How to turn up the quiet…by Alecia Lawyer

With several incidents of conductors stopping performances for children (this article from Dayton) and cell phones (seemingly the only way to make the news these days), it begs the question especially in the case of children: is there something short of ostracizing them (and their parents) that can be done to allow quiet in a concert hall with children present?  Most definitely yes, as guest blogger and Founder/ED of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Alecia Lawyer will explain…..

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Dissing the Dissonance…a shout out to Alex Ross!

Alex Ross wrote a great article regarding the challenge modern Classical Music faces in being accepted.  It is in the middle of the article that he highlights a great point that cannot be overlooked in my view.  I believe the hatred he talks about is more directed to those who present new music.  As presenters we too like the composers must be creative because it is hardly fair to complain that audiences wont accept something new, when we present it as if it is a premiere happening in 1865!…..

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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 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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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 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?

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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