Discover the Extraordinary - 2006-2007 Season

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The Lafayette Symphony Orchestra’s First-Timers Guide

So, you’re a first-timer to the symphony or new to Lafayette, don’t worry about it. You’re still new at this, and we want your first experience with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra to be faux pas-free. So, we’ve put together some tips for the first-time concertgoer. The following are answers to frequently asked questions about Symphony-going, designed to make your first trip to the Lafayette Symphony a great experience.

What is classical music? Back to Top

The term "classical music" can mean anything from Bach to Beethoven to Bernstein. Generally, classical music is played by a symphonic ensemble comprised of strings (violins, violas, cellos and basses), woodwinds (clarinets, oboes, flutes and bassoons), brass (trumpets, French horns, trombones and tubas) and percussion (drums, xylophones and bells), or some combination thereof.

Will I enjoy the concert? Back to Top

Absolutely! Classical music is exciting, surprising, and oftentimes funny. When you join us in the concert hall, you’ll learn why Haydn called it the "Surprise" Symphony, you’ll hang on every note of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and you’ll be in awe of Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Will I recognize any music? Back to Top

Odds are, you’ll recognize far more than you realize. Many of today’s popular songs, television shows and movies include or are taken from classical themes, like the Lone Ranger theme (Rossini’s William Tell Overture), the Bugs Bunny cartoon "What’s Opera, Doc?" (Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries), United Airlines commercials (Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), and many more.

What exactly are seasons and series? Back to Top

By season, we mean the months from September to May, when our regular subscription concerts take place. Therefore, the 2007-2008 season runs from September 2007 to May 2008. A series is a set of pre-selected concerts that you can purchase as a package. If you purchase a series, you become a subscriber (you have purchased a subscription). Subscribers enjoy many benefits, including sitting in the same seats for every concert in their series and ticket exchange privileges.

What’s the difference between a concert and a recital? Back to Top

At a concert, the entire Symphony will play, led by a conductor. At a recital, only a soloist -- sometimes with a piano accompanist -- performs. Recitals are very intimate, whereas concerts are intended for larger audiences.

What should I wear to a Lafayette Symphony Orchestra concert? Back to Top

Contrary to what many people think, formal attire -- such as tuxedos and evening gowns -- is not required at Symphony concerts. Most concertgoers wear business attire or slacks, skirts, sweaters, cocktail dresses, etc.

When should I clap? Back to Top

Generally, it is considered proper concert etiquette to clap only after a piece is complete. This means that, for example, if you’re listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, which has four movements, it is appropriate to clap after the last movement. You can look at your program book to find out how many movements a piece has. Usually, there is a 15- to 30-second pause in between movements. So, in the case of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, you know you’re hearing the Finale after three pauses. If all else fails, you can always wait for the rest of the audience to clap before applauding.

What about other noises -- coughing, cell phones, pagers? Back to Top

It is always best to turn off cell phones and pagers before entering the concert hall. Noises such as a pager going off or a cell phone ringing are very distracting to the conductor, the musicians and your fellow audience members. Coughing is an unavoidable problem. But, there are ways to avoid coughing during the music. If you feel a cold coming on, please bring lozenges with you. The next step is crucial: unwrap them ahead of time. Unwrapping a cough drop during the music makes more noise than you might think. If there are no lozenges in hand and you need to cough once or twice, please try to wait for the end of the movement. If that’s not possible you can try to bury your cough in a louder section of music, rather than coughing in the midst of the most delicate pianissimo. And, either way, a handkerchief or scarf will further help to muffle the disruption. If you need to cough more than a couple of times, there’s nothing wrong with getting up and excusing yourself from the Hall for the rest of the movement. Following these guidelines helps you be sensitive to your neighbors, and allows everyone to have a more pleasant concert experience.

Can I bring the kids? Back to Top

Children under seven are not encouraged to attend our regular subscription concerts -- the programs tend to be too long for children. However, while our subscription concerts are perfect for adults, kids and their families will enjoy our Family Concert and Pops Concerts and even our Keller Concert.

We hope we’ve cleared up your misconceptions about going to the Symphony. If you have any other questions, please feel free to call us at 765-742-6463 Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. We look forward to seeing you soon.