For the sixth time this semester, I had the pleasure to see the University’s most vibrant student musicians perform at the Union Theater, and for the sixth time, their excellent
performance was accompanied by a symphony of stupidity, thanks to their spectators.
Imagine sitting in the cavernous Union Theater surrounded by the sound of dozens of the University’s top student musicians.
Just as they reach the peak of Charles Ives’ “The Alcotts,” I hear a dripping saliva-slurp followed by inane squawking.
It seemed after each downbeat and exhale there was some mindless chatter from the spectators around me.
I learned that this one particular group of young ladies has a friend who is thrilled to be pregnant and moving away. I’m sure it’s a heartwarming story, but it’d be nice if it didn’t punctuate acts of the performance.
But the chit-chat wasn’t the only annoyance. It seemed each time the tone rose and the lights went down there was a piercing blue light blasting through the darkness.
This thanks to some bright young lady who incorrectly judged her purse to contain the light of what I can only imagine was a vital conversation: “What-cha-doin?” “At a band concert, ugg.” “Srry grl y’all goin out tnight?” “I wanna go to Reggies where I can be hit on for my lack of manners!”
It’s pathetic our connection to the here and now is so frivolous that we can’t do without some sort of media or communication to distract us from the reality in front of our eyes. Especially when the reality is simply acting like an adult and listening to painstakingly created and excellently performed music.
So, who are offenders of adult decorum? In each of my examples they have been females.
But before you people brand me a looney misogynist, I’ll say there were plenty of men demonstrating less egregious annoyances like snoozing.
The same girls who were yammering of their friend’s untimely parenthood were wearing a high school class of 2011 sweatshirt. So perhaps it’s an age thing, but the Christmas tree luminance of the spectators’ laps suggests examples of stupidity from all ages.
But we can’t label such vociferous stupidity by sex or age — just the characteristics of disrespect and ignorance.
I assume most spectators are part of the same music appreciation class as I and have been warned multiple times how to adhere to proper decorum.
It appears these offenders are completely oblivious to the disturbance they cause, though School of Music Dean Willis Delony hopelessly asks everyone to power down their cell phones and kindly close their mouths before each performance.
I feel sorry for Delony, who maintains politeness each performance though he can’t do anything to stop this disrespect short of hiring the Tiger Band tubas to act as bouncers for a supposedly adult crowd.
I wouldn’t consider myself a band “nerd” and I can’t say I have much experience performing in front of crowds, but such conduct is quite disrespectful to the student performers and those in the crowd who are actually interested in the music.
The disrespect didn’t end with the performance, which was punctuated with a labored “thank God” from some jerk behind me. As the band completed their final bow, the students ran from the theater as if it had caught fire. I can only imagine this is disheartening to the performers.
So the LSU Symphony Orchestra performs today and, doubtlessly, there will be many of the same students in the crowd. Even though the music may not be some fast-paced Katy Perry crap injecting pure silliness through your veins, act like an adult and respect the musicians on display.
Xerxes Wilson is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Lucedale, Miss. Follow him on Twitter @Ber_Xerxes.
Berxerxes: LSU band concert spectators display lack of respect
November 17, 2011