Turn on your cell phones? 

At the October 1 and 2 performances of the Chicago Sinfonietta attendees were asked to turn on their cell phones.  Instead of being the usual interrupting annoyance during performances, "quirky chimes, song melodies and ring tones will be the concert's opening notes."

The composer of the World Premiere of Concertino for Cell Phones and Orchestra, David Baker, a professor of music at Indiana University, says he wanted to illustrate how cellular phones create both order and disorder in our society. "All man-made devices can be used for good and for bad," says Baker, who has been nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy. He adds that while cell phones are great for keeping in touch and getting help in emergencies, they're also very disruptive. The orchestra will alternate between using the cell phones melodiously and as interrupting, annoying rings.

Click the link to hear a sample of the symphony.

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