The Christian Science Monitor announced today that it will drop its print edition and exist only in online form. And while we're on the subject. The Star-Ledger, previously thought to be closing up shop completely, announced last week that they would cut 40% of their newsroom staff. Good. Times.A few months back, I recommended that a publicist friend reach out to bloggers for one of her artists. She replied, "Thus far, we've kept X artist away from The Online, and we intend to keep it that way."Blink. Blink. ((cricket chirp:::cricket chirp)) … [Read more...]

Stephen Colbert: So you are a superstar cellist.Yo-Yo Ma: What does that mean?Stephen Colbert:  What-does-that-mean.Yo-Yo Ma: Nothing. (So there you go.)Update, 10/28,11:20 am: Watch at ~14 minutes here. … [Read more...]

This comes via Nico via Daniel Stephen Johnson's blog: Itzhak Perlman's opposition of Proposition 8 on YouTube. The video was posted on October 22, and has already received 23,879 views. Good stuff, IP. Also, I'm happy to report that Maurizio Pollini wore an Obama button to his post-concert signing at Carnegie Hall yesterday, and more than one person was talking about it on their way out the door. You can't swing a dead donkey without hitting an Obama button in New York City, so I wondered why I, and the audience members at the signing, were … [Read more...]

What's got two thumbs and did not make the Sounds & Fury Top 50 Classical Music Blogs: 3rd Quarter 2008 (Jul-Sep) Edition? THIS BLOG.Despite being totally schooled by Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog, Mostly Opera: A Woman in Her Thirties and Sticks and Drones, among 47 others, I direct you to the list for pitching purposes. Time to start campaigning hardcore for the 4th Quarter. I'm gunning for Hugh Sung, who I hesitate to even link to for fear of increasing his readership. … [Read more...]

Hailing from 2004, this piece from the site The Dance Insider was sent to me in response to my post yesterday. Writer/editor Paul Ben-Itzak actually gives awards/taglines to the publicity firms he likes working with, calling the piece "Best Publicists in NYC". I love hearing what journalists think of publicists. Here's an excerpt:...here are some things you should look for -- at least from the perspective of this writer and editor, who not only covers dance concerts but reviews hundreds if not thousands of press releases from around the world … [Read more...]

A lot of artists have asked me if I think they need a publicist. I should probably always just say yes, but I don't. There are a lot of factors to consider - money, number of performances, and story potential being the big three. If the timing's not right for the publicist, current media climate and artist, no good will come of the relationship. The money, of course, is complicated: I get paid a monthly retainer whether I'm able to get press for my artists or not, unlike a manager or booking agent, who would only get paid when the artist gets … [Read more...]

The following image was sent out this morning to publicize the Washington National Opera's upcoming production of Lucrezia Borgia with Renée Fleming (by an indy publicist, NOT the opera company, and NOT Renée's publicist, that's for sure): I mean.... As one journalist pointed out, is she an action figure, now?? ((stocking stuffers for the whole family!))Is this image "on message" for any of the parties involved? Who or what does it seek to represent? And it was sent to east coast classical press? Y-i-k-e-s. Yikes. Tip of the iceberg, but the … [Read more...]

I was just cruising around BAM's website trying to find the page for David's ballet score, and - to my horror/delight - stumbled upon this!!!! … [Read more...]

As previously mentioned, I had the distinct pleasure of hanging with Kevin Stalheim (among others) in the thriving metropolis of Buffalo, NY a few weekends ago. He gave me his series', Present Music's, season brochure (pronounced PRESent Music, as in, "current" or "generally around" music, not PreSENT Music, as in, "we present music"), and I thought it was rockin'. Here is one of the brochure panels (please ignore the embarrassingly dirty scanner):Intriguing images, good concert titles, clear date/time/locations, BUT the coolest part, I think, … [Read more...]

As if we need any further proof that "media coverage" in 2008 is undefinable, once a day or so someone sends me something to potentially write about here:  a website or marketing initiative from their organization that they they think I'll like, or something from another organization they think I'll hate. So I spend my days pitching stories whilst getting pitched. It's all very silly.Someone's father...wait for it...in-law sent me his daughter-in-law's chamber music website a couple weeks ago. That was cute, but the site was bad. It did … [Read more...]

1. How amazing would it be to have a CNN "people meter" approval thing running for a NY Phil concert with new music on the program? Or maybe throughout Doctor Atomic? Instead of English to English translations ("  "), the audience approval rating could be projected on the little seat screens. That would be interesting stuff...seriously!2. What if classical musicians ran negative ad campaigns against the competition? If Anne-Sophie Mutter criticized Joshua Bell's new recording of The Four Seasons/Devil's Trill (she released the exact combo … [Read more...]

Can someone please explain to me why organizations that actually have awesome programming like the Brooklyn Philharmonic still manage to make themselves look completely lame? Don't you knock-out Rosewood font/drop-shadow me, Brooklyn. Also, what is that item in the top right corner - a speaker? Why?? Take that nonsense out and increase the size of the artist photos so we can see who we're dealing with. And what is this "BP Presents"? Is that a branded thing, a new series, or just something someone thought would look good on an e-blast? The … [Read more...]

...press if I want to, press-if-I-want to...These composer birthday concert festivities are getting ridiculous.Steve Reich at 70: OK, that was kind of fun, but why not 75? Or 77, for that matter? Every year should metaphorically be "Steve Reich at 70", as far as I'm concerned. Leonard Bernstein this fall: I'm not entirely sure why New York City is celebrating his would-be 90th birthday slash the 18th anniversary of his death, but I'm not complaining about the Bernstein Mass et al being presented. I really don't understand why 90 years (when … [Read more...]