Holly Mulcahy

Several years ago, I invited a fellow musician to join me for a performance inside a prison. Before we began, my colleague was adamant about explaining the “meaning” of the music to the men in the audience. “How will they know it is about X and Y?” they asked. I asked my collaborator to trust me. More importantly, I said to trust the audience. At Arts Capacity, we believe in a simple but radical act: playing the music first. We start every concert by stating “there are no wrong answers,” then follow … Continue Reading

By now, many of you have seen the headlines regarding the “shifting landscape” of arts philanthropy. To put it in musical terms: the crescendo of our 10-year grant cycle has reached a subito piano, and the silence is deafening. In the past, we would have sent out a glossy mailer asking for a tax-deductible donation. But let’s be honest…nothing motivates a donor quite like the thrill of a Parlay Bet. That’s why, starting this April, the Atlantic City Philharmonia is officially pivoting from a “Non-Profit Institution” to a High-Stakes Performance Exchange. Read … Continue Reading

Leadership in the arts is rarely tidy. The work is personal, and the margin for error is thin. Timing matters more than we like to admit. You can do everything right and still miss the moment. Anyone who’s been in this field long enough knows that pressure. This goes for managers and musicians alike. Because of that, how we treat each other matters. Maybe more than anything else. Especially now, when political forces are actively working to temper and restrict the arts. In college violin studio classes (where we performed pieces we … Continue Reading

The Arizona State Prison Complex in Winslow is not your typical concert hall, yet every visit reminds me how alive and resonant music can be, a lifeline to humanity even behind walls and barbed wire. Recently, a small ensemble from Arts Capacity’s partner orchestra, The Flagstaff Symphony, joined me for a program spanning Bach, Chaminade, Rachmaninoff, Claude Bolling, and living composers Connor Chee and Herman Beeftink. The program opened with Seasons for Flute and Piano: Spring by Herman Beeftink. Amy Fu Schuck’s flute danced lightly above Michelle Wachter’s sparkling piano lines. Even … Continue Reading