{"id":2018,"date":"2013-07-31T10:15:43","date_gmt":"2013-07-31T17:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2013-08-01T12:02:26","modified_gmt":"2013-08-01T19:02:26","slug":"the-10-commandments-of-classical-music-audience-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/2013\/07\/the-10-commandments-of-classical-music-audience-building\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Commandments of Classical Music Audience-Building"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-2019\" alt=\"hhtwitter4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4-300x296.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4-300x296.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4-500x493.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4-70x70.jpg 70w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4-110x110.jpg 110w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/hhtwitter4.jpg 904w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/>Holly Hickman of <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.uptempomarketing.com\/\"><b><i>Up Tempo Marketing<\/i><\/b><\/a><i> delivers \u201cSpirited Marketing for Music Organizations.\u201d \u00a0We have been friends for several years and I have deep respect for her accomplishments in the field.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>A few months ago, we started a fascinating conversation about the practical challenges of audience-building specifically for classical music organizations, which I\u2019m grateful she has allowed me to continue here.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>I absolutely ADORE her 10 commandments of Classical Music Audience-Building! \u00a0<strong>Thou SHALT read on&#8230; \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">A lot of arts &amp; cultural organizations are focused these days on finding ways to be more \u201crelevant\u201d to their audiences.\u00a0 What does that challenge mean specifically to a classical music organization?\u00a0 Any great examples to cite? \u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I look at relevance for classical music organizations as understanding your community and different audience segments and being able to connect with them where they are.\u00a0 This involves knowing them well enough to know what they want (through research and opening the channels of communication), and being flexible enough to not only reflect where they are now but also to anticipate where they\u2019re going. It should be a collaborative journey, rather than a one-way street. <br style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" \/><br style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" \/> I think the <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.laphil.com\/\">LA Phil<\/a> has done an incredible job at becoming more relevant to its audiences, with their commitment to diverse programming, paying attention to the unique culture they have in Los Angeles, and reaching out to underserved communities. I view them as an organization that has responded well to art form, industry and societal changes, all the while maintaining a strong artistic profile. \u00a0<br style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" \/><br style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" \/> Another example I\u2019ve been directly involved with is the <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.boulderphil.org\/\">Boulder Phil<\/a>, the professional regional orchestra in Boulder, where I live. For its upcoming season, the Boulder Phil is reflecting its artsy and outdoorsy town with a theme of \u201cNature &amp; Music: The Spirit of Boulder.\u201d The goal of the season is to connect a wider segment of the community to orchestral music inspired by nature though a series of unique partnerships, including the City of Boulder Open Space &amp; Mountain Parks, the Geological Society of America (based in Boulder), the University of Colorado, local filmmakers, local composers, local dance ensembles, and others.<\/p>\n<p>This Nature &amp; Music initiative is not a \u201cone-off\u201d idea, but rather part of the mission and vision, which is focused on developing community-centric programming that reflects the unique qualities of the Boulder area. \u00a0Subscriptions are now at a decade high, up 70% since 2008; the number of single ticket buyers increased 10% just last year; and the org has now seen three consecutive years of increasing fundraising results. The Phil is programming specifically to appeal to its community\u2019s interests, and the community is responding-a good example of being more relevant.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">One imagines that there\u2019s a natural tension in classical music organizations between a desire to present the work in a \u201ctraditional\u201d way \u2013 versus pressures to attract &amp; engage audiences in new ways?\u00a0 \u00a0Might you share an example or two of how an organization successfully reconciled that challenge?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I think many classical organizations are successfully creating a balance between honoring and continuing treasured traditions, while exploring new territory.<\/p>\n<p>One example is <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theknightsnyc.com\/\">The Knights<\/a>, a NY-based orchestra founded by musicians and brothers Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen, who are also a part of <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.brooklynrider.com\/\">Brooklyn Rider<\/a>, an equally adventurous string quartet.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll share The Knights\u2019 mission here, as it illustrates the ensemble\u2019s commitment to both tradition and innovation:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">The Knights are an orchestra of friends from a broad spectrum of the New York music world who are deeply committed to creating original, engaging musical experiences. Led by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, we seek to engage with contemporary culture through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition and our passion for musical discovery. We believe in artistic excellence and exploration. We surprise audiences by constantly seeking new approaches to music-making and new exponents of the art form. We strive to play old music like it was written yesterday and inhabit new music in a way that\u2019s familiar and natural. We are serious about having fun. We thrive on camaraderie and friendship. We cultivate a collaborative environment that honors a multiplicity of voices.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Kate-Nordstrum-Projects\/111835538921451\">Kate Nordstrum Projects<\/a>, a Twin Cities-based arts management agency, specializes in \u201cindependent music curation and communication strategies for adventurous artists, ensembles and institutions.\u201d \u00a0The org\u2019s Facebook page lists current co-presentations and partnerships with the Walker Art Center, New Amsterdam Records, American Composers Forum, Minnesota Public Radio, Northrop Concerts &amp; Lectures, The Schubert Club and others.<\/p>\n<p>Kate\u2019s vision for expanding classical music experiences is described in this article entitled, \u201cKate Nordstrum&#8217;s brave new music,\u201d published last year in the MinnPost:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<i style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Looking in one direction, Nordstrum admired the orchestral and chamber music she found in formal concert settings. Turning another way, she felt attracted to the indie music scene at First Avenue and other clubs. \u201cThe music I was interested in presenting was between those worlds,\u201d she says.<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i>\u2026The audience Nordstrum has in mind is one that takes music seriously but may not be comfortable with the formality of a concert hall or the noise of a rock club. Because of that, she emphasizes the importance of the venue in \u201ccreating a space for art and creativity and imagination.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2034\" style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" alt=\"ten_commandments_5 (1)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ten_commandments_5-1-226x300.gif\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ten_commandments_5-1-226x300.gif 226w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ten_commandments_5-1-376x500.gif 376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 226px) 100vw, 226px\" \/><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Here, allow me to offer you these two tablets&#8230; \u00a0how would YOU write the 10 Commandments of classical music audience engagement?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Thou shalt not ignore the different interests and needs of your community and\/or audience segments.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt not assume that your internal likes, dislikes, habits, traditions and expectations are better than those of the patrons you serve.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt not assume that everyone in your community knows about classical music and that your masterworks will sell themselves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt not alienate your patrons through poor customer service tactics and rigid, inflexible, outdated, non-patron-friendly policies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt not try to cut your way to success. (Thank you, Michael Kaiser.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt reflect your community\u2019s unique culture in your programming, collaborations and outreach programs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt be open-minded, experimental and brave when making programming decisions. Marketing is a lot more effective when the product is fantastic.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt believe in soliciting input from others and looking outside of the bubble.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<blockquote><p>Thou shalt participate in transparent communication, planning and decision-making processes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Thou shalt commit to what is presented on stage by investing in a unified vision, your artistic product, your marketing engine and your musicians.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">What do you recommend reading for arts &amp; cultural leaders who wish to keep an eye on the advancement of the cause of audience-building in the area of classical music?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Only a few of the recommended books and articles below are directly related to classical music, but I think they\u2019re important reading for those involved in audience development\/engagement and arts marketing.<\/p>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Recommended Books<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Poke-the-Box-ebook\/dp\/B004J4XG0O\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Poke the Box<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Linchpin-Are-You-Indispensable-ebook\/dp\/B00354Y9ZU\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Purple-Cow-Edition-Remarkable-Includes-ebook\/dp\/B00316UMS0\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Tribes-Need-You-Lead-ebook\/dp\/B001FA0LAI\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0by Seth Godin<\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/The-Art-Turnaround-Organizations-ebook\/dp\/B002LE895G\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations<\/a>\u00a0by Michael M. Kaiser<\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Made-Stick-Survive-Others-ebook\/dp\/B000N2HCKQ\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Switch-Change-Things-When-ebook\/dp\/B0030DHPGQ\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard<\/a>\u00a0by Chip Heath and Dan Heath<\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Rengen-ebook\/dp\/B001OLRM46\/ref=tmm_kin_title_0\">Rengen (Renaissance Generation): The Rise of the Cultural Consumer &#8211; and What It Means to Your Business<\/a>\u00a0by Patricia Martin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Recommended Articles<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/culturehive.co.uk\/resources\/not-for-the-likes-of-you-how-to-reach-a-broader-audience\">Not for the Likes of You: How to Reach a Broader Audience<\/a> (a hat tip to David Snead of the NY Phil for introducing this to me!)<\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/wolfbrown.com\/studies\/Its_Not_About_You_Its_About_Them_5-20-10.pdf\">It\u2019s Not About You \u2026 It\u2019s About Them: A Research Report on What Motivates Bay Area Donors to Give to the Arts and Artists<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/wolfbrown.com\/images\/books\/ImpactStudyFinalVersionFullReport.pdf\">Intrinsic Impact Study &#8211; Assessing the Intrinsic Impacts of a Live Performance<\/a> (WolfBrown)<\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.wallacefoundation.org\/knowledge-center\/audience-development-for-the-arts\/strategies-for-expanding-audiences\/Documents\/Engaging-Audiences.pdf\">Engaging Audiences &#8211; Taking the Long View of Participation-Building: A Prescription for Hard Times<\/a> (Wallace Foundation)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Recommended Blogs related to audience development\/engagement topics<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/sandow\">Greg Sandow<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\">Amanda Ameer, Life\u2019s A Pitch<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/newbeans\/\">Clayton Lord, New Beans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/artfulmanager\/\">Andrew Taylor, The Artful Manager<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/sethgodin.typepad.com\/seths_blog\">Seth Godin<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/michael-kaiser\">Michael Kaiser<\/a><\/li>\n<li>And your <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/\">Audience Wanted<\/a> blog, of course, Matt!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Recommended Classical Music blogs, because they are excellent<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.therestisnoise.com\/\">Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/jeremydenk.net\/blog\">Jeremy Denk, think denk<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\">Recommended Email Subscriptions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/artsjournal.us2.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=49b91aeef4c41a80542bc7a65&amp;id=fdcd638b6e\">ArtsJournal.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Thomas Cott\u2019s <a style=\"font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thomascott.com\/\">You\u2019ve Cott Mail<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Holly Hickman of Up Tempo Marketing delivers \u201cSpirited Marketing for Music Organizations.\u201d \u00a0We have been friends for several years and I have deep respect for her accomplishments in the field.\u00a0 A few months ago, we started a fascinating conversation about the practical challenges of audience-building specifically for classical music organizations, which I\u2019m grateful she has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,26,34,23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-best-practices","7":"category-innovation","8":"category-marketing","9":"category-mission","10":"entry","11":"has-post-thumbnail"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}