Every Playboy bunny with her bleach blonde hair

Isn't what makes mainstream celebrities the people that are obsessed with them? That would mean the general public would have to be "obsessed" with classical music. The generally older audiences that follow classical music don't care to scream like a 14-year old girl when Joshua Bell comes out onto the stage. But could you imagine that... leaving an orchestra with your ears ringing because the audience was screaming for the heart-throb with a violin in his hands?

Classical musicians are celebrities to their own public. Just like some classical music lovers wouldn't give a nod to whatever those kids' names are on High School Musical.

This is great! As a presenter we essentially get paid to become acquainted with artists from the extensive research to advance which makes the performances that much more enjoyable when it's a new friend up on stage. I've often wondered how to translate that experience to audiences so they can feel proud to "know" the person they just paid a pretty penny to see. Kudos on the idea, and I agree with FB King that the the content doesn't have to be superficial to be interesting.

Well, at least five people think this is a good idea, so let's start by taping the ushers at Carnegie, construction workers at Lincoln Center, Hilary, Doug McLennan, Lang Lang, Dudamel, the El Sistema kids, Mary Lou Falcone, F. Paul Driscoll, Richard Croft, Alex Ross, the folks waiting for autographs at The Met stage door, Peter Gelb, Steve Reich, The Emerson String Quartet, Michael Kaiser, Anna Netrebko, Frank Oteri, Edgar Meyer, the obligatory 4-year-old who can play Rach 2, Ara Guzelimian, Mark Swed, Jennifer Higdon, Itzhak Perlman and Anne-Sophie Mutter all lip-synching this. I'm fairly certain it could be a YouTube sensation. -AA

I like the fact that you enjoy trashy television; it gives me hope that not all musicians are boring as hell. ::: grins :::

As distasteful to some as it may be, the key to relevance in our culture is to be irreverent, to shock us, and to just be omnipresent (think Kim Kardashian). Perhaps on some Bizzarro Earth -- complete with Bizzarro Seinfeld (yes, I'm referencing a television show now) -- the quiet ones get the attention, but I most certainly see your point. I'm at the crossroads of incorporating my own non-profit chamber ensemble right now and this is something that I have gone over and over in my head: how do I get increased exposure in a world saturated with overly exposed individuals? The answer to that, of course, is to get out there and mingle with "The Masses" and to do things to get their attention. Granted, this is not to say that we should be encouraging musicians to go clubbing pantiless and so on, but it is to say that community involvement and the act of maintaining a high public profile is absolutely necessary if one is to succeed in even gaining the slightest point of relevance let alone popularity.

If that means disclosing at every possible point who is "doing" who or what one is eating for breakfast, so be it. Maybe they'll make a facebook group in that person's honor ... and when that happens, all bets are off. ::: grins :::

I agree with Margo. I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago of meeting the renowned banjo player Bela Fleck. He was in town promoting a new documentary of his at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, as well as performing in a recital. I knew nothing of him beforehand. From simply meeting with him and hearing him talk about music, especially the fact that he cannot even READ music, made me all the more interested to hear him play. I thought to myself, how can someone who doesn't read music be one of the most celebrated musicians in the world today? This fact intriguied me to learn more about him. I also didn't know that he has toured with the famous Alternative group "Dave Mathew's Band". Promoting this fact to the public, I think, would most certainly draw in a different sort of crowd to a classical style concert.

I feel the same way that you do about this! I also interact with classical musicians, and while I'm always impressed with them before I meet them, I'm more impressed after I meet them. I think, "Gosh, if I had known that about them and could have included it in my press release when promoting the concert, we probably could have gotten some more new and different audience members in here!" I wish that agents and PR reps provided the presenting venues with more interesting information so we could do a better job promoting the artists locally. But, that just doesn't seem to be the culture of things right now....

I love the idea and think you should do it. If this is the way American culture is going, then take full advantage. However, be urged to examine the lives of classical musicians from a very different perspective than, say, a Paris Hilton. I don't personally care what Joshua Bell eats for breakfast, but I'd love to hear more about what it's like to be completely alone on a huge stage in front of your critical peers. Of course that will be up to YOU, blogger. Go out and impress us.