As an orchestra student, who has experienced performing on a stage and being a part of an audience, I have some pet peeves when it comes to audience members. It’s common for a recital, performance or concert to have many disturbances. Here’s how these disturbances can be prevented:

The ‘Golden Rule’ often associated to life is “treat others as you would treat yourself.” I have another ‘Golden Rule’: Hold it. Try to hold in every cough, every sneeze, every urge to go to the restroom. Trust me. It’s possible. If you’re sick, it would be best if you stayed at home. It’s uncanny how people have to cough or sneeze right at the quietest moment of a performance. You don’t even have to hold the urge for very long. Usually, performances have intermissions or ample time in-between music pieces for you to clear your throat or run to the restroom.

There are some who are exempt from this rule: babies. I admit that they cannot help but make noises or cry spontaneously. I also understand that you cannot leave a baby home alone when you want to enjoy a night concert. So when a baby starts to cry, that should be a signal to leave the area as soon as possible unless you are a master at calming down a baby in minimal time.

It’s also common for audience members to make comments to one another. To be honest, I have done it. The key to making this appropriate is to whisper as softly as you can. Also, don’t speak for too long. The people sitting around you don’t want to hear your chattering as much as the performers on stage. However, if you simply have a loud voice, even as a whisper, then you can use a piece of paper to relay messages to your audience buddy. The last and perhaps the best option is to just hold off all conversation until the end of the performance.

Audience etiquette is simple, but sometimes we can’t help but be impolite. Staying quiet for too long can seem like a daunting task for some people but it’s certainly doable. If everyone tries to at least follow the simple “Hold It” rule, then audiences will become a whole lot quieter and performances will become a whole lot more enjoyable.