The Audience Connections Class you have been hearing clips from since August had their final on December 10, so here they are this week for the last time. Below is the main part of their final, which was a challenge…….
Aud. Develop
Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
What is it all coming to? The recession is forcing even major arts organizations to …..gulp……actually program what the audiences want to hear and see! Now what’s that I hear, the big 3 automakers need to build cars that people want to drive! I guess newspapers need to start writing what people want to read! In the immortal words of R.E.M:
It’s the end of the world as we know it…..
Let’s hope so, at least for the arts world!….
Behind the Times (again…)
I had a wonderful experience today in the Art world. Unfortunately it was not in the Classical Music business. Rather it was the Theater that provided me with some insights, and I’m left wondering (again) why we are stuck doing things in classical music that make absolute no sense to our public. Again……..
Fear Factor(y)!….
We are not going to admit it are we? Why is it that writers constantly try to put a positive spin on the negative by proclaiming it’s simply an emotional response that prevents people from attending a Symphony concert or an arts event, basically saying it’s their fault. This time it’s fear, yes people are fearful, scardey cats, wobbly need at the thought of an audience member shooting them a dirty look if you applaud inthe wrong place. Give me a break, if 98% of a city is not into you, it can’t be just fear. I mean it is not as if they are being asked to bungee jump (although you should see how high the balcony is in our hall)…..
A Flat Brew…..
My class is winding up soon, I will miss this group. The students bring articles and blog posts to discuss each class and Amanda brought one about the Night Shift Series put on by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment which takes place late at night, where drinking beer is allowed and encouraged (musicians don’t get too excited)….if you’re in the audience……
The People Business….
I am embroiled in rehearsals for Mahler 5 and was not going to write till later in the week, but something jumped out at me over on Greg Sandow’s blog that I could not let pass by. The talk of free concerts for the community have been the subject of his last two post,s and most of the comments coming back to him make me think that people still believe we are in the music business. We are not, we are in the people business!….
Audience Poll – Gorilla Style!
My Audience Connection class attended the Springfield Symphony concert on Oct 18, a Big Band themed Pops concert. They were not there to review the concert, but to review the audience! The audience response was tremendous, as was the review in the paper. The students however did an internal eavesdrop poll with interesting results. Our discussion is in three parts below as well as some audio from the concert. I highly recommend every performing arts group do this kind of review!: (podcast 15 and 16 will be up Monday)
The Brady Effect!……
I saw Wayne Brady’s (of Who’s Line is it Anyway fame) show in Vegas this past May. He is one of the most talented people on the planet! What was most impactful to me was the pre-show, a video of Wayne explaining the audience rules for the show. It was hilarious, involving tranquilizer darts and karate moves, very creative and completely disarming. I challenged my class to look for examples online of organization’s audience etiquette policies…discussion below: