Friday, October 30, 2015

"I'm not doing the show."


So, Justin Bieber (yeah, who knew I'd ever write about Justin Bieber??) walked off the stage during a concert saying, "I'm not doing the show." because some of the audience wasn't cooperating with something he was trying to do.

Many may say that he was wrong.  That he was immature. That he was (fill-in-the-blank).

Sadly, I can understand his frustration.

As a music teacher/choral director of countless performances and concerts I have had my share of disruptive audiences.

Because of the many times I have had parents yelling Hi! continually at their children on the stage, literally walking up on stage to get a picture of their child WHILE the group was performing, and...I could go on, but I won't...I do understand the performers/directors' frustration with audience behavior.

I recall one time that I had to stop my choral group from performing and, for lack of a better term, scold the audience for their behavior.

Yes, I got some complaints about that.
Yes, my principal got an unsigned letter stating the "concerned parent's" feelings. (She disregarded it.)
Yes, I could have handled it differently.

But at that moment, this laid back person - me - had had enough.

I did regroup and continue the program and my students did a great job!

The point is, the audience is just as involved and important in a live performance as are the performers.

A live performance of any artistic venture, be it music, dance, theater, etc., needs that vibe from the audience.

It also needs its silence.

And cooperative spirit.

As for Justin, his walking off stage may have been justified at that moment.  That in itself was not wrong.

However, I believe he was wrong at not returning to the stage.   He could have gone to his dressing room, taken a break, had a snack and a soda, splashed water on his face, taken a deep breath and said to himself, "I can do this! Let's go!" and gone back on stage to fulfill the dreams of countless fans who'd perhaps paid a lot to see him perform live.

So we all have a part. 
Performer and/or audience.
Just remember your place and be mindful of your behavior regardless of your vantage point.