This week:
Chloe Veltman got us thinking about the nature of the encore. Why do people give encores? What is the value to the audience? What does it take to get a standing ovation? (hint: not much)
Link:
Veltman: “Boo to Encores”
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Hey guys – another cool show and topic – really enjoyed it. I especially liked your discussion of giving people sincere compliments following a good performance vs. giving empty compliments all of the time. I was wondering what you guys thought of the use in these situations of the word “interesting”. I think we’ve all had people approach us after concerts and say something like “I thought your piece was…interesting”. To me, I usually think what they really mean is, “I didn’t understand your piece at all, but I don’t want to say that I didn’t like it”. I’d love to hear your take on this, but personally, I would rather people just tell me what they really think and feel, even if it isn’t exactly complimentary.
I think it’s hard to get too upset over somebody describing my music as interesting. After all, I think it’s interesting, and I hope that other people do too. The problem is people saying that and not understanding. Again, I think it’s good to be more specific. What about my piece did you find interesting?
One thing I think I can almost always say sincerely after a performance is “congratulations.” I can empathize with the hard work involved in putting a performance together. Even if I don’t particularly care for the program, I can respect the work, and I think it’s something both composer and performer can feel proud of.