In about 45 minutes, we can connect with each of our audience members on a personal level. These programs have had a big impact, not just on the audience members, but on the musicians also….
Tears in the Mirror
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am one of the biggest J.R.R. Tolkien junkies on the planet. Whenever someone else tries to show off their Tolkien trivia knowledge I will look at them with a steely gaze and say: “I’ve done research at the Tolkien archives.” That usually shuts them up. So when we held Principal Trumpet auditions up here in Edmonton this week the analogy immediately came to me: we have peered into the Mirror of Galadriel and are not sure of what we have seen.
Start Funding the People!!!
I feel as though Joe Patti threw up a pass with his post Preserving the Moldy Old Arts. So I thought I would catch the ball and run with it for a while. I believe that the way the arts are funded by many agencies is deeply flawed in that the money goes towards supporting the arts groups and artists over the people they serve. Remember the famous bridge to nowhere in Alaska? I think the NEA realized that they did not want to cross that bridge!….
ON THE GO: Anna Polonsky
I’m excited to officially introduce a new series to highlight what people in the business are listening to, reading and/or watching. I just worked with an extraordinary young pianist, Anna Polonsky. She gave me two lists, both of them great, and for someone so young, it is amazing how far back her favorites go, definitely some surprises for me anyway….
Calgary’s Brilliant Move…….
It’s a widely known fact – musicians are a little “different.” Actually most of us are bloody nuts, and that has consequences for both orchestras and musician’s families. So what’s going to happen when an orchestra actually does something about it?
Jacksonville Music Director Fabio Mechetti responds to the settlement
During the Jacksonville lockout, I posted an opinion on December 19, 2007 regarding the music director’s role during such times. To read it click here. It is great news that the lockout is over and today, I received a letter from Fabio Mechetti. I am posting it below unedited:
On the Calgary Trail
A conductor’s life is a strange one. A couple days home and the next thing I know I’m off to the airport. Greetings from Calgary.
Plugging the Holes before Filling the Barrel – part 2 – “Boxing with a real Punch!”
The old cliche is that word of mouth is the best form of advertising. I would say that if you add “tickets in hand” , it works even better! Our most successful audience development program so far has been implemented by our audience itself. For the last four seasons some of them have bought tickets to concerts that they already had tickets for, to give away as gifts. Here is the method and the results we know so far…..