Klarinet Archive - Posting 000841.txt from 2003/07

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Which music? (was Ravinia, WolfTrap)
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 16:57:47 -0400

Well, I think they do need to be made on that basis if a performing =
group
really wants to survive. There are certainly some types of musical
performances one would have to pay ME to go see and I'm sure others feel =
the
same way. Now, if it's a free concert, that's another story but I'm =
afraid
business is business. I know that musicians sometimes don't like to =
keep
that fact in perspective but it is a fact if they wish to be paid for
performing and charge an admission fee. Business is not my talent and I =
do
not do well with collecting fees and tuition for my services and I think
many other musicians tend to be the same way.
Its also the reason our community orchestra is in deep financial =
doo-doo.
We were already in debt and the orchestra director insisted on =
programming a
year of heavy duty Beethoven. Now I love Beethoven and there is a very
small audience in the community that enjoys serious classical music, but =
he
programmed an entire year of this (with the exception of our pops =
concert
which was the most well attended and has ALWAYS been the most well =
attended
concert of the year). Then they sit back and complain that we can't =
make
ends meet due to poor attendance and no ticket sales. Does something =
here
sound as obvious to you as it does to me?=20
We no longer get paid for playing and as much as I love to play =
music,
my instrument still needs regular maintenance and repairs and I still =
need
to buy reeds. The time taken up for rehearsals is time I could be =
making
money giving lessons but I choose to play with the orchestra instead. =
If my
financial situation ever changed I quite possibly would need to quit =
playing
with the orchestra in favor of buying food for my kids. We all have our
priorities you know. In a capitalistic society, I think its very =
idealistic
to think it proper or realistic to program strictly what the musicians =
want
to play and what the conductor wants to conduct. I guess it all depends =
on
the goals one has for a group of performers and how much time people =
have to
donate to a cause. =20

Christy Erickson

> > I also think perhaps orchestra managers and directors need to take a
> good hard look at exactly what type of music their audiences will want
> to pay to listen to.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Should programming decisions always be made on the basis of what =
people
> will pay for? Isn't this one of the big complaints about the music
> industry?
>=20
>=20
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
>=20

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Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/