Cowboy Boots and the Conductor

I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra last night. The performance are held in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, located in the Dallas Arts District. Engineering, technology based companies, and individual engineers have an impress record of supporting the arts in Dallas. Examples include Texas Instruments and their support through the Texas Instruments Classical Series. Other important sponsors include Exxon Mobil, AT&T, Cecil and Ida Green Youth Concert Series Endowment, and Ross Perot.

The conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is Jaap van Zweden. Since van Zweden's debut, the DSO has received consistent praise for stunning interpretations of works including Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Verdi Requiem, Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and many more. His other titled positions include music director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Kamer Filharmonic (2005-2013). I was able to attend a private reception for van Zweden following the performance. He had changed into jeans and cowboy boots - very impressive!

Provided below is the "Golden Rules for Audiences." The list fits well with respect to concerts, movies, theatrical performances, or the corporate presentation:

1. Go easy with the atomizer; many people are highly allergic to perfume and cologne.


2. If you bring a child, make sure etiquette is part of the experience. Children love learning new things.


3. Unwrap all candies and cough drops before the concert begins.


4. Make sure cell phones, beepers, and watch alarms are off. And don't jangle the bangles.


5. The overture is part of the performance. Please cease talking at this point.


6. Note to lovebirds: When you lean your heads together, you block the view of the person behind you. Leaning forward also blocks the view.


7. Thou shalt not talk, or hum, or sing along, or beat time with a body part.


8. Force yourself to wait for a pause or intermission before rifling through a purse, backpack, or shopping bag.


9. Yes, the parking lot gets busy and public transportation is tricky, but leaving while the concert is in progress is discourteous.


10. The old standby: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.