arts accessibility

I’m Baaaack….coming up!

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After a week of decompression (and a quick trip to Tulsa) following my 6 week Lake Placid stint, Wednesday begins my new Audience Connections class with podcasts and audio highlights starting next week.  An interesting article about the role of the Assistant Conductor came out recently, I have a lot to say about that, plus a fellow Australian sounds off on what audiences should be focusing on…oh my, if you have read my postings, I think for the most part it should be the opposite.  All of this and more coming up … Continue Reading

Things that move….

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I’m in the midst of the busiest schedule of my life in Lake Placid and in Syracuse, with 3 (this week 5) concerts a week till mid August, but that doesn’t mean there is no time to be moved….just not much time to write about it!  Yesterday something struck me and a friend shared with me a clip that reminded me just how we can through music both move and be moved, I also kind of broke an unwritten rule….

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We are for Profit…aren’t we?…..

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I am up here in Lake Placid  for 6 weeks of concerts in the glorious Adirondacks with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.  Something is really bothering me, even though I am here in paradise.  The words not-for-profit have such a negative connotation.  I know it’s a widely used categorical description but it’s not accurate in the figurative sense and unfortunately on so many occasions when an orchestra’s financial situation is akin to a house on fire often the solution offered is to not to douse the flames, but to destroy the house!….

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Terry Teachout and how we go from Zero to Hero! – plus a mini tribute

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Ernest Fleischmann passed and I had one treasured experience with him that I want to share, but first to Terry Teachout.  Terry I say thank you for your article raising the question of eliminating regional orchestras, yes thank you!  He opened an even bigger debate than in my Context/Urtext post (it is somewhat related) which is: what is the definition of the word “artistic”?…..

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Quick Takes: A Sustainable Business Model…How is it Possible?

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It seems that a huge focus in the Symphony world is to create the ideal business model for success.  Thousands of hours and millions of dollars are spent on conferences, consultant fees,  marketing schemes etc… and yet the secret ingredient, is neither a secret, not does it cost anything.  The best business model without it will fail, yet the worst business model with it might actually succeed!…….

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It needs to be about CONTEXT not URTEXT!!!!

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At Cliburn last year I kept hearing “it has to be about the music”.  I’m sorry MUSIC IS NOT ABOUT MUSIC, it’s about everything else!  We spend so much time focusing on trying to get people to fall in love with music and with what we do.  This will only happen when we do the opposite first i.e It’s time for us to be into them!  Trying to tap into their pulse still puts us on the outside looking in, the goal should be to become part of their bloodstream…..

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The Audience….who are they…and why do they do that?

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So there he is right in the center, and every time I turn around he’s still asleep?  Wait a second why is that person leaving without even applauding, climbing over other patrons, was our performance that bad that you couldn’t wait for even one curtain call?  Are they just rude or is there something wrong with me, oh no IS THAT THE CRITIC??? !!!  We need to stop concluding that this is about us…….(even though it might be)

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