I’m a big fan of technology, I’m always bummed out when something I have is super seeded by a new model. I still have that old crusty 1st generation ipod touch (18 months old!). I was intrigued like many when the Concert Companion first came out, a device to enhance the understanding of the concert experience with real time program notes, video and other features. After the initial buzz, it kind of died down, and I haven’t heard much about it since and it seems that some are using Twitter for live notes. Well the creator of CoCo (it’s nickname) is now in charge of an Orchestra, one that needs a serious recharge, but I’m pretty sure a CoCo or an internet connection is not the answer…..
In this article by Jeffrey Sheban about the appointment of Roland Valliere (the CoCo’s inventor) to head the Columbus Symphony, front and center is the claim by him of the business he believes we’re in (bold my emphasis):
“Orchestras have traditionally thought of themselves as being in the content- production business, but we’re actually in the content-distribution business,” he said during a recent walk-through of the Ohio Theatre, the orchestra’s home. “Our product has been delivered live and here in the concert hall, but, in my view, that’s too narrow a definition of who we are,” said the former percussionist and music entrepreneur.
First of all, there is nothing like a jolt of fresh thinking to get our creative juices flowing, he does have some good points that we need to integrate technology as it in itself is part of our culture (it used to be that a phone’s ring tone let us know that there was a call, now a phone’s ring tone let’s people know who you are!). However there’s perception that this lack of technology merge with the “product” was the reason for the CSO’s recent woes. It wasn’t! Further to that, the numbers are not on their side that this new technology will make much of a difference to the bottom line. It might actually to be to its detriment.
It wasn’t so long ago at the CSO, that there was the huge schism with the desire of the board being to cut a 3rd of the musicians and cut the season. Then the music director publicly stood up for the musicians, a community support group started, then there was the canceling of concerts, the music director getting canned, resignation of key figures and pretty much everything was in a downward spiral. Of course all of this also left an audience out in the cold along with the musicians. With operations now resuming there’s a search for a new MD and much bridge building with the community to be done. Instead of a rebuilding by putting both internal and external relationships front and center, instead it seems that the cool and sexy new innovations that (expensive) technology can bring is being touted as the way back to prosperity i.e The bridge across the canyon is broken but look I have this laser pen that can put a dot on the wall on the other side, no bridge needed! Tongue in cheek put aside, the worry with hisabove statement is that we are not in the Content/Production Distribution Business, we are in the people business. The real bridge was broken, so the real bridge has to be fixed.
Then this from the article (again bold my emphasis):
Valliere wants to see the symphony — which survived a near-death experience last year by reducing performances and slashing musicians’ pay — use technology to deliver concerts live and on demand so people can enjoy the show wherever and whenever they choose.
This kind of assumes that these reductions took place because…..people couldn’t watch the concerts at home? No there were many reasons, but I am pretty certain that wasn’t one of them!
There is a numbers problem with going all in like this:
The assumption that an audience will follow the new shiny objects is just plain wrong, and new shiny objects cost money, money raised that could begin to restore what was lost financially and just as important money to market and communicate with those disenfranchised. In politico speak, the base needs shoring up, a focus on the foundation and core values and meaning for an orchestra needs to be the priorities. You don’t fix a faulty foundation by adding a new floor above the top floor, it will only make the whole thing crumble faster.
HD production with multiple cameras, a truck, producers, rights, etc… equals big bucks to spend on speculating that people will fork over a lot of money to sit at home and watch a concert on their computer screen. In reality for a smaller market, this is spending to get people not to come to concerts! He mentions that the Berlin Phil, the Met Opera do it, but no offense to Columbus, those organizations are as close to household names as anything in our industry and with sponsorship, they can only be successful if they are downloaded and/or watched in hundreds of markets, not just their own cities. Also the iPhone app that he is developing, is not a bad idea, but this study shows the average age of iPhone users is under 30, whilst the average age of a concert goer in the US is around 50!
The CSO needs to fix what is broken, not create something new to break. Hopefully they will focus on the real not the virtual and that is to make the board, management and musicians “Concert Companions”, and to increase and/or win back audiences by getting them to bring real “Concert Companions” i.e Their friends!
Thank you, Ron, for your thoughtful post. I am a Columbus Symphony musician, and you put into words exactly what I’ve been thinking ever since I heard of the whole Instant Encore idea. While I agree that the whole idea is pretty neat and I understand the desire to jump onto a new bandwagon, we do need to fix our huge looming problems before we focus on the small details. In Valliere’s defense, though, it doesn’t look like Instant Encore requires a lot of $ to get started, so it’s not like he’s draining our resources by getting us involved in this. What the CSO does have on Instant Encore is very basic. I don’t know how much more involved the CSO will get with it, but I do hope that Mr. Valliere will primarily focus on the larger problems we face before focusing on the frills. He seems like a pretty smart guy, so I feel confident that he does, and I also appreciate the energy he’s showing.
You are right,music is first about the live, in-person experience (although I enjoy radio broadcasts as well).
I am the CEO of InstantEncore.
I just spent the day at the League of American Orchestras. The NEA presented “Highlights from an National Survey on Arts Participation”. Key finding: “Classical music attendance has continued to decline at a 29 percent rate since 1982 with the steepest drop occurring from 2002 to 2008”. One thing was agreed by all participants. We can’t just keep doing what we have done in the past.
The Internet offers powerful and very low cost tools for touching, marketing to , expanding and recruiting a social community. How did a black man with single digit name recognition, less that one full term as a US senator and NO SIGNIFICANT MONEY committed to his campaign end up raising more money that anyone in history, winning the US presidency and defeating a woman who had 90+% name recognition and all the money. He changed politics forever by mobilizing people using the power of the internet. If you are interested you can buy the book (I have no financial interest in this) at http://www.barack20.com/.
Like it or not the 21st Century is a new age. Learning how to use the internet may not make an institution successful but not learning how to use it will assure an institution’s failure. No one necessarily knows the right formula but we know the wrong one and shame on us if we keep using it.
Bill thanks for your comment, I don’t disagree that the internet is powerful and important even vital to reaching people and in particular potential audience members. I can’t very well say that I’m not a fan of New Media when I reply to you on a blog!!! I believe though that in Obama’s case, yes he reached us through the power of the internet, but that does not mean that anyone could have done it. He is very special and has an extraordinary ability to connect and relate, plus the country also wanted to move in different direction, but I wont go on about all the intangibles there but focus on my own example. You quoted potent figures of the decline in audience, here are the figures for the orchestra in Springfield (MO) where I am music director:
Between 2004 and 2008 our audience increased 100%, the orchestra went from about 40 services to over 70 a season (more if in a small ensemble), our subscription renewal rate has not been lower than 95% in the last three years, and we sell out a third of concerts. We are now performing in regional centers, and have created a new series in Branson and most importantly of all, our education and outreach program has exploded! In 2004 there were 24 orchestra related performances, last year 85!
I covered how we did this extensively in two categories http://www.insidethearts.com/sticksanddrones/category/plugging-the-holes/ and http://www.insidethearts.com/sticksanddrones/category/challenge-equals-opportunity/ (there is post in this cat. in which I defend the use of video screens at Ravinia). Bottom line, the audience connection is the key, but it has to be personal and most importantly relevant. We have become a community service organization, forming alliances with charities, getting involved in local causes, helping a hospital recruit a neuro-surgeon, collaborating with countless groups even organizing a city wide drive to raise money for childrens immediate needs and at the same time improving our performance and letting our audience decide on some of our programming. We also work with the chamber of commerce to help market the city. Our goal to merge accessibility, excellence and relevance has meant 5 straight seasons in the black and the adding of extra performances. I agree with you the formula has to change, but it is the formula by which we relate personally to our community as it is that synergy that will make an arts group both garner support and become indispensable. Oh and finally, our cable company Mediacom recognizing our success is now in negotiations with us to broadcast some of our concerts on their own channel which goes into Southern ILL and through all their markets up Interstate 44 (over 50,000 subscribers). They did one last year for which they won a MIDI award for “community programming”. This came as a result of our success, it was not the reason for it, and yes we are employing new media. Apart from twitter/facebook/blogs/online donations etc. If you go to our web-site (www.springfieldmosymphony.org) you will hear sound clips that I posted through Houndbite (a free youtube like service). I do see it as a cog in the wheel to help us reach more people by creating more accessibility, and your company is making that possible for many and for that I applaud you, but it is not a replacement for the wheel in my view. Live music is real and a $2M strad is only worth $20 if that is all the speaker system cost that is reproducing the sound, much like rain on a TV screen will never grow anything in someone’s back yard!
Ron, I couldn’t agree with you more that a house that is built to last requires a strong foundation. In fact, that IS my first priority for the Columbus Symphony. But a foundation alone does not a great house make. There must a vision for what the house can be before the foundation is laid. My vision for the Columbus Symphony has nothing to do with technology per se. It has to do with finding innovative ways to connect the music and the musicians to people (the very thing you say), which I believe is necessary in this day and age. Technology is not the be-all and end-all, it is just a tool to help make that happen.
“Also the iPhone app that he is developing, is not a bad idea, but this study shows the average age of iPhone users is under 30, whilst the average age of a concert goer in the US is around 50!”
Isn’t that the point? To reach out to new audiences?
Exactly! So if we are only attracting a single digit percentage of those in their 50’s (the average age of an attendee) then the money would be better spent on ideas for that age group as the rate of success statistically will be much higher. But alas, it’s not cool or sexy to do that so let’s go with the expensive shiny object stuff for 20 somethings,which to this point has failed everywhere it has been tried. My idea to attract the young (and it works) is to try and get parents to bring their children (younger and older) as well as volunteerism. Before investing anything in what has thus far been a mostly unattainable age group for the main stream arts consider the population pyramids at Nation Master . Scrolling down you will see that those in their 40’s and 50’s now are the largest population group and by 2050 the largest population group will be in their 80’s i.e we get the 40 year olds now, we will have them for 40 years!!!!!
If the iPhone app works in creating new audiences, donors and sponsors, I will be the first to admit I was short sighted, but right now there is no evidence that innovation alone works without a meaningful and sincere attempt to connect to real live audiences and the community at large. If you want to see innovation in action check out the Knight Foundation Search for Shining Eyes report and read how during a booming economy more than a dozen orchestras burned through $13M on innovation over 10 years with now virtually nothing to show for it i.e almost all the programs failed and miserably at that. I am basing my opinions on this evidence, so let’s check back in a year!