The most interesting conversations about Classical Music never happen in the Board Room, or after a concert, or in any venue that one would connect with the art form. My friend Jeremy reminded me of that on Thanksgiving Day.
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Classical Music is….Undead?
One of my pet peeves is the insane and fruitless pursuit of new audiences with marketing techniques that are so insincere and gimmicky, that we end up losing audiences! From Guitar Hero contests to DJ’s at an Opera house to $50,000 being spent on a cupcake program, it seems we try to do anything we can to pretend we don’t play concerts but just have big classical raves. However a student brought to my class something that is on the surface a gimmick, but actually is a sincere link between pop culture and the classical era….
Flogging the Wrong Horse
It has been an interesting couple of weeks on the orchestral front. New ED in Colorado, pissing match between a top soloist and a top conductor. Oh, and an orchestra that has lost it’s mind. Same as it ever was.
Dick Cheney LIVES!!!
OK, we all know that George Bush was not the architect of the Bush Doctrine, right? That honor, if you want to call it that, goes to Vader-in-Chief Dick Cheney. He pulled the strings and the Bush administration danced. It was the height of the Neo-Con movement in America. But not in music.
Way to Go BUFFALO…..and my former student was on the X Factor!
I can’t claim to be the Buffalonian my blogging colleague Bill can claim to be, but I did spend 4 amazing seasons as the associate conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and how gratifying it was to read today that they have signed a 5 year deal! Yes an agreement, and there is growth planned, there is communication, there is a positive outlook and for those who might sneer at the idea of something good about Buffalo, it’s a great city and my guess is you probably haven’t been there!…
R – E – S – P – E – C – T!!!
It has been an interesting couple of weeks on the orchestral front, and not necessarily for good reasons. One thing is for sure – if there are any knee replacement specialists in the Denver area they are about to make a killing.
Treating Patrons Like Kids….DON’T DO THAT!!!!! – Update: Response
Creativity is not only for the artists. A patron interfaces with an arts institution long before they get there, and time and time again the visitors guidelines and etiquette policies read as though buying a ticket is a passport to not being able to do anything coupled with an assumption that you know nothing, and that we are all 5 years old! We belittle patrons before they walk through the door, we simply have to get creative with this. My Audience Connection class took this on last week……(Update: response from Indianapolis below)
Build a Bridge, NOT a Lighthouse!
It occurs to me that the state of the economy seems to shift only incrementally either way, yet orchestras continue to hope that innovation and drastic action will let the good times roll. We may be stuck with the current economic conditions for years to come, and unless we have a multi billion dollar angel of mercy, we have to deal and invest with REALITY and not throw money away on hope….