In his review of a Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert in last Friday’s Dallas Morning News, Scott Cantrell complained about the “loud huffing and hissing of a patron’s respirator.” He said “One feels for anyone needing such a device, and this puts the DSO in an awkward position.”I was that patron and I am deeply offended by his comment, not just for myself but for all people with disabilities. His message seems clear. He either feels that people requiring assistive devices that might make some noise should be excluded by the DSO or that they should voluntarily refrain from attending out of consideration for the other patrons.
I’ve used portable ventilators while attending concerts, working and participating in all the other activities of daily life since 1952. I’ve attended college, enjoyed DSO concerts for forty years, worked twenty nine years at Electronic Data Systems, led several volunteer organizations and engaged in many other activities from wheelchairs with ventilators running.
In all those years, only one other person has ever taken issue with the noise they made, so I was quite shocked by Mr. Cantrell’s comments. The ventilators have actually gotten quieter over the years, but they do still make some noise. The acoustics of the Meyerson are such that you can hear a pin drop and I sit right in front of a reflective wall.
I can’t alter the ventilator, but I will see if something can be done to further muffle the sound. I do regret any problem I may have caused others, but some things are beyond anyone’s control and I do not regret being there to embrace the wonderful music. I will not stop attending concerts.
I understand the wish for a perfect environment to enjoy the great music this orchestra is making, but the symphony is not just some, it is for everyone. Music is a gift that uplifts all of us and we all need it. The idea that some should be excluded goes against the principles of freedom, fairness and inclusiveness that make our nation great.
When I hear a child make noise during church or a concert and I’m distracted, I try to celebrate the fact that they are there, joining the rest of us in the act of living. We all need to work on our tolerance and our empathy for others.
When I entered the Meyerson Symphony Center last Thursday, I paused to read and reflect on the large inscription on the marble wall that says, “Dedicated to the men and women of EDS who made it all possible.” I am one of those people.
No one should feel awkward about the realities of life. Not me, not Mr. Cantrell and not the DSO. Let us all try to appreciate and support each other as we attempt to live our lives to the fullest in this great city we all share.
