Cotton Fields

Mary Ann

I remember when I lived in Virginia Beach, Va and would go to the Norfolk Forum to hear lectures by famous people of all backgrounds.  I was in my thirties, and the audience was a sea of white hair.  I felt like I was sitting in a field of cotton.  I was a little out of place, yet we were all there to learn from authors, political leaders, artists, correspondents, and the like. 

Often, I would go to other cultural events like the symphony or a play or the ballet, and there were mainly audiences with white or graying hair.  Well, now that I have a head of white hair and am in the audience with mostly other people who have white or gray hair, I have joined the cotton field.  

I often go to matinees now that I am retired, and the audience is full of other people like me, and we are all older.  It is fields of cotton.  However, even in the evenings at the symphony for example, there are mostly older people attending.  I wonder who will be attending these cultural events in the future?

There are just too many other things to fill people’s time these days.  We have endless choices of television and cable today.  There are lots of rock concerts and sporting events for young people to attend.  Then there are video games and endless scrolling on their phones.  All good, but what is going to happen to the fine arts when the boomers go to the cotton fields in the sky? 

Maybe you must be older to appreciate a symphony or a play by Tennessee Williams. Regardless, it is concerning that audiences at cultural events lack young people.  Sometimes you will see a child with their grandparents and that is to celebrate because they are educating their grandchild about the beauty of the arts.

I am not actually sure what to do to get younger people interested in a classical music concert or a lecture on the pristine oceans.  One thing that is hampering attendance by the young is the ticket prices.  It is hard for most of us to spend big bucks for tickets.  However, in New York City, many concerts and lectures are free or have low ticket prices for students.  Lin-Manuel Miranda offered a huge discount to students on Wednesday afternoons for $20 to see Hamilton.  The going price for those tickets was sometimes in the thousands.  Miranda was a former substitute teacher, so he understood that students had limited funds.  Bravo to him for introducing them to the lights of Broadway.

I think what we can all do as individuals to develop an interest in theatre or music concerts for younger people is to support our local theater groups or musical groups’ youth programs.  My brother, Tim, who was a former teacher, and his husband, Ron, another teacher, always supports youth cultural programs. They are dedicated to ensuring that the young will grow into art fans!  We are counting on it.  I think, too, you can take a young person with you to see a ballet or chamber music or whatever.  Afterwards, discuss the event and how it made him or her feel.  

I can remember the first time I heard Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 in my freshman music appreciation class.  I almost wept.  (I am listening to it now and have goose bumps.) You must be introduced.  I have loved classical music ever since. 

You can do that for someone. The young don’t have to wait until they have a head of white hair to enjoy the beauty of the arts.  You can help guarantee that there will be audiences in the future.  The arts enrich our souls at any age, and the goose bumps are icing on the cake.