Flashing phones can give singers a migraine
NewsThe international soprano Claire Rutter has been made to suffer by persistent phone users. She tells slippedisc.com:
I was rehearsing a Verdi Requiem in Liverpool Cathedral a few weeks ago. A guy started filming, a few rows from the front, and his camera had an extremely bright light shining into the soloists’ and orchestra’s eyes. At an appropriate break I went over and asked him to stop filming because the light was distracting and blinding. Begrudgingly, he stopped.
A few minutes later he started again, and this time (thankfully) the Leader left her seat to ask him to stop filming. He was very grumpy and clearly didn’t think it was a problem.
Not long afterwards, another person started filming, again a shockingly bright white light shining in everyone’s’ faces.
Due to an eye condition which makes me very sensitive to bright lights, it can set off a migraine – not good when trying to do my job!
I cope with stage lights as I learn where not to look during rehearsals, but sudden bright flashes of light are the worst.
More often than not those, like Birmingham’s Emma Stenning, who encourage the use of phones in concert have no direct experience of their deleterious impact on performers. If you want an undistracted performers, keep phones off.
I question whether this is really a thing. A phone’s flash is usually turned off by default. Rarely do you ever see a flash go off when people photograph concerts these days.
At any rate, photographing and filming events are here to stay, so performers will have to realize that it’s a part of the workplace now.
Not part of the workplace. Rather, it is a work environment problem.
Beau Lox.
I must disagree. Photographing and filming are, to my knowledge, prohibited in virtually every classical venue for plenty of reasons. Why can’t people just enjoy the moment and refrain from distracting and annoying artists and other concert goers ? The day that this is ” accepted” is a sad day for everyone.
Yes, it may be officially prohibited in many classical venues but such rules are routinely flouted these days. Again, times change and dealing with an audiences’ preferences will have to become part of a musicians’ training if they want to make it in this business.
These “audience preferences” are entirely the result of a spoiled couple of generations — from “me, me, me” to can’t-be-contradicted to must-be-trigger-warned if a book mentions rain if the delicate little snowflake was once caught in it.
These people have been brought up entirely without respect for others, without manners, without consideration. Teachers were forbidden to discipline them,or mark them down, and parents started by “negotiating” with them and ended up by kowtowing to them.
They themselves are “traumatised” at the first unexpected thing, let alone problem, that they encounter, and if they face a problem retreat into trendy “mental illness,” a dangerous ploy that does immeasurable damage to the issues surrounding those who are seriously mentally ill. But pay consideration to the potential problems of those affected by their actions? Not a chance. They have “rights.”
Time some theatres make it very clear that the price of their admission does NOT include the right to disrupt, by bad behaviour or use of technologies, the working artists they and others are allegedly there to see and hear.
boomers have no idea how to turn off their flashlights
I fully sympathise with her and even have to wear sunglasses if it is too bright outside. Not possible on stage of course!
It was a rehearsal. Did she need to wait for a break?
She was being polite and considerate of other people which is more than can be said for those brandishing a phone. Who gave them permission to film?
The sad thing is that Emma Stenning from the CBSO still believes she’s right and her audiences and orchestra are wrong.
She has no clue about music and thinks phones and drinks are a way to make the concert more enjoyable. Disrespectful to the musicians performing and people sitting around her.
Once again I try to post
Drinks and photography should be banned completely.
If people cannot live without a drink for n hour then it is a sad day and they should not be going to classical concerts.
Additionally videos break copyright rules
Having recently requeste one from a concert I could not attend I was refused due to copyright law
Well done Claire! However on the repeat distracting and inconsiderate rude offence, the conductor should have stopped the show in solidarity.
This unacceptable distraction has to stop in performances… and not helped by silly Anna Lapwood saying publically SHE doesn’t mind and stupidly encouraging it!
Silly woman – anything to further her self inflicted self promotion.
It should be noted that Ms. Lapwood plays the organ which in many, many cases means her back is to the audience while she’s performing so she is seldom bothered or inconvenienced by cell phone camera flashes.
Attended a 2-part play (playing for almost 6 hours in a day) on the West End recently. Very wide range of ages in the audience, from young children to elders (possibly their grandparents!). Various ethnicities visible. Ushers were very quick to stop the 2 people I saw try to record proceedings. Anyone using their phone was promptly told off by those in their vicinity.
Interesting how the no-phone policy is not an issue in a commercial theatre – with persistent full houses for several years now.