Fan Relations

When you make your living as an entertainer of any sort, it's inevitable that you'll need to develop some degree of skill in dealing with the people who pay you to entertain them. Because whether you're a professional athlete, ballet dancer, or rock star, there are going to be fans who want more from you than just a performance. They might want an autograph, or a high-five, or maybe even a personal chat. And you have to decide what your personal boundaries are in these circumstances.

For those of us in the classical music world, of course, this is a pretty easy task. Not all that many people know who the heck we are, or care, so the demands on our time are pretty much confined to the few dozen regulars who flood the stage door after concerts. They're nice folks, for the most part, and it doesn't really take much effort to stop and have a word with them. And as for autographs, well, I'd say I've probably been asked for a total of ten in the decade that I've been in Minnesota, so there'd be virtually no excuse for my ever refusing to sign one.

For really high-profile performers, though, personal boundaries will very likely define your public image more than anything else. You might be a profoundly mediocre major league ballplayer, but if you make a point of sticking around after games long enough to sign autographs for every kid who wants one, you'll very likely develop a reputation as a great and generous guy. But push past one kid's outstretched hand, or snap at one pushy collector while a camera's rolling, and you run the risk of forever being known as a guy who thinks he's too good for the whole world.

Is it fair? Of course not. But it comes with the territory. Besides, you never know what consequences could come back to bite you later for an act of thoughtlessness today. Consider one Brendan Shanahan, retired NHL hockey legend and all-around good guy: earlier this week, Shanahan was on a radio show, and related a fantastic story about how he reacted to being rebuffed by one of his heroes...

“When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto. Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other. I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn’t get the best response...

“Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo. He’s now playing for the Sabres. He’s lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.

“It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn’t believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box.”

Now that's harboring a grudge. And it's also the best reason I've heard yet to never turn down a fan request...