems less special to them. Also it takes place in a room that they consider part of their home, a room they probably use every day. So they're used to wandering in and out as they please.

You're right that you can't prevent the coughing, or the coming and going, but you ought to be able to do something about the talking.

The only thing I can suggest is to make a little speech, probably between the first and second pieces, saying something like "I'm very happy to be here to play for you today. Many people have told me that they enjoy the music more if they can just sit quietly and listen. I'll try to play music that you'll enjoy, but classical music takes a little more concentration to listen to than other kinds of music. So please be courteous to your friends and wait till the piece is over if you want to start a conversation."

You shouldn't have to say that, but hey...

[daniloperusina]

There's not much you can do. In cases like this maybe you just have to understand your audience. If you play for people aged 80+ in a retirement home, some of them will suffer more or less from senility. If you tell them to be quiet they will have forgotten that in ten seconds. If you play for teenagers in a high-school, well, they'll be so hormone-speeded that they can't possibly sit still or be quiet.

The little you can do is perhaps to put up a sign outside the auditorium saying "concert in progress, please be quiet".
Ask someone there to announce the performance, and have that person say something like "it's very important for the artist and for the members of the audience who want to listen that you remain as quiet as possible", in a nice way.

Otherwise, just see it as good training of your ability to focus and concentrate.

Do not make random sforzandi, do not walk out, do not stop playing. Play as if you are absolutely unaffected by all the distractions, and the people who actually are listening will love you even more. This is professional behaviour!

Only in a concerthall would it be appropriate to stop the performance if there would be an outrages amount of disturbance from the audence. But as you might have noticed, that very rarely happens.

In my experience, no matter how disturbing the audence is, it's only when the artist starts making signs of being bothered that the mood of the event starts to drop. Keep up a good face, and you'll be the "winner"!

Anyway, more or less noise is an unavoidable part of live performances..

[a-sharp]

If there is ever someone there who can help "monitor" the door, make your introduction, that might help. You can certainly have that person make a general announcement - please keep noise level down in respect for the other people enjoying the performance, turn off your cell phones (LOL, kidding) - maybe - If you must leave or enter the room, please wait for the applause..." and you could have them post this on the door beforehand "Recital in Progress, please wait until you hear applause before entering"... something like that. Beyond that - just ignore it. There will always be distractions and interruptions. Have you ever seen a professional concert artist get annoyed with the audience - it's always a little disconcerting.

I saw Martha Argerich play once at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the audience was applauding between movements of her (their) concerto... it was annoying to many of us - but she just smiled and acknowledge the applause and kept playing. It was amazing - I'm sure she had every right to be annoyed, but she wasn't. She is very cool.  I think that's the image you want to go for.... IMO

[slobone]

Yes, that's a better suggestion than mine was. Don't make the speech yourself, get somebody else to make it.

As for applauding between movements -- don't get me started. It's a relatively recent idea that audiences are supposed to sit in reverent silence, as if in church. In the old days, the time when most of this music was written, people applauded not only between movements but sometimes in the middle of a movement. And they thought nothing of demanding a repetition of something they really loved. It was great for the artists.

Even today, if I hear applause between movements, I love it -- it means new people are coming to classical concerts! And I'm sure Martha doesn't mind at all.

[Bob]

Rowdy schools?  Haha.  Get used to it then.  Use it as practice to practice concentrating.  They won't change.  That's how it is.  You're also probably seeing "good behavior" there too.

Yes, it does sound pretty bad.  You're going into their space though.  A space were they might act like idiots.

I would think you only have so much wiggle room too.  You definitely can't stand up and reprimand them.  You don't have to go back though either.

Maybe there's a way to make it a more formal atmostpher to begin with.  When I walk into a recital, pass through the doors, and get hit with that wall of silence, there is something about that. 

Maybe they just need to be trained about how to behave.

My guess would be in both of those situations there are higher up people who can't or won't step in and get people to shut up and behave.  That's probably the root of the whole problem.  The audience members don't know any better or don't care and behave however they want with no consequences.

Maybe there's a way to restrict who is in the audience.  Invite the "good" people.  Leave out the bad.  That sounds like a lot of work though.

It is an interesting comparison, that students are acting similar to old, senile people possibly.  Funny.  No less annoying though.

It does sound like they need to be trained though.

[daniloperusina]

The worst I've ever experienced was at some sort of festival with folk- and rockbands. Someone somehow had the idea that some classical piano would be a nice idea too. Well, worth a try I thought...

While I was playing people decided it was the proper time to eat. So they went to the other side of the room to get their free plate of sausage, french fries and ketchup. Then they decided that the best way to get back to their seats was right behind my back. Have you ever experienced being in the middle of a Chopin Mazurka when you suddenly feel an overwhelming ketchup odour? Then I was suddenly surrounded by sound engineers who in the middle of my Bach opened the lid of my upright and stuck down some microphones, apparantly to prepare for the "real" music that was to follow after me. The last drop was a member of the "audience" interrupting me in the middle of something to say "hey, you seem to be very good, can you teach me how to read music?"

I had had ít. I was maybe engaged to play for 30 minutes, but stopped after 20, took my fee, left and swore "NEVER again!!" When it comes to paid engagements, I'd rather starve than go through something like that again...

On the other end of the stick, one particular moment I remember is performing Beethoven's Op109. Great Steinway, great acoustics, audience dead silent. Somewhere in the middle of the last movement I wake up for a second and realize where I am, what I'm doing and for a split second I think to myself "I'm the world's most priviliged person right now.."

[a-sharp]

Yes, that's a better suggestion than mine was. Don't make the speech yourself, get somebody else to make it.

As for applauding between movements -- don't get me started. It's a relatively recent idea that audiences are supposed to sit in reverent silence, as if in church. In the old days, the time when most of this music was written, people applauded not only between movements but sometimes in the middle of a movement. And they thought nothing of demanding a repetition of something they really loved. It was great for the artists.

Even today, if I hear applause between movements, I love it -- it means new people are coming to classical concerts! And I'm sure Martha doesn't mind at all.

This I did not know. Learn something new...  And no - she didn't mind at all - she smiled & nodded to everyone. It was cool But then, she is especially cool. Thanks for the info - I will probably think about it differently from now on.

[Bob]

If the performer gets ticked off and projects that to the audience, the polite, well-behaved people in the audience might take offense toward the performer for that.  The performer is kind of stuck then.

[dora96]

Thank you very much for your respond. I have been performing for different venues, charities, schools, retirement village for 8 months. I choose to go to the retirement villages, because they are old people, and they are the generation who will appreciate music, and the era were known to them. You know, initially,I hope that I may meet someone in the village may be former piano teachers, musicians or even instrumentalists can chatter to them and may give me some advise to my performance, techniques etc... So far, none of them are able to advise me. They claimed that they learned it and even studied in conservatories but that was long time ago. Couldn't remember !!

It is really amazed that not many people really understand music literatures, even to play music after grade 8 level. People I know they can play pop music, Jazz but there is not the same as playing Chopin, Beethoven,  Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn's music. There are no end of students learning piano in my area, my piano teacher have so many students, there is no vacancies at all. Come to professional performance, I hardly know a few. My piano teacher is professional concert pianist, I requested her to play for the students in our annual concert, she refused, she was not in the mood. I am just wondering what is the future for us as a pianist, musician? People are ignorant and careless about our art.

One of my pianist mate, he loves to go to concert regularly, but he said he can't afford it  because the government don't put a lot of money to support music and art, the really good pianists have to go to oversea to survive. I don't know much about it in Sydney situation. Sometimes, I feel to play for the old folk or even schools, I just hope that more people will realize the beauty and nobilities of our music. Now I find our classical music is as hard as spreading the gospel to heathen. It is shame that not a  lot of music soul out there, but if I can make one person to appreciate our music, it is worth keeping doing it besides I need  the practice. Thank you again for this post, because your opinion and input make me put on straight face and keeping sharing our music and keeping educating people.  I hope every cloud has its own silver lining.

[timmyb]

Do this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGlEr0Ht9Hk

[dora96]

Do this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGlEr0Ht9Hk

Not far wrong, I am so attempting to do a few time. See you how annoying it is, not only to me as well as other audiences. I don't know what it is, one audience starts coughing, it seems that others want to join in as well as. They want to do coughing symphony than listening piano recital.

[rc]

They want to do coughing symphony than listening piano recital.

hahah, in one of his books Seymour Berstein thinks that some of the coughing audience might be a subconscious desire to have attention for themselves.  I think this may sometimes be true.

I've tossed the idea of old people all being wise and whatnot.  They're probably overall better than your average teenager, but I've seen enough bad behavior to know some people never grow up.  If anything they're more cunning!  I remember at a buffet in Vegas some old lady budging ahead of us in line, tells us "oh, I have a card!" and gives us the sweetest old granny smile...  Except everybody had those cards, and they were easy to find littered everywhere between slot machines.  Cunning I tell ya!

Back in highschool I learned from the teachers that before making any sort of performance (like teaching a class), to stand there and look at the audience until they're all quiet.  I used it whenever I had to make a presentation to the class and it works pretty well to get the right mood set.  The message it sends is "I take this seriously enough that I won't begin until every last one of you is paying attention", not angry of course, just waiting and letting them know it's time to listen.  That wall of silence is strong, anyone who's still jabbering will feel pretty uncomfortable if the rest of the room is silent (and the performer is staring right at them ).

Announcing the piece helps too, clear and LOUD so that everyone can hear helps get control of the room before playing.

Best way to get a good audience?  make it optional to attend.  The worst ones are those who don't want to be there, so don't make 'em be there!  Anyone who wants to be there will be on the side of Music and will readily comply to not obstruct it.

Distractions during performance are expected, but I have stopped playing once when things got too obnoxious.  It's better to start over than play through when nobody can enjoy it, yes?

[rc]

My piano teacher is professional concert pianist, I requested her to play for the students in our annual concert, she refused, she was not in the mood. I am just wondering what is the future for us as a pianist, musician? People are ignorant and careless about our art.

That's too bad, what better could a teacher do than give it their all in a performance for her students?  It would be very inspiring to them.

But I don't think everybody is so careless about it.  I don't expect everybody to have a great understanding of classical music.  If performed well, the emotion is accessible to everyone, but I've also noticed a tendancy among my friends to have respect for the difficulties of playing good music.  Nearly all of my friends have played some guitar, and over time have developed that respect for good music.  Even if they're not very good, anybody who practices an instrument for a few years will develop respect for somebody who can do a good job...  aaand, I've noticed that 90% of the people I meet have played some guitar at some point.  It's very common. 

So there are a lot of people out there with at least a seed of respect for good music.

[remy]

Monte Python would have just dropped the 16 ton weight on them.

But you really can't do that in most places.

It's illegal, I think.


remy

[michel dvorsky]

Monte Python would have just dropped the 16 ton weight on them.

But you really can't do that in most places.

It's illegal, I think.


remy

That's why you instead must release the tiger.

[slobone]

Coughing -- according to most professional performers, theatrical or musical -- is a telltale sign that the audience is bored. Think about it -- if you were spellbound with interest at what was going on onstage, would you cough? Maybe if you had a severe cold, but that's usually not the reason. Was it Horowitz who said "in 50 years of performing I never coughed once, why do they have to?"

I could post a clip here of Richter playing a Chopin Ballade (he didn't like Chopin very much), where there's a lot of coughing during the slow part. Exhibit A, I call it...

[dora96]

Coughing -- according to most professional performers, theatrical or musical -- is a telltale sign that the audience is bored. Think about it -- if you were spellbound with interest at what was going on onstage, would you cough? Maybe if you had a severe cold, but that's usually not the reason. Was it Horowitz who said "in 50 years of performing I never coughed once, why do they have to?"

I could post a clip here of Richter playing a Chopin Ballade (he didn't like Chopin very much), where there's a lot of coughing during the slow part. Exhibit A, I call it...

I don't know about coughing is telltale sign that the audience is bored. I called the retirement village's manager. I explained that I loved playing to the people in village. servicing the communities, however, some peopled were quite distracting, coughing, getting up and down. The manager was aware of this problem, and she said the feedback from the audiences. They were very exciting and sometimes, they got quite emotional. Some music do make them feel homesick, really nostalgic. Some started choking, and coughing,   some felt so exciting being entertained and not being bored, wanted to get up and dance, like a old day. Who knows? What they were doing? I was busy playing the music, but toward the end, most of us were tired and lack concentration.

I think some members do remind that what sort of audiences I am performing. It is true that it can't help. I do feel much better to whine about it. Now I realised that no performance is a perfect, flawless performance. We have very especial movement, magic movement in every performance. The music has completely moved and touched us in very especial way.

I know that I am not like the super international concert pianist, they have very specific concert hall to perform. The audiences,  environment and  atmosphere are totally different.  I do feel upset that when some audiences don't care or respect the classical music. It is not about me, is about our hero composers - Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Debussy etc..... When I perform, I feel that they come to hear Chopin,  Beethoven, Mozart. It is not about me. The amazing instrument piano only have 88 keys, but the music is absolute minding blowing, it creates vast varieties of sound, textures, theme, stories, so on and so on. That' s what I treasure and love and want to share with others.  If you do have any more performance experienced, reaction of audience, and the way cope with distraction,  please share, love to hear it thanks.   

[slobone]

Hmm, well you're probably right. Coughing in an old folks' home may just mean they need to cough!

[timothy42b]

See you how annoying it is, not only to me as well as other audiences.

But it is not annoying.

I'll emphasize that.  It is NOT annoying.

YOU are annoyed.

Perhaps you could think about that a bit.  It isn't intuitive and it isn't the way we talk about these things.  But when you think about it correctly you gain power over your annoyance. 

I know you don't realize it, but you are choosing to become annoyed over situations beyond your control.  Why bother?  It isn't necessary, and it doesn't help. 

Have you ever said, "she made me so angry!"  You blamed her, and then you had no control, and she could make you as angry as she wanted.  But if you said, "I got angry with her" you would realize it is you who decided to become angry, and you who have the power to not get angry, if you choose.   Word choices matter, a lot. 

If you want to pursue that I'll recommend some reading or explain a bit more. 

[dora96]

But it is not annoying.

I'll emphasize that.  It is NOT annoying.

YOU are annoyed.

Perhaps you could think about that a bit.  It isn't intuitive and it isn't the way we talk about these things.  But when you think about it correctly you gain power over your annoyance. 

I know you don't realize it, but you are choosing to become annoyed over situations beyond your control.  Why bother?  It isn't necessary, and it doesn't help. 

Have you ever said, "she made me so angry!"  You blamed her, and then you had no control, and she could make you as angry as she wanted.  But if you said, "I got angry with her" you would realize it is you who decided to become angry, and you who have the power to not get angry, if you choose.   Word choices matter, a lot. 

If you want to pursue that I'll recommend some reading or explain a bit more. 

I have been thinking about it quite lots. The distraction within performance -  At home, when I am practicing the piano, my kids scream, play, and the T.V is on loud. I have no problem with it. Because I expect that there is the environment I am in and I have to try to the practice as much as and as best as  I can. Once I know there is no one listening to me, and just make music to myself. I and myself are the only audience, I am ok with it. But when I am in  performance, I think expect that the people will listen and pay attention. When they don't, I get nervous and agitated. I hope you will understand how I feel?. Since I post this thread, it has released my anxiety. You are right. I chose to be annoyed. I chose to get mad.  It is my problem, and I need to deal with it.

I think the hardest thing is when I don't know the place and the people I have this anticipation, imagine that what my performance will be like before I go into unknown territory. Once I know it and the second time I go again. I feel that it is really silly to be anxious about it. There are just people like you and me. They don't know everything, they may not know what I am playing anyway, even mistakes and memory slip in the middle of the performance and I have to quickly end the piece.
Besides, I realize that I go to some places every month, and more and less playing the same music, properly they are little sick of me as well.

Anyway, whatever it is. Playing piano in front of people is always subconscious expectation on myself as well as how others  think of us.  So that's why, the most famous international pianists like Lang Lang is in demand. Because he doesn't give a damn how others think of him. He doesn't seem annoyed by anything.

[slobone]

OK, but for every Lang Lang there's a Horowitz or Glenn Gould, who stop performing for years at a time because audiences drive them crazy.

Dora, you just have to know yourself and what you can do. Yes, it would be nice to say, ignore the audience, but sometimes you just can't. Especially if you're in the middle of a difficult piece that requires all your concentration.

So make adjustments accordingly. Choose easier pieces, or do what somebody else here suggested and have somebody at the nursing home make a speech before you play. You never know -- maybe half the audience wishes the other half would shut up so they could hear you.

[tds]

1. incident in holland 

2. smoother experience   

[dora96]

1. incident in holland 

2. smoother experience   

Who is the child in the concert? Is young children permitted to enter the concert? Surely, there must separated place for young family to sit. When I play at church, there is upper room with large glass front door, and the young family can attend the worship without disrupting the service. Should it be the same?

I find it is hard to concentrate even someone talking during performance, I try to ignore and concentrate as hard as I can, but it always screws up the music, and getting stumbling in few places.

[tds]

there was no separate room in the church. yes, children under 7 years of age should not be permitted to a recital. tds

[a-sharp]

I have to disagree on generalizing by age - only b/c I have a 5.5 YO who sat  through a recital that was over an hour long... Be he is an exception. Basically - if someone is disturbing other people, regardless of age, it would be nice if they had sense enough to step out - for everyone else's sake - unfortunately, people don't always have this kind of sense on their own....