(no subject)
Sang a concert last night. Well, kind of more a recital. We were one of three ticket acts, so it wasn't exactly like singing a concert, more like singing part of a program. We were third. First was a trio singing the Messiah, with the most horrible organist I've ever heard playing; second was an organ soloist, age eleven, whom I enjoyed, though he wasn't Awesome the way you'd hope an eleven-year-old would be, there was none of the flying Beethoven hair or anything. I kind of think we were the classiest act there.
There were a few audience members who thought so as well, and said so. In this category I am not including the many attendees who said "Excuse me" or to whom I said "Excuse me" or somehting, who slowly realized I was a performer and said, completely meaninglessly, "That was wonderful!" The vast majority of "accolades" I got, or saw my colleagues get, were purely courtesy, some old clueless person doing what they felt the rules required when a Performer walked by.
Only a very few of them were honest congratulations or compliments. At some point I found myself fielding several large-toothed smiles of "Well done!" "Great singing!" &c, and frantically trying to answer all of them in an equally smily manner, when all of a sudden an Asian man my age or slightly older appeared in front of me, took my hand in earnest, and told me in a couple of sentences his appreciation for the choir and our program that evening. I was kind of shocked, and wanted to respond in a serious way, but I was in the pace of quick dismissive "Thank you"-ing and couldn't slow down enough to answer him in earnest. It's really a pity. Anytime I had the chance to address a musician for whom I had immense respect, I took about the same tone he took with me; I feel kind of terrible, now that the positions are switched, that I responded so hurriedly. At least I had the presence of mind to blurt out, uniquely to him, "That means a lot to us."
It's interesting singing with this kind of group. When after a performance somebody directs a compliment to an individual, they're not complimenting the individual really, but rather the ensemble. Thus, by extension, when you're talking to a flattering audience member, you're kind of speaking on behalf of the ensemble. This whole group-ethic thing is really cool.
There were a few audience members who thought so as well, and said so. In this category I am not including the many attendees who said "Excuse me" or to whom I said "Excuse me" or somehting, who slowly realized I was a performer and said, completely meaninglessly, "That was wonderful!" The vast majority of "accolades" I got, or saw my colleagues get, were purely courtesy, some old clueless person doing what they felt the rules required when a Performer walked by.
Only a very few of them were honest congratulations or compliments. At some point I found myself fielding several large-toothed smiles of "Well done!" "Great singing!" &c, and frantically trying to answer all of them in an equally smily manner, when all of a sudden an Asian man my age or slightly older appeared in front of me, took my hand in earnest, and told me in a couple of sentences his appreciation for the choir and our program that evening. I was kind of shocked, and wanted to respond in a serious way, but I was in the pace of quick dismissive "Thank you"-ing and couldn't slow down enough to answer him in earnest. It's really a pity. Anytime I had the chance to address a musician for whom I had immense respect, I took about the same tone he took with me; I feel kind of terrible, now that the positions are switched, that I responded so hurriedly. At least I had the presence of mind to blurt out, uniquely to him, "That means a lot to us."
It's interesting singing with this kind of group. When after a performance somebody directs a compliment to an individual, they're not complimenting the individual really, but rather the ensemble. Thus, by extension, when you're talking to a flattering audience member, you're kind of speaking on behalf of the ensemble. This whole group-ethic thing is really cool.