Author Archive for Ron Spigelman
Music Director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Missouri and principal Pops Conductor for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Ron Spigelman is an honors graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Ron lives in Springfield with wife Lisa, and their two sons Noah 11 and Elijah 5.
Quick Takes: How about thinking INSIDE the box? and request time!
A completely overused statement “thinking outside the box” needs to be reworked and soon. I used to love using it, but now I feel it is a cop out statement as if to say we are going to try something new and different and if it doesn’t work, well at least we tried! Also my [...]
I’m Baaaack….coming up!
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 [...]
Things that move….
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 [...]
We are for Profit…aren’t we?…..
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 [...]
Terry Teachout and how we go from Zero to Hero! – plus a mini tribute
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 [...]
Quick Takes: A Sustainable Business Model…How is it Possible?
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 [...]
It needs to be about CONTEXT not URTEXT!!!!
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 [...]
The Audience….who are they…and why do they do that?
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 [...]
Coming up…..
I’m in a crazy travel, concerts, auditions this week and next week but I am working on some posts including: Who are they?…..the audience that is…and who are they to us? Playing all the movements….especially the environmental one! A sustainable model for success, is it even possible? Below the same video twice, what happens when [...]
Another Message Control Fail…Practice, Practice, Practice
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?….You know the line. The Oregon Symphony has been invited, they have asked the city to help pay for the trip, and the message in the paper? Cue the closing of fire stations, mixed in with a defensive posture and vitriolic comments mostly against the funding and now it [...]
Quick Takes: Remembrances….
My father was honored as a holocaust survivor this past weekend by being asked to speak to thousands of students at one of the Marches for the Living in Poland (which was overshadowed by the tragic plane crash). It made me think of something, and that is, since becoming a Music Director I have attended [...]
Message Control and the Clouds in the Silver Lining….
Three different groups announced financial news that will have a big impact on their respective organizations, but with each announcement the negative is the focus with little or no regard for the impact the actual announcement might have on their constituents confidence going forward. It’s We’re a 4 Alarm Dumpster fire, run for your lives!…meets…sheesh [...]
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