For the past 20 years or so there has been a constant stream of critics bemoaning the fact that there won’t be any audiences in 20 years for classical music. Here we are 20 years later and there are at least some people coming to hear us perform. But despite all the warning signs about our business there is still a whole swathe of folks in our business who seem intent on driving away as many people as possible. Thanks for your help.
When I was studying conducting at USC between 1989-92 it was during the early tenure of Salonen at the L.A. Phil. During that time I lived in the little area known as Angelino Heights, essentially a subdivision of Echo Park just to the NorthWest of downtown L.A. One of the more interesting aspects of living there was that if we had our windows open and the wind was blowing from the north we could occasionally hear Nancy Bea Hefley playing the Dodger Baldwin Organ between innings at Dodger Stadium. One other bonus about living there – I could walk to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (DCP), at that time the home of the Phil.
I never walked down to the DCP at night. My sojourns were always during the day to the rehearsals. At that time there was a standing policy that conducting students had access to rehearsals. Believe me, I took advantage of it. Matter of fact, I was at one of the most famous LAPhil rehearsals of all times – the one after the first night of the L.A. riots in April 1992. By the time I got back to the apartment my girlfriend had left about 8 messages on the phone wondering where the hell I was since they were shutting down the city. Those rehearsals were invaluable and they were inspirational for me. I wouldn’t be doing what I do now without that experience.
Yet, there are people in this business who try everything they possibly can to discourage young people interested in classical music. I know of time after time in this business where, given the opportunity to encourage a young person’s interest, rehearsals will be closed under some ridiculous professional pretense. Honestly, people, is your professional ego so fragile that having a few people sit quietly at the back of the hall for a dress rehearsal will so deleteriously effect your performance? Even Nigel Tufnel had more professionalism, and he didn’t even get his large bread.
What should be absolutely standard in this business is the program that the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra has in place. The DSSO has a partnership with one of the local schools – Lowell Elementary – and kids from this school are welcome at every dress rehearsal. There’s a lottery amongst kids who play instruments. Whoever wins for that week gets to sit in with that section. If the kid plays clarinet then they sit with the clarinetists. They don’t play, but they get to experience what it’s like in a professional orchestra. As far as I can determine the DSSO has a liberal policy for dress rehearsal attendance and according to members of the orchestra there are people in attendance at every dress, whether they are students or whatever.
This should be standard everywhere. Matter of fact, programs like this should be expanded to include other schools, local colleges, whatever. Given access to this opportunity then students, seniors, and others will gladly attend. This is a strong gesture to the community that an orchestra is willing to give something of themselves to people who might not be able to attend evening performances, or reach out to young ones interested in classical music. Seniors will spread the news about the orchestra’s generosity. Students will remember said generosity, and they will become the audience of the future.
I honestly wonder about those people who have any objection to these community outreach moments. The abject shortsightedness confounds me. If someone would kindly explain to me the immense damage that this does to an orchestra I would greatly appreciate it. For myself, I have never, ever, objected when any orchestra anywhere has asked if I mind that people attend a dress rehearsal. I will do whatever I can to encourage young people interested in classical music and if that means, god forbid, they actually hear me make a mistake in a dress rehearsal then so be it. My ego can handle it. How about yours?
Great post, Bill! Educational outreach just takes alittle extra time and will reap rewards in the next 20 years for today’s youngsters as they grow older. I just started a Mark Wood ‘Triple Concerto’ project, and Mark has a wonderful in-schools program, ‘Electrify Your Strings’, which we hope to incorporate in our residencies (Trio21) with Mark’s visits with us in the new piece. Hopefully, it will get the kids excited!
Just wanted to say thanks for an interesting post. Engaging kids the way Duluth Superior is doing will definitely pay off in the end.
Great post, Bill, and so true!
I’ve seen children who “hated” music get turned on in a rehearsal. Why? All those people who always wear black look like normal human beings in street clothes, for one thing.
Your comment about possibly making a mistake in rehearsal also resonated. Seeing musicians work with mistakes and various interpretations is just as interesting as a concert!
A Russian radio orchestra came to play a concert at a Midwestern university recently, and they decided to offer free dress rehearsal tickets to area students (they were having a dress in the hall anyway). The word got out by way of e-mail, and several of my students (both private students and community college students) went to the rehearsal.
One of my students liked it so much that he went ahead and bought tickets for the concert the following night. The event (an all Tchaikovsky program) was a great success, and the benefits to the community were extraordinary. It didn’t cost anybody anything either.
When I worked with The Little Orchestra Society of New York we sometimes did “inter-generational” open rehearsals, inviting high schools and senior centers, which added a whole other dimension.
I totally agree with you!!! You don’t know how many times I’ve tried to get into my local orchestra’s rehearsals because I’m a college music student. The lady in charge keeps saying that she’ll put me on the mailing list, eventually, and keeps giving me excuse after excuse as to why they aren’t open to the public. What gives here??
The first folks you might want to ask are your old friends at the Chicago Symphony, which IIRC has long about the most restrictive rehearsal-audience policy around (a union thing, IIRC). Back in 1987 when Bernstein guest-conducted for the first (and only) time in about 35 years, they still wouldn’t let in listeners or press, even though it was potentially a huge PR opportunity.
I can see that some orchestras/conductors might argue that the concert is what they want people to see, and not the preparation. Also, the open rehearsals that many orchestras do (even on a subscription basis) often turn into a de-facto concert, with audiences getting upset if the conductor actually rehearses.
But I’m all for open rehearsals; I find them far more interesting than most concerts (and the civilian attire helps).