Neo Classical – Page 31

Are Orchestra Musicians Just Zoo Animals?

September 5, 2011July 2, 2007 by Holly Mulcahy

If anyone would have told me that 15 years into a career as a professional orchestra musician might make me feel like a zoo animal I would have laughed in their face. Nevertheless, 15 years into my career and that’s exactly how I feel, or at least that’s how it seems for some of the time.

A number of factors contribute to this. First, as a single member of up to 100 performers, you come across as a nameless, faceless member of a collective. Add to that being a member of the most predominant instrument in any orchestra, a violinist, you have even less of an identity. Then there’s all the black and white we have to wear; after some time, you can feel like an anonymous zebra walking out into your pen eating the same grass day after day. At the same, time, most musicians are somewhat prepared for this reality since being a part of a large ensemble is something they’ve actively prepared for most of their life.

How Competition Could Revive Classical Music

September 5, 2011June 4, 2007 by Holly Mulcahy

As a professional orchestra violinist you can count on a few steady dressing room conversations between colleagues. As of late, the alarming drop in ticket sales and concert attendance is a popular topic. Someone will say something like “There are more people on stage than in the audience, what is up with marketing?!” Frankly, as a performer, it is hard not to take low attendance rates personally. All of the effort and commitment required for 75+ colleagues to produce a successful performance should be rewarded by a large audience. Orchestras across the … Continue Reading

Starting Next Month, Neo Classical Will Have A New Voice

February 10, 2012May 7, 2007 by Drew McManus

For more than three years it has been my pleasure to write Neo Classical here at The Partial Observer. Nevertheless, the time has come for a break and I’ll be taking a sabbatical for the next several months. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean Neo Classical is going anywhere. In fact, during the time I’m away there will be another voice stepping in to fill the void. I think it will be refreshing for everyone to have an opportunity to hear about the future of classical music from a new perspective and throughout the … Continue Reading

April Is Take A Friend To Orchestra Month – 2007

February 10, 2012April 2, 2007 by Drew McManus

Take A Friend To Orchestra is back for its third year and is bigger than ever. If you’re not familiar with what Take A Friend To Orchestra (dubbed TAFTO) is all about, it is an opportunity for the people who care the most about classical music to participate in a proactive way. Throughout the month of April, TAFTO will feature music critics, bloggers, musicians, conductors, classical music enthusiasts, and administrators as they write about how average patrons throughout the country can invite friends who don’t regularly participate in live music events to a performance in their area.

Status Still Counts

February 10, 2012March 5, 2007 by Drew McManus

You hear it all the time these days, “Classical music ensembles are playing better now than ever before.”

I don’t think this is an unreasonable statement and I would wholeheartedly agree that orchestras and opera companies which were barley more than civic groups 15 years ago are now full of talented, professional musicians delivering a string of excellent concerts.

But what exactly has that increase in artistic quality accomplished? Are professional ensembles located in the proverbial artistic outskirts being noticed? Do they have as much impact as their elder cousins in New York, Boston, and Chicago? Do they have enough clout to make the cultural consciousness wake up and notice a new vehicle for delivering classical music?