Listen regularly to the type of music your child is studying. Include recordings of pieces on upcoming concerts.

Attend concerts to learn standard concert behavior. Seek out free concerts with open seating, at least at first. Sit quietly in the back. Plan to stay as long as possible, but leave between numbers if necessary.

Avoid distracting others. Arrive a few minutes early and take care of young children’s snack and bathroom needs. Seat siblings away from one another. Deactivate all electronic watches, pagers, cellular phones, and hand-held games prior to the performance.

Watch and listen to the performance, and your child is likely to do the same. Your interest, enjoyment, and enthusiasm are contagious! Do not talk, and only whisper if vitally necessary. If you have a coughing fit, leave at once.

Clap when other audience members clap. Often the audience claps when the performers come on stage. Clap at the end of a full piece but not between movements of a piece. The concert program shows if a piece has several movements.

Photograph only if allowed to do so. Do not take photos during the performance as it is distracting to performer and audience alike; wait until the conclusion of the piece.

Congratulate the performers after the performance and shake their hands, if the situation is appropriate. Compliments are rewarded with thank-yous.