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I go to a lot of classical concerts here in the Twin Cities, MN, and the audience basically gives a standing ovation every time. I don't mind it. I'd much rathe

I go to a lot of classical concerts here in the Twin Cities, MN, and the audience basically gives a standing ovation every time. I don't mind it. I'd much rather be part of an enthused, appreciative audience who celebrate the incredibly hard work it takes to get to the point of these performance (literal decades of practice).

nickff 5y ago
One issue is that giving standing ovations for every performance ends up devaluing them. I am sure that the performers on stage know that undeserving performances receive disproportionate approbation, so they discount the reaction accordingly. Many studies show that improvement requires operating at your limit, and sometimes failing. Never letting anyone fail is a disservice to them in the long term.
- syntheweave 5y ago
  The external feedback is just the last step in the chain, though. What the audience does on that night hardly matters: you got them to buy tickets, and the rest is knowing that you execute well on that performance, which is something the cast and crew have to know for themselves, because so many mistakes go unnoticed and just result in the performance being a little bit less polished. When the seats are empty, that's the real marker of failure. But you can't get that information directly - flops are always a case of "couldn't see it coming". You can aim to derisk by following convention, but that's treading water and makes you an undifferentiated performer. You have to set principled benchmarks for yourself to excel because the feedback is going to be too sparse otherwise. That's the real struggle throughout all the arts. It's not on other people to set them for you.
- cafard 5y ago
  Judith Martin, who writes for The Washington Post, said that were she a singer in operas, instead of perfunctory standing ovations, she'd rather be hissed for an off night, and on a great night have the students unharness the horses from her carriage to tow her back to the hotel.

nickff 5y ago

One issue is that giving standing ovations for every performance ends up devaluing them. I am sure that the performers on stage know that undeserving performances receive disproportionate approbation, so they discount the reaction accordingly. Many studies show that improvement requires operating at your limit, and sometimes failing. Never letting anyone fail is a disservice to them in the long term.

syntheweave 5y ago
The external feedback is just the last step in the chain, though. What the audience does on that night hardly matters: you got them to buy tickets, and the rest is knowing that you execute well on that performance, which is something the cast and crew have to know for themselves, because so many mistakes go unnoticed and just result in the performance being a little bit less polished. When the seats are empty, that's the real marker of failure. But you can't get that information directly - flops are always a case of "couldn't see it coming". You can aim to derisk by following convention, but that's treading water and makes you an undifferentiated performer. You have to set principled benchmarks for yourself to excel because the feedback is going to be too sparse otherwise. That's the real struggle throughout all the arts. It's not on other people to set them for you.
cafard 5y ago
Judith Martin, who writes for The Washington Post, said that were she a singer in operas, instead of perfunctory standing ovations, she'd rather be hissed for an off night, and on a great night have the students unharness the horses from her carriage to tow her back to the hotel.