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FIRST-TIMER'S GUIDE

Please make a lot of noise in the lobby
We love to hear the lobby "buzz" before and after the concert. So, please limit your conversations to before or after the music. Oh, and anything that makes unwanted noise should be left at home or turned off. This includes: cell phones, pagers, wrist watches, crinkly candy wrappers, baby monitors, children under the age of six, most pets and some distant relatives. Speaking of children...

Please bring your young children to our holiday concerts, our free Symphony in the Park, or rehearsals.
But please consider leaving young children in the care of a competent relative or babysitter for our other subscription concerts. Our concerts are generally two hours long, with a 20 minute intermission. For this reason, we provide a family-oriented holiday concert, a symphony in the park at Fairbanks Park and rehearsals. Children age six and older are welcome at our regular subscription programming. Speaking of excellent programming...

Applaud whenever you feel moved to applaud
Most people applaud a performer to express their awe and their appreciation for the performance. So, whenever so moved, please applaud. However, it may benefit your relationship to the loved one next to you to know that most symphony-goers feel bound to an unwritten contract to applaud only at the end of the entire musical work. For example, in a four movement work, people actually wait until the end of the fourth movement to applaud. But, they generally make up for lost applause by applauding a really long time. How long? Long enough for the conductor to bow, shake hands with some musicians, walk off the stage, pause, come back on the stage, invite the orchestra to stand, bow, shake hands with some musicians, and walk off again. So, when not wanting to totally embarrass your evening's companion, wait until others applaud, then follow their lead. Speaking of taking the lead...

Come in and sit down regardless of what time you arrive
Tilson Auditorium has seats in a variety of places, and all of them are very comfortable. However, if you want to be among the leaders of the audience and sit in Tilson Auditorium, you will need to arrive before the music begins. Once the music starts, the ushers will not allow you to enter until an appropriate break in the music, which in some cases may not be until intermission. Orchestras all over the world do this to ensure the enjoyment of the vast, vast, VAST majority of concert-goers who arrive and take their seat on time. We know you'll understand. Speaking of understanding...

Ask questions of our staff anytime
Please call our office (812-242-8476) to ask your concert etiquette questions. Our voicemail works 24/7, so you may call anytime! However, if you want to speak to a person rather than a machine, call during regular business hours: Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM. Speaking of speaking to a person...

Invite a friend or another couple to go with you to the next concert
You'll enjoy it all the better.

For more information, read our First Concert FAQs, and the American Symphony Orchestra League's "Meet the Music" website for more tips on what to expect.

See you at the symphony!

First-Timer's Guide used with permission from the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.