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).

New web page!

Check out our new web page at www.BGCO.com. A big thanks goes to our official web provider, Hitcents. They do great work.

Hiring from within

Jim Collins is the author of the business classics Good to Great and Built to Last. They are a must read for anyone in orchestra management. In a nutshell, Collins' books deal with why some organizations are "built to last" and how organizations can go from being merely "good" to "great". One of the common principals found in Built to Last is the idea that successful corporations recruit their CEOs from within the organization rather than looking elsewhere. The idea is that people within the organization understand the core values and culture of the organization that makes it great. According to a recent announcement of the League of American Orchestras, Collins believes that this principle is missing in the orchestra world:

In a forthcoming interview in Symphony magazine, Jim Collins, one of the NPAC keynote speakers, states that the big resource restraint for our field will be leadership: "I think the number one worry is: Do we have a West Point for developing leaders for arts organizations? And if not, why not? We need that, because it’s probably more important than anything else we can do. Great companies develop their leaders from within and move them into positions of responsibility." He goes on to say that arts organizations need to ask themselves what, for them, would be the sign that they were delivering results according to what they think is important.

I couldn't agree more. Instead of orchestras mining for executive directors in other orchestras, why not raise them up in their own organizations? Every orchestra has a different culture. What is important to one is not important to another. It is true that a good manager can make the transition, but when they move to a new job, they are immediately at a disadvantage. For example, it takes time to develop a relationship with donors, subscribers and musicians. If organizations promoted from within, those relationships could already be there. I believe this is true for other administrative type jobs, like marketing directors (who would have media contacts) or development directors (who would know the donor base).

I also believe the principle of recruiting from within applies to music directors. Imagine a world where assistant conductors are hired with the idea that they would someday move up to the principal job. The music director could groom them, perpetuating the culture of the orchestra. Some criticize the great orchestras of today, saying that they all sound alike and have lost their individuality. Had this system been in place over the past fifty years, we might still have the Philadelphia string sound or the Chicago brass sound.

Of course, there is nothing that would stop the apprentice music director from taking another job or, for that matter, being fired. But that's true in the corporate world as well. I think the benefits of such as system far outweigh the negatives. Like administrative staff, the assistant would know the donors and subscribers well, having attended fundraising parties and other orchestra events. This would also solve the problem of music directors flitting all over the world and not taking care of business at home.

In short, Collins advice might be key in turning around what ails modern orchestras.

Robotic conductor

It seems that technology now makes it possible for a robot to conduct an orchestra:

Robot Asimo makes debut with Detroit Sym
In today’s (5/14) Detroit Free Press, Mark Stryker writes, "Asimo, Honda’s humanoid robot, made its conducting debut Tuesday at Orchestra Hall, leading the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in ‘The Impossible Dream’ of Broadway fame. Let’s say right away that the display was a technological marvel and as cool as all get-out. But it was conducting in only the most limited definition. … It lifted its arms and gave the downbeat, conducting waltz time with fluid, lifelike gestures. It deliberately slowed down for the big finish, shifting into 6/8 time and ending with a dramatic held note. … How did Asimo do it? Honda filmed DSO education director Charles Burke conducting the piece and programmed Asimo to copy his movements. Of course, true conducting is more than arm-waving. It’s shaping musical expression and communicating ideas. Asimo can’t think or react; it does only what it’s been programmed to do.” DSO Music Director-Designate Leonard Slatkin, who was in attendance, kidded the robot: “I’ll believe it when you conduct Mahler 7.”

I think this is an exciting development. Orchestras will save as much as $2 million dollars in music director's salaries. Also, orchestra members will be assured that the robot-conductor will not abuse them in rehearsals (unless, of course, conductors are involved in the progamming). I wonder if thge robot-conductors will develop huge egos like their human counterparts?

Back to Bach

Ever wondered what Johann Sebastian Bach looked like? Forensic artists have reconstructed his face from a bronze cast of his skull and documents from his time.


Click on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/7270795.stm to read the article and to see the image.

Are you amusia-ed?

I have often been amazed when I hear people say that they don't like music. I could never understand how that could be possible. It's one thing to not like a certain type of music. I, for one, don't like rap music--but that's another matter. But to not like music at all--that's hard to accept. Today, I think I found the answer for which I had been waiting.

Today's In the News, an electronic newsletter of the League of American Orchestras, included the following report:

Unlocking the mysteries of amusia
In today’s (2/28) Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), James Morgan writes about “those who suffer from a rare condition known as amusia—a complete inability to comprehend or take pleasure from music. Where once these people would have been dismissed as ‘tone deaf’, there is a growing recognition that amusia is a neurological condition, inherited through families. Professor Tim Griffiths listens to the experiences of amusia patients every month in his auditory clinic in Newcastle. … Griffiths is the UK’s leading expert on amusia. He was quick to recognise that those who ‘just don’t get it’ hold the key. By peering into their minds, we can begin to answer deeper mysteries—why do humans enjoy music, and what use is it to us? … Studies have shown that the brain has distinct systems for processing pitch, melody and rhythm. A further brain region creates the emotional effect of music, and this is the area in which Griffiths is most interested.”

So, if you know of people who are not attending concerts of their local orchestra, tell them that they just might suffer from amusia. After wondering what you are talking about, they will either call their family doctor or order tickets.

Just a Little Respect

As Aretha would sing, "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." That's exactly how I feel about by colleagues in the opera field.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of conducting a concert, featuring tenor Dan Snyder (check out his website at www.dansnyder.com). He joined my two orchestras, the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra and the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra, is an evening of Neapolitan songs. He sang great tunes like Mattinata and Core 'grato. Now, before you musical snobs say anything, let me clarify. These songs are not from operas. Although many were written by opera composers, they were composed as stand-alones. However, the style of the songs have a lot in common with their operatic cousin, the aria.

The primary similarity between Neapolitan songs and opera arias is that they contain much rubato (flexibility in tempo-another way to think of it is stretching of time). This makes sense since Leoncavallo, for example, wrote opera arias like the famous Vesti la giubba from Pagliacci and the Neapolitan song Mattinata.

My respect comes from this similarity. The rubato and flexibility of the music requires the conductor to follow the tenor soloist's tempos at all times. This requires a type of sixth sense from the conductor. The conductor must anticipate whether the soloist will linger on a certain note for a while, take time with a certain passage, or press forward. Although the soloist, orchestra, and conductor rehearse in preparation for the concert, details change a bit with every performance. Dan and I rehearsed and performed the same program twice, but some things were different each time, as they should have been. After all, we are human beings who, as musicians, have the right to express ourselves differently, depending on how we feel the music.

So, hats off to my colleagues who do this full time. You have my respect. And, by the way, hats off to conductors of Broadway shows. You are made from the same cloth.