Converting the Converted part 1….

I am enjoying a back and forth with Geraldine regarding the role of the new Music Director from my November 11 New Conductor Smell post.  I did not enjoy reading however of what is breaking with the Syracuse Symphony with whom I am working this week.  I have many friends in the group, they are phenomenal and I so enjoy being here, it never feels like work.  I guess I’m an insider but rather than dwell on the specifics of the situation, I want to riff on where I think in general we could make some inroads….this Sunday we perform in a Cathedral….

First Gerladine’s comment:

Yes, of course, nobody wants a conductor who connects with the audience but not with the orchestra! I love Bill’s comment, because when I was writing my first comment, I was thinking about the parallel there is between a conductor and a pastor. A successful pastor will be the one who brings tremendous love, care and passion to his congregation, and also the one who will connect to the community to bring in new people.

My reply:

Geraldine
To your pastor analogy, I have always thought that pastors don’t preach to the converted but rather, preach so that the converted want to spread the word beyond the walls of the Church. With a conductor it should be the same thing but with the orchestra and of course the music so that the word of mouth spreads that the Symphony is worthy of attendance and support. In Springfield our best marketing programs have involved the audience, and in 5 years our audiences increased 105%
Ron

We ask our audiences to give us money to keep us going, but that is a closed circle.  Their value is far greater if we empower them to speak on our behalf, to advocate as citizens concerned about their community’s needs for education, quality of life, enrichment and so much more.  Looking at the comments that accompany the above SSO article and any article about an orchestra in trouble, the majority of the comments are negative.  At the very least we can mobilize audiences so there are more positive than negative comments written.  We need small victories before we can win big ones.  I would sooner have a current subscriber by a $40 dollar ticket to bring a new person to a concert, than give us a $40 donation.  A new person represents a future hope,….and we still get the $40!

Is there anyone better qualified than a subscriber to make the case for us? By giving them a mission and truly trusting and valuing their advocacy, they become active supporters and truly become a part of us.  They then will be less likely to leave us because now, they are family.

I am not going to “preach” to the audience on Sunday, but rather ask our audience to preach on our behalf, I am working on  ideas about some things I would like for them to consider….that will be part 2 next week.

To me the SSO is not just an orchestra, they are Christina, Vladimir, Cindy, John, Andy, Heidi, Ed, Anna, Julie, Kit, Petia, Jeremy, Rose and 50 others that I am proud an honored to be with, both now and it is my hope for many years to come.