Brilliant Artists; Miserable Event for Introverts
by Elle232 on 2/23/14Curtis M Phillips Center for Performing Arts - GainesvilleJon and his band are outstanding. Their intensity, musicality, and sense of humor were exceptionally enjoyable. What was _not_ enjoyable was their desire to get most of the audience up on stage preforming "social music" with them after the intermission. The next 20 minutes essentially ruined the evening for my introverted family. (And, no, we are not especially strong introverts; we simply did not come prepared to be dragged on stage to sing and pick at instruments we have no experience with, thanks). Oddly enough, my family was really loving the event BEFORE all the miserable, miserable "fun." A few others in town described feeling "bullied" onto stage. I would say "pressured" was more accurate. We all kind of resented it though, and there's a certain sad irony in the fact that the band's strategy for sharing "social music, love and joy" actually makes some audience members experience awkwardness, isolation, unhappiness and even resentment. It shows that the band is young and a bit self-centered in its idealism. True social harmony requires empathy for individuals with temperaments different from ones own. I know extroverts believe that introverts are just waiting to be rescued from their shell, so they can finally embrace the joie de vivre. In fact, panic attacks are never joyful, and my family only feels panic when asked on stage to sing & play instruments out-of-the-blue. Should we just loosen up and have fun? Probably, but the temperaments we've had since birth are unlike to spontaneously rewire in a stressful situation, no matter how fun you believe it is. And is there no room in "social music" for introverts? If not, then it's a very limited society.