Orli Shaham on WQXR's Conducting Business Podcast: How Young is Too Young to Attend Concerts

October 30, 2014
By Brian Wise / Naomi Lewin : WQXR Host

Last week, Michael Tilson Thomas was conducting the New World Symphony in Miami when he stopped the concert in its tracks. A fidgety child and her mother were in his line of sight, and he reportedly asked them to change seats. Some details remain unclear but the mom and child did more than that – they left the hall. The incident caused quite a sensation on the Internet and raised questions: What is the appropriate age for kids to start attending grown-up concerts? And how do you prepare them for the experience?

In this podcast, we get three views, from Orli Shaham, a pianist, mother of twins and artistic director of Baby Got Bach, a concert series intended for kids ages 3 to 6; Sedgwick Clark the editor of Musical America and a steadfast concert-goer around New York; and Susan Fox, a founder and publisher of the online forum Park Slope Parents.

In the first part of the segment we ask whether young children should attend concerts: Clark says an affirmative "no." Fox contends that "you need to be willing to jump ship" if your child can no longer sit still through the music. And Shaham notes that concert-going requires careful preparation.

Host Naomi Lewin also asks for tips for parents who are considering bringing their children to a concert. Responses include "find an aisle seat near a door," "give them some chewing gum," "start with shorter concerts" and simply, "teach them to sit with boredom."