During a school concert, there are various aspects of respect and ethical behaviour to remember. You will be in a hall or theatre with dozens or hundreds of other parents and grandparents from different backgrounds but all for the same reason, and that is to see their kids.
Once these kids appear on the stage, the first person they look for will be YOU! They will feel a little unsettled until they’ve seen you and only then they will relax and refocus on their performance.
YOU are their VIP and the main person that they want to impress. Nothing else matters more on this evening than your cheer, praise and compliments.
Leave the negative comments or criticism behind and celebrate the success of how well your child is performing.
Let’s get into it!
Hold on, if you’d like to know more about The Best Age to Learn an Instrument, check out my post here.
Be Punctual
Schools are institutions where kids need to learn to be on time and work towards deadlines and cut-off times. We as adults need to set the appropriate example in the shape of arriving on time, especially for their events.
The bonus about being earlier is that you will have parking to choose from and you still enjoy the free choice of seating in an unfilled school hall.
Park You Car Correctly
The last thing you want is an announcement that asks you to move your car or turn your lights off, so make sure that you have thought of all the necessities regarding safety.
Also, think about your child during this process. Wouldn’t you feel embarrassed when your parents were called out when they parked their car in the wrong space?
Fill The Hall Appropriately
Sitting at the end of the row or closer to the door is the most popular place for people to sit, but the biggest nightmare for organisers. As you enter the venue, try to find a seat closer to the stage and fill the rows from the middle.
Many people feel anxious and claustrophobic about it and don’t like feeling locked in. But if you have no problem with this, please fill the rows from the middle.
Stay Seated During an Active Microphone
During sessions where people are speaking or performing, please stay seated so that people behind you keep their view of the performance. This also applies when your child is not performing so that you can continue to respect the stage visibility of the other families.
Keep in mind the number of people being disrupted when you need to leave:
- The people behind you for the view
- The people in your row for sliding out
- Any extra noise that you might make
Consuming Correctly During the Concert
Like in the movies or at normal events, it’s usually allowed to have snacks at a school concert. Many families also have little kids that’s hardly without something to eat in their hands.
These events also allow time for a break in between to make some money from the spectators from their tuck shop. Feel free to make use of this opportunity and contribute to the growth of your local educational institution.
The main problem comes when this becomes disruptive and messy. The worst thing for neighbouring people is dodging messes or having to listen to someone eating without a break. Especially when chewing a piece of gum with an open mouth.
Keep alcohol intoxication to a controlled bare minimum. It’s okay to drink something very light (less than 3%), but even better to stay without during the show. You should stay awake and sober during the performance so that your child can be the star of the night.
Take a Shower Beforehand
You will be in a crowd of people who know your child and creating a decent impression for the well-being and comfort of your child is essential to their image and confidence.
Be the person that you would’ve been proud of as a child. Calculate enough time to take a shower before you go.
If you apply cologne or deodorant of some sort, make sure that it’s at a minimum. It often happens that people have allergies to the different types of smells and it might push seated neighbours away because of the strong smells. I recommend only one spray of your perfume.
Appropriate Cheering Guidelines
Cheering takes place differently all across the globe. From the gentle applause from Western countries to the cheering sound of “lalalalalaaaaa” in Africa, they are all accepted and appreciated in their cultures.
It is appropriate to cheer and even whistle if it suits the occasion. A lively audience brings the best out of the performers.
Just make sure that whatever you do is not embarrassing to yourself, your child or the people around you.
This post was written and posted by De Wet from startingmyband.com on 24.07.2023. The content was stolen from me if this blog post is seen anywhere else.
It is always very appreciated to give a standing ovation at the end of a concert. These cheers create the addiction for the stage that all performers deserve.
We want kids to fall in love with performing and cheering them on respectfully will motivate them to continue their dreams and keep performing.
If you would like your child to learn to play an instrument, but you’re not sure how to motivate them, take a look at the article I wrote about How to Inspire Your Child to Learn a Music Instrument.
Taking Photos and Recordings
Feel free to take a quick snap when your child hits the stage. You can also make a video recording if it is of no disruption to your seating neighbours and those behind you.
What you shouldn’t do is stand up to video performance. This is selfish behaviour towards the people behind you, even if their kids are not on stage at this moment.
Making Social Media Posts Correctly
What you post about your child is your responsibility.
Please be careful not to make posts where other kids are also involved without permission from their parents.
It’s not only about safety concerns but also about respecting others’ kids and families.
A tip for organisers: Create a hashtag for your event so that parents can use it if they would like to contribute to the social media hype of your event.
This is extremely helpful for local newspapers to find relevant pictures if they are publishing articles about the event.
Take note that when you post photos online, you already permitted other institutions and companies to reuse them again, so make sure you are happy with it when you publish an online post with your child.
I hope you found what you were looking for!
Check out more of my related articles here:
- Why Teachers Use Music In Their Classrooms
- 17 Is the Golden Age to Become a Musician
- Forcing Your Child to Play an Instrument: Raising a Rebel
- ADHD and Music: A Functioning Relationship
Until next time!