Klarinet Archive - Posting 001519.txt from 1998/04

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [klarinet] Attracting Wind Ensemble Audiences
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 06:10:54 -0400

At 10:41 PM 4/26/98 EDT, Don Gross wrote:
>Trust me, it was one heck of a great concert! However, once again, even with
>a wonderful program, outstanding musicians, and fine conducting leadership,
>the members of the Claremont Symphonic Winds outnumbered the audience!! All
>of us in the Claremont Symphonic Winds (at least me, the contrabass clarinet
>player, would like to know if this is a LALA Land (Claremont is about 35
miles
>due east of Los Angeles) phenomenon, or is there a proven way to attract an
>audience to a really outstanding concert of wind music? Is a Sunday
afternoon
>performance time death? Do we "dumb down" the program?

Actually (WARNING: Heresy follows!), I DO think you should "dumb down" the
program a little. I know musicians like to play new, serious band
literature. but audiences like to hear things they know and understand:
show-tune medleys, novelties, etc. So add a little, without subtracting
the good stuff, and it might help.

Of course, even more important than that is publicity. Get in tight with
the newspaper. Our group used to have a member who worked on the paper and
we got front-page coverage in the Life or Entertainment sections before
concerts. After he died, the coverage dropped, and so did our audience!

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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