Have fun next time

Symphony patrons, wake up! Watch a PBS broadcast of Andre Rieu or James Last Orchestra and notice the European audience is smiling, toe-tapping, clapping and booty shaking (including the musicians).

They are having fun! Our recent symphony guest Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band played red hot salsa and cha-cha-cha to an absolutely catatonic audience.

He all but said we didn’t really deserve the encore – “Come on, if you want me to play you gotta dance.”

I and a few scattered Latin Jazz fans showed enthusiasm, but only to the annoyance of the dead people around us. Perhaps the symphony should only invite guest musicians that reflect the region’s lack of cultural diversity and energy.

Lori A. Nelson

Coeur d’Alene