Neo Classical – Page 4 – Holly Mulcahy on the future of classical music

Thinking Outside the Box Seats

Mon, Apr 6, 2009

by:

Holly Mulcahy

It was probably a combination of buying the Girl Scout cookies last week, buying dividend stocks this week, and wondering if there were going to be comp tickets for my performance next week that triggered a revelation this afternoon during my rehearsal. Wondering about comp tickets made me think about one of my former orchestra’s policies of NO COMPS! “We, the XYZ Symphony feel that we are losing too much revenue by offering comp tickets, and will therefore no longer be offering them. You, as a XYZ Symphony musician, are encouraged to … Continue Reading

No comments

“There Are No Words”

Mon, Mar 2, 2009

by:

Holly Mulcahy

A day before President Obama’s inauguration, the writers at Inside The Arts published “Dear President letters” from their unique perspective. Most of the letters were generally to do with the arts and how each writer wanted the next administration to handle the arts during the next four years. My letter was geared toward pointing out the necessary ways which classical music fills our lives during times of shared experiences. As I watched the inauguration, I found it particularly interesting that there were points where just about every reporter or newscaster would say, … Continue Reading

No comments

How To Alienate Your Audience in 10 Easy Steps: Audiences

Mon, Feb 2, 2009

by:

Holly Mulcahy

A satirical look at how regular concert goers negatively impact the future of classical music. An engaged, enthusiastic, and diverse audience is one of the strongest measurements for justifying an orchestra’s value. During my years as a violinist in various orchestras around the country, I have witnessed audiences lose their enthusiasm for live concerts and turn their backs to orchestras as the result of behavior not just from those inside the ensemble but from those around them.

6 comments

How To Alienate Your Audience In 10 Easy Steps: Managers

Mon, Jan 5, 2009

by:

Holly Mulcahy

An engaged, enthusiastic, and diverse audience is one of the strongest standards for justifying an orchestra’s value. During my years as a violinist in various orchestras around the country, I have witnessed audiences lose their enthusiasm for live concerts and turn their backs to orchestras as the result of behavior from those inside the ensemble. The last two months I covered how music directors and musicians alienate audiences, and this month’s article will focus on managers. Unlike the previous two groups, managers are somewhat different in that they are not as visible … Continue Reading

No comments

How To Alienate Your Audience in 10 Easy Steps: Musicians

Mon, Dec 1, 2008

by:

Holly Mulcahy

An engaged, enthusiastic, and diverse audience is one of the strongest measurements for justifying an orchestra’s value. During my years as a violinist in various orchestras around the country, I have witnessed audiences lose their enthusiasm for live concerts and turn their backs to orchestras as the result of behavior from those inside the ensemble. Last month’s article showed how conductors alienate audiences through certain behaviors and this month is the musician’s turn. Of course, not every musician is guilty of the transgressions below but they happen often enough that they contribute … Continue Reading

12 comments