Ah the Fall Arts Season. The faithful belly up to the ticket counters all over the Bay Area and show their support for all the great local talents. The newly converted or just plain "classical curious" are there too and sometimes when the two meet it can be a bit awkward. How refreshing and helpful it was to stumble across a recent piece in the Sacramento Bee about what works or doesn’t for classical audiences. A big question: Should you applaud only at the end of a piece or at the end of the movement, or if you are blown away by a particular passage or soloists performance during a dazzling passage? Michael Morgan of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic says "Audience applause at the ‘wrong’ times is always a good sign. It means people are new to the experience and showing enjoyment of being there." You may get a dirty look from the cognoscenti, but don’t let that bother you. To read the whole (and very worthwhile) article click here.

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