From a reader who prefers not to be named, a description of things that can keep people away from classical music: I have read your blog for some time now because I love classical music and am the parent of a teenager who is an aspiring orchestral musician. As former southern Californians, we had many hours of pleasure attending concerts at the Dorothy Chandler Music Center and other So. Cal. venues in our time there. Six years ago, we moved to Huntsville, AL. We bought season tickets to the Huntsville Symphony. Our experience … [Read more...]

From Barney Sherman, of iowa Public Radio, bouncing off the e-mail I quoted from Paul DiMaggio: I sometimes think of it as the “Your Father’s Oldsmobile” problem. (A blanket “forgive me” here if I got all of this wrong—I don’t know much about cars.) But… with that warning… in the 1950s, says Rob Walker http://www.slate.com/id/1006675/ , the Olds represented “middle-class achievement” - a car you wanted after you got affluent enough to move past the Chevy. The Olds represented membership in the country club, the … [Read more...]

I've been involved in a very lively, enormously stimulating e-mail discussion of some the problems facing orchestras. One subject that came up is the supposed hierarchy of art -- high art at the top, popular art far lower down. Along with this usually goes the idea that art, by its very nature, is something spiritual and sublime, far removed from everyday life. And then, of course, it's easy to say that high art, existing in its own lofty sphere, is the only real art. I'd challenged that idea, suggesting among other things that it's a … [Read more...]

Here’s e-mail from Larry Beckhardt, who plays in the wind octet I blogged about a while ago, the group that plays 18th century music in a beer garden in New York, with a large crowd of people if all ages sitting around eating, drinking, and listening, and sometimes even dancing:   Your recent discussion of access points on your artsjournnal.com blog reminded me of the Bohemian Hall Beer Garden wind octet and your blog about it back in August.   Is it possible that we found one access point to the 20-30 year old … [Read more...]

I've received wonderful e-mail from readers during the past few weeks, and I'm going to start posting some of it. Here's something very thoughtful, from Andrew Yen, posted with his permission. Thanks, Andrew! I am a 20 year old who likes classical music and a lot of it, although being raised with it during my childhood I guess that might negate the appeal of people like me for institutions who are pining for new audiences. I think there is a need for some explanation for classical music, as it is the most abstract of the arts … [Read more...]

The second episode of my book-in-progress is now online, right here. Please take a look, and, as ever, fire off your comments. The comments on the first episode were both liively and very helpful, so we're making future comments much more visible. The second installment takes the book further than the first one did. (It would have to, wouldn't it?) I'll be eager to hear what you all think. The book, by the way, is going to be read in a couple of college classes, might get on the radio, and excerpts might appear on other websites. If anyone is … [Read more...]

Lately I had the privilege of being in some workshops led by an admirable and charismatic consultant, somebody widely employed by arts organizations, including orchestras, to help them reach out to a wider audience. I know him, and I’m fond of him, but I’d never seen his work before, and I ended up with some questions about it. These don’t reflect on him; they’re more about the assumptions behind his work, assumptions that are shared widely in the classical music business. This consultant works with the idea of … [Read more...]

I was at the College Music Society conference in Quebec City last weekend, to present my thoughts on the future of classical music. (And thanks, everyone there who reads this blog, for your warmth and enthusiasm.) But what I presented at this conference wasn’t what most interested me there. The College Music Society is made up of people who teach music at colleges and universities, and the position they’re in is yet another symptom of the condition of classical music these days. They offer music courses to undergraduates, sometimes … [Read more...]

I've been to two straight conferences, and I've got a lot of things to say, but I'm also tired. So, one quick hit about something both refreshing and fun. This is the start of Allan Kozinn's review of a Turandot performance at the New York City Opera, which appeared in The New York Times on November 3:Listeners of good will may differ, perhaps violently, about why Puccini's "Turandot" has tenaciously held its place in the standard repertory. It has an uncommonly dim libretto, even by operatic standards, and a paucity of great arias nestled amid … [Read more...]

The book has started. The first episode is here. Comments very welcome! Read “What’s Going On Here,” at the right of the book page, for more on how the book will work. Note that I might not post every comment that I get. But all are welcome. This is quite a new adventure… … [Read more...]