Beethoven, Barns and Brats

Last Saturday night was a first for me. Orchestra Kentucky performed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in a thoroughbred horse barn. The experience made me wonder whether it was a first for that piece. On a deeper level, however, it begs the question of whether orchestras should bring music to the masses or whether they should wait for the general public to come to them.

Let's look at the advantages of performing in a barn. First, the barn was a great venue. The acoustics were actually good. Some audience members got to sit in a loft and look down on top of the orchestra (when does that ever happen?). Other audience members were seated close to the orchestra, where they could "connect" with them. The barn also enabled us to sell food and drink--something we can't do at our usual venue. The biggest advantage was that it was a comfortable, relaxed setting--unlike the typical performing arts center.

The disadvantages? None really. Lest you wonder, the barn did not smell like horse manure. The weather was great. But if it had been any colder or warmer, that would have been a negative. Seating was limited, although there was plenty of room for the crowd we had that evening.

All in all, performing masterworks in unusual places is a good idea. If the same program had been in a traditional venue, I am afraid that we would have attracted the same crowd. By performing in the barn, new audience members were present. Why? Perhaps there are those who don't like the idea of a stuffy concert hall. Or, more cynically, maybe there are those who think that the fun of attending a concert in a barn outweighs the boredom of a symphony orchestra concert. No matter what the reason, attracting new audiences is a good thing. And I don't think Ludwig would mind.

What's in a name?

What's in a name? Quite a lot, it seems.

In preparation for our tenth anniversary season, the staff and board of the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra had a feeling that the name was not helping us make friends and influence people. Instead of just assuming that was the case, we formed three focus groups (subscribers, single ticket buyers, and those who had never attended a concert) to test the name. What we learned was what we feared.

It seems that all three focus groups believed that the word "chamber" was negative and did not reflect the work we were doing. Ideas like gas chamber, chamber pot, and others, came to the minds of our participants. We decided that our name should not be an obstacle to getting new audiences. So, we changed our name to Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green. At the very least, we know that the words that make up the new name are not objectionable. We hope that we have, indeed, removed a hurdle.

What about the name of your organization or business? Is its name keeping people from checking you out? Can you afford for that to happen?

Goose Pimples or Chill Bumps?

Is it goose pimples or chill bumps? I guess it depends on whether you grew up in the north (pimples) or the south (bumps). No matter what you call it, I got them last Monday night, conducting a concert of Christmas music with Grammy-winners Dick Tunney and Larnelle Harris. It made me wonder: what exactly makes one react to some music that way, but not others? I think it boils down to two things: high quality and passion.

First of all, both Dick and Larnelle are accomplished in their fields. I call Dick the Liberace of Christian music. And, thanks to his instruction at Western Kentucky University, Larnelle knows how to sing. After forty-some years in the business, he still hits those high As effortlessly (well, at least he makes it sound like it is easy!).

Additionally, both Dick and Larnelle perform great arrangements. From Dick's own arrangements, to Larnelle's work with people like David Clydesdale, their charts are top notch--even though very difficult to play.

High quality of performance, etc. is fine and dandy, but we have all heard musicians who are good at what they do, performing masterpieces of music, but still not connecting with their audiences. I think the missing elements with them is passion. Passion for the music they are performing. Passion for their mission. Passion for the people they are trying to reach. However, if all these elements are present, magic happens. And that's what happened Monday.

As I conducted Dick's portion of the concert, he was clearly connecting with me and the audience. He smiled the entire time, thoroughly enjoying each moment as it unfolded. If things weren't perfect, he still gave me positive reinforcement, nonverbally saying to me, "Enjoy yourself--we are blessed to be able to do this--and we get paid!

Larnelle's passion comes not only through his connection with the audience, but also his willingness to take risks. I have now conducted two concerts with Larnelle. Every time is different. He would most likely say that he is lead and inspired by God when he performs. That comes through his music, which is anything but a packaged, rote performance.

Finally, these performances are special for me because I know the men themselves. They aren't just great artists. They are great people. And that's a far better thing.

Guess what? I get to do it all again this Monday! What a Christmas present!

Arthur, Arthur!

I have just finished reading Harry Ellis Dickson's biography of Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler. Dickson was a first violinist in the Boston orchestra and Fielder's assistant conductor. The author did a good job of balancing the good and the bad sides of the Pops giant. The book can be found on Amazon.com and is available only through used book dealers.

I write this blog today to pay tribute to Maestro Fiedler. He really was a trailblazer. My own approach to programming really is based in Fiedler's example. I owe him all the credit that I can give to whatever success I may have had.

If my memory is correct, the Pops was founded in 1885, four years after the Boston Symphony itself. There were more than a dozen conductors before Fiedler took the helm. What Fiedler brought to the podium was his unique way of programming. His concerts were divided into three parts: the first part contained movements of, or entire, symphonies, light classical works, etc; the second part usually featured a full concerto of some type; the last section was made up of Broadway tunes, medleys of current popular groups (e.g., Beatles), Strauss waltzes, and, almost always, Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever. So, Fiedler introduced to audiences "serious" music and popular music on the same concerts.

Needless to say, Fiedler's programming methods were extremely popular. He was, and is, a household name. He, alone, is responsible for bringing millions of people to classical music. He also brought a lot of smiles to people's faces. If one asks a person on the street to name an orchestra conductor, it is very likely they would name Fiedler (or Bernstein who, by the way, was also a cross-over artist).

Unfortunately, Fiedler caught a lot of flack for his approach to orchestra concerts. Boston orchestra musicians tended to hate him, some critics thought he was a musical lightweight, Koussevitsky was jealous of his popularity (K was conductor of the BSO at the time), and, finally, he was pigeon-holed as a "pops" conductor. In other words, although he traveled constantly to conduct pops concerts, he could not get jobs conducting "serious" programs. This bothered him all of his life.

The prejudice against pops conductors and programs continues until today. Although Keith Lockhart (the Boston Pops' current conductor) also conducts the Utah Symphony in serious programs, most conductors are either considered capable of conducting Beethoven or only good enough to do the Beatles. (Actually, pops arrangements are often harder to conduct than Beethoven symphonies!) All of this is really a shame, given the current finances of most orchestras.

If orchestras today followed Fielders' model, most would be in excellent financial condition. It is hard to believe that we are still following a 19th century approach to the orchestra. The prejudice against programs that feature classical and popular music together is still so strong, most "artists" would rather see orchestras fail than "stoop to such low-level music-making."

For me, I will continue to emulate Fiedler. And I will do it with or without the kudos of my peers.

Tour dollars

It looks like the Philadelphia Orchestra will be able to go on tour after all. You see, earlier in the week the famed orchestra announced the cancellation of their tour plans due to the lack of a sponsor. However, Target Stores has now stepped in and saved the day.

The first thing that popped into my head when I heard about the canceled tour was, "Gee. Too bad. Most orchestras only dream of touring." It just isn't in the budget of small to medium sized orchestras to spend money on touring. After all, it is pretty expensive. There is the cost of transportation for 50-100 people, meals, hotels, etc. Add to that the cost of producing the concerts and you are in the thousands of dollars. Then a bigger issue arose: What if this is a sign of decreasing support for the arts, due to the current state of the economy?

Most economists agree that the United States' economy is in for some rough times. As businesses plan for bumps in the road, one cannot help but worry that the first things to be cut are sponsorship dollars for arts organizations. Then there's the affect on audience members. Will high gas prices make a difference in the number of people who go out for entertainment? Will audiences have disposable income for "extras" like orchestra concerts? All of this can cause orchestra leaders to worry plenty.

Then it occurred to me. If arts organizations have been doing their job all along, their patrons will not permit them to disappear. The arts are too important to the quality of life of a community. What would NYC be without Broadway? How about London without their orchestras? (If memory serves me, I believe there are seven major orchestras in that city!) Sure. We may be in for tough times like everyone else; but if we really make a difference in the communities in which we serve, we needn't worry. In assessing whether they make an important difference, orchestra leaders should ask themselves these questions and others: Are we consumer-oriented? Do we bore people or do we make them a little better after one of our performances? Would a huge hole be left if we did not exist? In short, would anybody really care if we disappeared off of the face of the earth?

Let's just say that the orchestra industry may be getting one huge wake up call.

Another new website!

I am pleased to announce the launching of a new website for the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra. Visit www.murfreesborosymphony.com and check out the work of Navigation Advertising. Thanks to Brooks Christol and our other friends at Navigation for the great work that they do!

Facebook Frenzy

I have to admit it. It usually takes me a while to go with the flow. Whether it is a new electronic gadget, a new restaurant, or whatever, I am definitely not the first person out of the gate to try it. However, I'm not the last person either. I do use email, have a blog, etc., which proves I am not in the dark ages. This week I finally gave in to one of the latest crazes (okay, I don't know how recent it is, but it seems that way to me).

After being invited to be "friends" by numerous people, I capitulated and created a Facebook page. For those of you who are even more behind the times than I, a Facebook page is a way to reconnect with old friends and to communicate with new and current friends. You can leave messages for one another, chat with them on line, post photos and a million other things of which I am not even aware.

You hip cats out there might ask: why did you take so long to join? Well, I guess I am wary of anything that is so attractive to people who are younger than twenty. Also, quite frankly, I don't have a lot of time to devote to something like this. However, I now see the value of Facebook. It is a great way to network with people, and that's important in the business world. Actually, it is a lot of fun, too.

So, if you haven't joined the latest craze, get on board. And, after creating your Facebook page, check out the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra's group page (just like a normal page, but for people who have similar interests).