Audience Musical People Musicians Show Songs Describing Performance

Most musical performances begin when the band or "orchestra" (a large group of people playing many different instruments) "warms up," where each person plays his or her musical instrument for a short period of time to practice. Warming up also helps the musicians "tune" the instruments, making sure that they can all play the same note, at the same "pitch" (whether a sound is high or low). Sometimes warm-ups happen "backstage" (where the audience cannot see or hear), but orchestras often warm up where the audience can hear them.

Once the warm-up is finished, the "conductor" (a person who leads the orchestra by moving his or her arms) and/or the band members "take the stage," coming onto the large area in the front of the theater or other area where people can see them. The audience usually "applauds" (claps, hitting hands together to make noise) or "cheers" (makes loud sounds to show pleasure and approval).

During the performance, audience members applaud or cheer for "solos" (short parts of songs that are performed by just one singer or musician). They also applaud or cheer after each "piece of music" (song) ends. People often shout "bravo" to show that they are pleased with a performance.

When all the songs are done, the audience applauds or cheers for a longer period of time, often standing up to show their "appreciation" (how much they liked the performance). If the audience really liked it and wants to hear more, people shout "encore," meaning that they want the musicians to continue to perform. Most musicians will provide an encore of one or two songs that were not part of the original bill for the performance.