With the recent passing of Luciano Pavarotti and Marcel Marceau, much has been written about them separately, their art, their contributions to humanity and their extraordinary gifts. They were really one and the same….
Odds & Ends
Humor in music(ians)
FINALLY! One of the great knocks against classical music is the lack of humor on the part of those of us who are the greatest proponents of the art. This is, of course, specious. Musicians are frequently hilarious, and if the public actually knew what goes on backstage they would be shocked.
I hope this isn’t as creepy as it probably sounds….
Saturday mornings have lately become a favorite. That’s because I take my boys and go watch High School girls for two hours. Now, believe me, that isn’t nearly as creepy as it sounds, and before you all call the FBI please read on……….
What if Classical Music actually functioned as a business?
I am struck by a dichotomy this morning. Like many “classical” musicians of my generation I have a really strong interest in Rock, Jazz, World music, just about anything that strikes my fancy. You could call me part of the iPod generation that way. So I also study the business of the Other Side of Music. In today’s NYTimes is this very interesting article on 360 deals for rising bands. Suddenly my brain drifts into a fantasy —–
What every musician needs…….
Musicians live in a world of fantasy, aural color, imagination, and all to frequently self-delusion. But I am fond of reminding people that what we do on a daily basis certainly beats working for a living. That’s not to say it isn’t hard work, but it is to say that we frequently get much more joy out of what we do than do most people. But every musician wants to go beyond the daily performance. We want to be known for all time, for posterity, and be known beyond our little home audience, be that some small town in Wyoming or downtown, New York City. So, what do we need? We need a place to make our dreams come true.