1. Everyone wears tuxedos or evening gowns.
2. You should clap after every movement of a piece, even that one piece they always play at the beginning where a violinist stands up and everyone plays the same note.
3. Classical music isn't meant to be enjoyed – it's meant to be appreciated.
4. It’s good to leave your cell phone or your pager on during a performance – especially if you answer the phone and carry on a complete conversation.
5. Coughing adds to the music – it's like a new percussion instrument.

Allow us to clear some things up. You're still new at this, and we want your first experience with the Sierra Symphony to be faux pas-free. So, we've put together some tips for the first-time concertgoer.

So you're first-time Attendee, don't worry about it. The following are answers to frequently-asked questions about Symphony-going, designed to make your first trip to the Sierra Symphony a pleasant one.

1. What is classical music?
The term "classical music" can mean anything from a Bach Concerto to a Brahms Rhapsody, anything from an Adams tone poem to a Schubert Symphony. Generally, classical music is played by a symphonic ensemble comprised of strings (violins, violas, cellos and basses), woodwinds (clarinets, oboes, flutes and bassoons), brass (trumpets, French horns, trombones and tubas) and percussion (drums, xylophones and bells), or some combination thereof.

2. Will I enjoy the concert?
Absolutely! Classical music is exciting, surprising, and oftentimes funny.

3. Will I recognize any music?
Odds are, you'll recognize far more than you realize. Many of today's popular songs, television shows and movies include or are taken from classical themes, like the Lone Ranger theme (Rossini's William Tell Overture), the Bugs Bunny cartoon "What's Opera, Doc?" (Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries), United Airlines commercials (Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue), and many more.

4. What should I wear to a Sierra Symphony concert?
Contrary to what many people think, formal attire -- such as tuxedos and evening gowns -- is not required at Symphony concerts. Most concertgoers wear business attire or slacks, skirts, sweaters, etc.

5. When should I clap?
Generally, it is considered proper concert etiquette to clap only after a piece is complete. This means that, for example, if you're listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which has four movements, it is appropriate to clap after the last movement. You can look at your program to find out how many movements a piece has. Usually, there is a 15- to 30-second pause in between movements. So, in the case of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, you know you're hearing the Finale after three pauses. If all else fails, you can always wait for the rest of the audience to clap before applauding.

6. What about other noises -- coughing, cell phones, pagers?
It is always best to turn off cell phones and pagers before entering the concert hall. Noises such as a pager going off or a cell phone ringing are very distracting to the conductor, the musicians and your fellow audience members.

Coughing is an unavoidable problem. But, there are ways to avoid coughing during the music. If you feel a cold coming on, please bring lozenges with you. The next step is crucial: unwrap them ahead of time. Unwrapping a cough drop during the music makes more noise than you might think. If there are no lozenges in hand and you need to cough once or twice, please try to wait for the end of the movement. If that's not possible you can try to bury your cough in a louder section of music, rather than coughing in the midst of the most delicate pianissimo. And, either way, a handkerchief or scarf will further help to muffle the disruption. If you need to cough more than a couple of times, there's nothing wrong with getting up and excusing yourself from the Hall for the rest of the movement. Following these guidelines helps you be sensitive to your neighbors, and allows everyone to have a more pleasant concert experience.