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Bit by bit, engagement–as a real commitment rather than lip service or a funding ploy–appears to be entering the mainstream of the arts establishment. I have been waiting for years to see this kind of awakening begin.
In an earlier post I mentioned how many good articles about engagement there were in the latest issue of Symphony from the League of American Orchestras. [Symphony Magazine-Summer 2011] I love many of the individual moments in it. But what really compels me is the collective message that paying attention to the needs and interests of the community is not only good or even important, but vital. Here are some of the best bits:
In his essay “Confronting a Changed World” [24-30] Bruce Coppock says “If rehearsals and concerts were equities and education and community engagement activities bonds, most orchestras are at 95 percent or higher equities. A balance of 60-40 sounds a lot better to me.” That’s a good metaphor that in and of itself makes a significant argument.
In “Bridging the Gap” by Rebecca Winzenreid [34-41], several examples of engagement efforts are presented. One, coming out of the Chicago Symphony, but not an official CSO project, is Citizen Musician, a social networking site to support and “publicize random acts of culture.” To quote the site, “Citizen Musicians use music to create moments of community and share their experiences and enthusiasm with others. Citizen Musicians can be professional musicians, music educators, amateur musicians, and music lovers, as well as musical and educational institutions. . . . If you are a musician and want to use your musical talents to help others, learn more by exploring this site. If you know a musician who is already using music to create meaningful connections in the community, we hope you will share that story here.” A second example is the Dakota Music Tour by the Mankato (MN) Symphony Orchestra. The Tour highlighted a highly controversial mass execution of Dakota native peoples in 1862, an event that continues to have resonance in the region. The Symphony’s music director, Kenneth Freed, said that a principal focus of the MSO was addressing the question “What can we do for the community, instead of what can the community do for us?” [38]
Finally, in “Making the Case” by Heidi Watson [50-57], the central question of public value of the work of symphony orchestras is addressed. (I’ll soon, and with much trepidation, be reflecting in this blog on the importance of public value.) Ms. Watson reports that Heather Noonan, the League’s VP for Advocacy and Judith Kurnick, the VP for Strategic Communication believe “orchestras must make the case for public value both through authentic community engagement and through effective communication.” [52] Obviously it is the notion of authentic community engagement that gets my attention there. The trick is learning how to be truly authentic. Too often efforts are, in some cases unconsciously, patronizing and self-serving. This call to intentionality about engagement and the need for authenticity in it is heartening. Elsewhere in the article, John Forsyte, president of the Pacific Symphony in California is quoted as saying, “We have to regularly ask ourselves, how does our artistic mission serve a broader community than the 2 percent that is involved in our concert life?” [53] The only question I have about that is how such a statement can be regarded as revolutionary. And finally, Ryan Fleur, President and CEO of the Memphis Symphony–and a true leader in making community engagement authentic, describes one simple aspect of his (and the Memphis Symphony’s) approach, “We stopped using the word outreach. It has this one-directional, patronizing implication.” [54] Indeed it does.
So, am I doing the dance of joy? Not unreservedly. These are all good steps, but I would love to see improvements. For instance, more discussion about what “engaging” means (and how it’s done) in the Citizen Musician project would be helpful. Many artists think if they simply step outside the studio, they are “engaging.” It’s more complex (and more difficult) than that. At the same time, holding up community citizenship as a value for artists and arts organizations is a wonderful thing to do. I might wish that in the Dakota Music Tour there had been more advance communication with the native people’s about design and content than appears to be the case. (What if, after a period of conversation about mutual interests, the idea had come from them rather than the symphony? And I know it’s possible that was the case. It just sounds as if the Mankato Symphony thought it was a good idea and then presented it to them. My concern stems from that fact that that is the way some such projects originate. While they demonstrate an awareness of community, that model is not the best path to deep engagement.) And finally, I might wish that the motivator for addressing the public value question was deeper than making a case for public funding. I know that for all involved there is more to it than that, but why does it take funding to get us here? [Read that as a rhetorical question. I know the answers.]
But on balance, this is all wonderfully exciting stuff. As I said in Slow Food, Engaged Arts, I am not always sanguine about the possibility of change in the arts or any industry. The picture from the supermarket will now be joined by this issue of Symphony to alleviate any despondency that sneaks in upon me as the days and weeks go by.
Engage!
Doug