# Children at "adult" subscription concerts



## h1478971 (Dec 6, 2009)

I find it interesting when children below 13 years of age are brought to Orchestral subscription concerts. Anyone here experienced restless children at concerts? If so, what was the ultimate result? I wonder what the children think. Any opinions on how often children are brought to "big people" concerts as opposed to children's concerts. 

I personally think a child could get scared with Webern's music especially his six pieces for Orchestra because I know of a 7 year old girl that got scared with it.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

SInce she was about 8 my eldest daughter (now 14) has been to a few concerts. But I have always been prepared to leave at intermission if she says she has had enough, and she had learned concert etiquette from involvement in Suzuki summer camps. I think it helps that she herself plays an instrument so she has something to focus on.

We've also been to Magic Flute and Eugene Onegin which she loved, and some of the HD cinema transmissions from the Met. Yesterday I showed her the 2010-11 HD season and she asked if she could see the lot, Boris Godunov and Iphigenie en Tauride included. My 7-year-old watches opera on DVD or Met Player so she can wriggle off any time she's had enough, but I reckon in a couple of years she'll be ready for the real thing if appropriate (Barber of Seville, yes; Meistersingers, no!). But there's no way I'd take her to an orchestral concert even though she also learns violin & piano, she's a much more wriggly child and would drive everyone bananas.

IMO you don't want ill-behaved children spoiling enjoyment of other patrons. But children are human beings too and it's great if you can introduce them to classical music, and there is nothing quite like the real thing. Just choose your concert and know your child, and wait until they are able to sit without wriggling for an hour. And make sure they hear classical music at home so there is some familiarity with it.


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

Good on you Nathalie. My kids are 3, 1, 1 so we're not there yet. Most remarkable thing I ever saw was a little girl - couldn't have been more than ten - at _Bayreuth_ 1992 of all places. And yes, she sat through the Ring operas. Perhaps she was studying singing...
cheers,
G


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

GraemeG said:


> Good on you Nathalie. My kids are 3, 1, 1 so we're not there yet. Most remarkable thing I ever saw was a little girl - couldn't have been more than ten - at _Bayreuth_ 1992 of all places. And yes, she sat through the Ring operas. Perhaps she was studying singing...
> cheers,
> G


Cripes that's amazing. But it certainly shows you can't generalise about kids. Good luck, Graeme, on your music journey with your children.


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