By Mark Singel

In his book, “The Book of Awesome,” Neil Pasricha notes the exhilarating effect of great performances and the instant of awe that they can bring to audiences.

“Fat ladies hit the high note … trumpets blast in the pit band, and stagehands yank the curtains closed in that big booming finish at the end of the show.

Yes, the guitarist slashes the final chord as that closingclimax spirals up and up and up before just so suddenly ... stopping. Then, there’s a split-second of perfect silence as energy rip-rushes down the crowd and everyone stands up to let out a giant applause.”

Whether it follows a brilliant symphony or a rock concert, this awesome moment of collective clarity is rare and important.

Raymond A. Foss actually wrote a poem about it entitled: “The Silence b

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