In class today we discussed the word virtuoso and how it is essentially reserved to describe Classical artists. From time to time you hear it sparingly used to describe Rock Guitarists and Jazz musicians but not often. I say we shouldn’t give the word up, but definitely give it over….
Aud. Develop
Mirror Mirror in the Hall……
Please…call me Beloved Maestro. I think both words are something earned not something claimed. It’s an amazing arrogance to suggest to your audience that they feel this way, I mean what if they don’t or don’t quite….
Challenge = Opportunity: The egg before the chicken! – part 1
We need more donors, a plan to sustain ourselves, get more people involved, brand ourselves, win people over and yadayadayada….When arts groups get together to discuss their ills, lack of support, the community paying no attention to them etc… the argument comes around to forming a plan to turn things around and focusing on what we are not receiving, rather than what we are not giving. A plan for sustainability should start with creating something that is worth sustaining……
Time to reconnect!
This week my Audience Connections class starts up again at Drury University. It looks like I have 6 students and my hope is to use new media to make this a global class literally!….
Sticks and Drones started towards the end of course last year. I incorporated the students into the blog by posting their papers (here and here) and tagging posts that I thought applied to the class and the concept in the Audience Connection category.
Nashville: (Classical) Music City!
We often write about things that go spectacularly wrong. In Nashville it seems to be going spectacularly right! When I read about the NSO’s new marketing strategy for “young people”, I started to draw my sword. I’m not a believer in a strategy that is at best insincere and at worst untruthful, as it always seems to end up alienating a “young” audience and is discriminatory. Not so in Nashville….
The two sides to our “face”…
More and more I read about the new media and the great opportunities they represent for orchestras enabling them to reach many by creating an on-line community of supporters and the potential for personal connections. Not just between the orchestra and their supporters, but between the supporters also. In Springfield we have discussed this without making any firm decisions, and then something wonderful happened, a true audience connection……..
What I’ve not missed out on: part 2…and a tribute
Having written in June about my love of conducting Ballet and with my recently announced appointment as Principal Pops Conductor with the Fort Worth Symphony one might think I’m trying to banish myself to the equivalent of Conducting purgatory. I beg to differ!……..
Got Arts?…..
The NPAC conference received mixed reviews, I didn’t attend and as with any large conference there was bound to be both accolades and criticisms. I was disturbed to read about the last town hall meeting, and in my mind it brought up a question that the arts must face in the future:
Which is more important: That the Arts matters to people or that the Arts cares about people?…….