altering the concert experience/democratic processes (a ditty)

Last night, I went to hear the New York Philharmonic play in Central Park. The concert took place on the great lawn with over 60,000 people in attendance. As I watched the concert, I thought about how this performance could not have taken place in this manner when many of the pieces were written that the Philharmonic played. There were speakers set up all over the lawn, projecting the sound backward toward those who were sitting so far back from the stage that it seemed like a mile away (perhaps it was more like a 1/4 mile). Another thing: the philharmonic had a text message vote to decide what piece they would play as an encore. That couldn't have happened even 10 years ago. But it reminded me how technology can actually give us more buy-in to the democratic process if we use it correctly. (That being said, they only gave us two choices. And who the heck is THEY, anyway?! ;))