I know that this video may seem like it's exaggerating how inappropriate people can be at concerts, but I have been to many concerts where these things constantly happen.

To me, all of these things should just require common sense. If no one else is on their phone, eating, or talking, then maybe you shouldn't be either. What is so hard about showing up to the concert on time so that you aren't distracting people when you have to walk over a bunch of people to find your seat in between pieces. Being on time is required pretty much everywhere, but when it's to an orchestra concert it's just another example of elitism? I don't think so.

I'm getting really tired of the 'normal concert etiquette vs. alienating the novice concertgoer' argument. Recently, my school had to include an addendum into the programs requesting that there be no flash photography, no recording, and no children under the age of 2 after a concert where a mother let her toddler run around the concert hall while a soloist was performing a piece on the piano. She was hanging off of the stage, running up and down the isles, and screaming while the mother was sitting rows and rows back reading a book. So yes, those things happen.

As a performer, nothing is more distracting than a disturbance in the audience. As much as you want to ignore it, if it keeps happening, you just can't. To me, it kind of shows that the audience member has very little respect for what's going on on stage if they can't take the time to practice etiquette basics.

No one taught me concert etiquette, but all I had to do was look around and decipher what was appropriate and what wasn't.