Should Orchestras Confine Themselves To A Certain Genre?

A few weeks back, there was a question posed on Inside The Arts by Joe Patti, the author of Butts In The Seats. Joe asked “Should orchestras confine their programming to just a few genres?” Responses from Inside The Arts bloggers and readers generated more interesting questions than answers, all of which got me thinking.

On one hand, some orchestras are limiting themselves by relegating the majority of programming to standard repertoire from 100-200 years ago. But isn’t that what people expect? When they buy a ticket to go see the symphony, aren’t they generally expecting a Brahmish, Beethovenesque or Mozarty type piece? When one goes to a steakhouse for dinner, one expects to see mostly steak on the menu. Why shouldn’t orchestras approach ticket buyers the same way?

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Give The Gift of Music

Some of the most memorable and special gifts we received for our wedding were not kitchen appliances, towels, or even dinner sets, they were gift certificates. And not the obvious and ubiquitous gift certificates to department stores, but gift certificates to events like concerts and baseball games. We remember these trips during our first year of marriage with tremendous fondness.

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Requiem

It is no secret the world of classical music is a small place. From youth orchestras to summer camps, music schools to festivals around the world, and little orchestras to big orchestras musicians make lifelong connections at every stage of their career. So when a musician passes away, chances are high most musicians around the country will have known of or know another musicians that had worked with that musician. Normally, this sort of sad news spreads remarkably fast and with the advent of email and social networking, it isn’t unusual for musicians to find out about a colleague’s passing within moments.

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Thinking Outside the Box Seats

It was probably a combination of buying the Girl Scout cookies last week, buying dividend stocks this week, and wondering if there were going to be comp tickets for my performance next week that triggered a revelation this afternoon during my rehearsal.

Wondering about comp tickets made me think about one of my former orchestra’s policies of NO COMPS!

“We, the XYZ Symphony feel that we are losing too much revenue by offering comp tickets, and will therefore no longer be offering them. You, as a XYZ Symphony musician, are encouraged to share to your family and friends news of our upcoming concerts…blah, blah, blah.”

Personally, even though I knew better, I viewed the comp tickets as part of my benefits as an orchestra member. I never used any of the other benefits my former orchestra offered such as health insurance and instrument insurance so giving comp tickets to friends, family members, and students was something I sincerely cherished.

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“There Are No Words”

A day before President Obama’s inauguration, the writers at Inside The Arts published “Dear President letters” from their unique perspective. Most of the letters were generally to do with the arts and how each writer wanted the next administration to handle the arts during the next four years. My letter was geared toward pointing out the necessary ways which classical music fills our lives during times of shared experiences. As I watched the inauguration, I found it particularly interesting that there were points where just about every reporter or newscaster would say, … Continue Reading