Do you suffer from EOS?

A recent e-zine from the American Symphony Orchestra League piqued my interest:

In Sunday’s San Diego Union-Tribune, Valerie Scher comments on what she calls “Excessive Ovation Syndrome (EOS for short),” writing: “Those suffering from it stand and applaud at performances that aren't good enough to deserve such enthusiasm. In extreme cases, they shout ‘Bravo!’ during events that are best forgotten. The more people pay for tickets, the more susceptible they are to EOS, because ovations confirm that their money was well spent. Even those in bargain seats can easily catch it from their neighbors. The urge to stand and cheer may be irresistible if everyone around you is doing it.” Scher adds: “On rare occasions -- the operative word here is ‘rare’ -- ovations are entirely appropriate ... As concertgoers, we must ask ourselves: Is this performance so exceptional that it merits a special response? Is this truly an event in which mere applause isn't enough? ... The danger is that ovations will become so routine that they'll hardly mean anything at all.”

I have to admit that I have often witnessed this awful disease. Without naming names, on several occasions I have attended concerts that were more deserving of "boos" and rotten tomatoes, let alone "hurrahs" and standing ovations. However, I disagree with Ms Scher's analysis. At the risk of sounding elitist, I believe that it is sheer ignorance and peer pressure that account for most standing ovations. What do I mean?

First, let me say that I am not talking about the situation where an entire audience simultaneously leaps to its collective feet to cheer a performance. No, I'm talking about the concerts were one or two patrons, usually near the front row, stand up and applaud. In my opinion, these types of people don't do it to make themselves feel better about spending a lot of money for tickets. Instead, I believe they stand out of pride for the ensemble or pure ignorance. Sometimes I think that some orchestras could sound worse than an elementary-level string group and still receive an ovation from some people. Let's face it, these people just don't know any better. For those who DO know better, I think it's akin to standing ovations that occur after a local football team loses the big game. The cheering is meant to be encouraging, sort of a "keep your chin up" kind of thing. That accounts for the instigators of the ovation, but why do others around them stand? Is it, as Ms Scher suggests, because it is "irresistible"?

I have to admit that I usually join in after the instigators begin the "wave". Why do I do it? It's not because it is "irresistible" as Ms Scher suggests. No. I do it because I don't want people to think I'm not a team player. It would sort of be like sitting down at the football game when everyone else is standing. I wouldn't want them to think that I was a traitor. So, knowing better, I will continue to stand.

What do you think?

A Star-Spangled Evening

I am a softy when it comes to Independence Day. I absolutely love the music. In fact, when I reflect on the July 4th concert we presented Wednesday, I wonder: What is it about that music, in particular, that is so special? Why do I get teary-eyed when I hear America, the Beautiful? Is it the tune? The words? Or, perhaps, a combination of both?

Maybe it's the music. In fact, I typically don't pay attention to words at all. Maybe that's because I'm an instrumentalist. I have to REALLY like a tune before I bother to think about it's words. In fact, I like a lot of music that has terrible words (Jimmy Webb's MacArthur Park immediately comes to mind). No doubt, the patriotic standards I enjoy have good tunes. Nothing is more beautiful or memorable than America, the Beautiful or God Bless America. But it's not the tunes alone that touch my heart strings.

Maybe it's the words. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. Pretty catchy, huh? It is great poetry, but would these lines have the same impact if they were read alone without the tunes? I think not.

So, the answer to the question has to be this: the words and music work together. That seems logical. But it HAS to be more than that. After all, there are a lot of songs that have good tunes and good lyrics. But the music of Independence Day is different in some way.

Patriotic music is different because it carries with it a whole array of emotions. When I hear a medley of services songs, I get teary-eyed because it makes me think of all of the men and women who have died so that I can enjoy the blessings of being an American. It makes be emotional because I think of my dad. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during WWII, knowing that he might not survive the war. It makes me think of my brother who served in Vietnam and has never been the same since. These people really sacrificed. When I hear patriotic songs, I just don't hear words and music. I feel them.

All of you have similar stories. You also have particular songs that touch you the same way. It might be Christmas music, which brings back memories of childhood. It might be a pop song that you associate with your spouse. Whatever it is, you know what I'm talking about.

One thing I do know: there is nothing more powerful than music.