I've never fallen asleep in a concert. I've come extremely close (to that point where your eyes are closed and your head droops... and droops...), but I always manage to stay awake until the eventual applause.
I have, however, witnessed a lot of friends and peers falling asleep while watching a concert, and I'm sure everyone has looked around during recital hour to see a couple snoozing music majors (and on occasion a professor). The first time I noticed, I felt offended on behalf of the performers. Our peers were sharing their craft! Baring their soul! How dare someone snuggle into their chair for a catnap.
The more I've thought about it, however, the more I don't see it as an awful thing. Music can be inspiring, saddening, exciting, and funny, but it can also be extremely relaxing. If a musician plays a calm, gorgeously relaxing piece, it's only natural that an audience member would feel their eyelids droop. It's the same concept as the lullabies that rock us to sleep as children.
I found a forum on the topic. Responses vary from finding it offensive to seeing it as natural. A couple commenters mention it being a waste of money.
I encourage you to read a couple responses and then leave your own thoughts on the matter. Do you chug a coffee before a concert to make sure you stay awake? Or are you the one snoozing in the back row?
http://www.maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2984-do-you-fall-asleep-watching-classical-music-concerts/
I'm like you Sarah! Although I've come pretty close to falling asleep, maybe its the being raised in a church training that I've had (falling asleep is not an option!), I have never actually fallen asleep in a concert. Until I was about 11 or 12, I could not fall asleep unless I had music playing in the background. I alternated between classical and jazz to Christian music and even calm show tunes. I like how you said that music can be relaxing. Music provided that sense of calm that I needed as a very anxious kid to be able to actually fall asleep. Who knows, maybe all of those late nights listening to CD's is what got me to love music so much! We are all exhausted college students so maybe that's what music does to some of us. We are musicians because we have an intense connection with music. Some of us may be like I was as a kid. Maybe listening to some beautiful music is exactly what it takes for some of us to get that much needed nap after all nighter.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I have taken a few naps during recital hour. Sometimes I'm just not interested in listening, and was up too late before or something. But I've never fallen asleep during an actual concert.
ReplyDeleteI'm aware that it's rude, my bad.
I'm going to be honest: I fall asleep quite often. I wish I were capable of not falling asleep-- I believe that all music is wonderful and their composers and performers should receive all the love and attention in the world-- but as hard as I try I still fall asleep. I get a decent amount of sleep and am interested in music, so I've been trying for a long time to figure out why I fall asleep. For me, I find that slow, beautiful, relaxing, and long pieces of music (especially in the first half of concerts) make me fall asleep. I think a good amount of it is because it's so beautiful that I close my eyes and fall asleep; on less frequent occasions, a piece is so long that I lose track of the form and what to listen for and then succumb to the soporific effects of its lulling beauty. I feel guilty about falling asleep, but I don't think a piece that's so beautiful I fall asleep is that bad-- it's just too beautiful for me.
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ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I don't think I've ever actually fallen asleep during a concert or recital hour. I will admit that I've completely zoned out during slower movements, but I've never fallen asleep. I think a lot of it has to do with a specific persons interest on the given piece/instrument and how much they connect with it ties into how much attention they give it. Although I feel that it's rude sometimes when I see people asleep, I completely understand.
ReplyDeleteI believe it depends on the person. If you fall asleep during a concert, you are just a concert napper. If you don't, you just happened to be awake during concerts. A person cannot help the way their body reacts to a performance. It is always better to do what comes natural to you. If you are forcing yourself to stay up during a concert, you feel uncomfortable and frustrated the whole time. Good or you if your body is capable a remaining alert and attentive during concerts.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is anything wrong with doing what comes natural to you. Natural actions and movements align with the flow of the universe. That is all I will say about that. Good day.