I was recently at a concert showcasing some Celtic music. It was a wonderful performance and loads of fun, but it got me thinking, which is always dangerous.

At one point the band begins to play a jig and people start clapping to the beat. Now…if I were a musician, that would really really bug me. Think about it. You’ve been training for years and years and years working tirelessly day in and day out to be one of the best at your given musical talent. You have studied meter, rhythm, melodies, and every technical aspect of music one could imagine. You are on stage having a blast and rocking out to some Celtic music with your fellow musicians….and now…you are letting 100 people, off the street, try and maintain the beat for you. That’s guts. Have you ever heard this happen? Everyone ends up on different beats until they get tired and quit or discouraged because the band changed the tempo, but you will always have 3 guys in the back still trying their hardest to keep it alive…it’s like “The Wave” of concerts…once it’s started, it just won’t die…it’s amazing. Now, from the spectator’s point of view, I refuse to clap. That’s a lot of freakin’ pressure to keep with the beat. I paid good money to see these educated musicians perform…now why do they need me to keep the beat for them? I better be getting’ a cut. I mean, what happens if the group starts sucking and all you hear is, “Well, that guy in the fourth row just really threw me off.” I don’t need that.

I just noticed that this sort of came off like a rant…that’s funny.