Tonight is my Metropolitan Opera debut. Well, it's actually Eric's, but, you know, my have-a-client-at-the-Met debut. Thoughts:1. I love that there are Doctor Atomic events throughout the city surrounding the production. As they say, it takes a village (or an island, in this case) to promote new music. 2. I find that, even though I've seen them all on stage before, I get really excited every time I have the opportunity to see my clients perform. I know them, and there they are on stage! I wonder if that novelty will ever wear off; I hope not. … [Read more...]
Adventurous non-programming
My name is Amanda Ameer, and I don't really like jazz.I'm OK admitting this for two reasons: 1.The three people whose opinions on music matter to me most feel the same way, and 2. It gives me perspective on why, despite all the good marketing and publicity in the world, some folks may just never like classical music. Wait, three reasons: we learned on Thursday night that Stephen Colbert doesn't like it either (at ~12 minutes). "GOD that's unbearable!" he explodes, "Ergo, it must be good!"This, of course, does not mean there's not lots to learn … [Read more...]
Every Playboy bunny with her bleach blonde hair
Monday was a really sad night for me: Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner broke up, and I cared because I feel like I know them. I have a sick fascination with The Girls Next Door, and no, gentle readers, I am not a 22-year-old frat boy. How can I love a show and hate everyone on it, you may ask? [That's not entirely true: I do enjoy Hef, who strikes a kind of ideal imbalance of obsession and apathy.] I watch the show (and, in the interest of full disclosure, have Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD) because I, and, spoiler alert, many others, crave backstage … [Read more...]
Who’s driving this bus?
Composer-performer Caleb Burhans got a 2-and-change page print-edition, 4 page online edition, bonafide Allan Kozinn profile in The New York Times on Sunday. As of 6:15pm today, he had a total of 58 plays on his MySpace page. Does this mean 1. MySpace is dead. 2. The Times has no influence over its readers' listening choices. 3. Both.And if the answer is both, then who or what in this world is actually influencing what music people buy, see and listen to?"I was in The New York Times, and all I got was these lousy 58 plays." [The article did not … [Read more...]
Let’s give ’em something to write about
This is a co-blog exercise - the most exercise I've gotten all week, in fact - with my friend and the toast of New York, composer-performer Nico Muhly. His corresponding entry is here. Over the summer, I had a phone meeting of sorts with a fellow New York publicist about a series of concerts in which we were both involved. She later made fun of me, because apparently throughout the call I kept saying that journalists needed to "toe the line"; I'm not even sure I was using the expression correctly, but my point was that these four concerts were … [Read more...]
Talk to me about digital retail
Monday is the new black/Friday. Each week, I'll post an interview with a special person far more knowledgeable than myself on specific marketing and publicity subjects. This week, label New Media Manager Denise McGovern on pitching placement, digital-only releases and what we're going to do when the record stores close for good. Denise McGovern is the New Media Manager at Universal Music Classical/Decca Label Group. She is responsible for digital sales to accounts such as iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster. How long have you been at … [Read more...]
Below is an entry in which I allude to how much the 2008 Vice Presidential debate upset me and then comment on an atrociously-long subject line
Few things have been/will ever be more terrifying than the series of PSAs we were all just subjected to (Oh...we're calling that a "debate"? Okee...I'll play along...), but this subject line comes doggone close:In case you can't read that, the e mail subject is, "Attached is a press release announcing a concert to be given by the MSM Chamber Sinfonia conducted by Kenneth Kiesler to take place on Thursday, Sept. 25 featuring NY premiere by Marjorie Merryman and showcasing MSM Clarinetist G. Borisav". I often tell people that journalists might … [Read more...]
Plain dealings
I have gotten two phone calls from artists about The Cleveland Plain-Dealer; should we do interviews with the new writer, they both asked, separately, we heard the orchestra got the last writer fired. Now, I love the artists I work with dearly, but they are rarely up on their industry gossip. The fact that this news made it to some of the top performing artists in the world and sincerely distressed them is...interesting. Hard-hitting journalist that I am (not), I e mailed The Cleveland Orchestra's publicity department and asked if I could … [Read more...]
And where was Santa today?
What's the over-under on the number of "The Sun has Set" headlines we're going to see because of this? From the USA Today obituary for The New York Sun:Many readers also found its arts section sophisticated and accessible.Fair enough. This I appreciate: The old Sun was also known for its "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" column -- its response to an 1897 letter from an 8-year-old girl asking if there really was a Santa Claus.My versions of Santa Clauses these days are the many talented bloggers who will carry/are carrying the torch. … [Read more...]
Talk to me about arts blogging
On Fridays, I'll post interviews with folks far more knowledgeable than myself on specific marketing and publicity subjects. This week, ArtsJournal's own Douglas McLennan on marketing your blog, the changing face (or platform) of journalism, and why the world doesn't need publicists - gah! Douglas McLennan is an arts journalist, and the founder/editor of ArtsJournal.com, which just celebrated its ninth anniversary. He is also the director of the National Arts Journalism Program (NAJP), and speaks and writes frequently on issues in digital … [Read more...]
Can’t Hardly Wait
First, a note about the silliness of the classical music industry: The Gramophone Magazine Awards are being announced across the pond today - perhaps even AS I TYPE THIS BLOG ENTRY - and I'm expected to write a press release about the winners. Fine, fine - just tell me how many people voted, give me the list of the awards, etc.. What am I told at 6 am this morning? "This information is under embargo till today's lunchtime". UNDER EMBARGO!! Am I waiting on the Gramophone Awards winners AND Bush's solution to America's financial crisis? Under … [Read more...]
Jackpot
Alex Ross is on Gawker today! Many congratulations to him for achieving mainstream digital media recognition. Oh, and on winning that award thinger. … [Read more...]
America’s Funniest Home Press Requests
Or, "Am I Going to Get Arrested?", by Amanda Ameer. Would you believe me if I told you that I received an album request from the company that apparently handles "in-flight entertainment" for...Air Force One? They asked for a CD for consideration - I'm not telling you which one. I e mailed back, "Like, the President's plane?" ((consummate professional)), she's like, "Yep, that's the one!", smiley face. "Um, yeah, I'm sure that's fine."Now, I don't think I have to spell out the comedy for you, but I can't help but wonder:1. The President and his … [Read more...]
The solution to the freelancer problem
1. Why does everyone keep telling me there are no freelancers? I would think the city would be crawling with freelancers, since all the staff writers are getting laid off. 2. I neglected to mention how cool this was last week. Pshaw to The New Yorker for simply printing excerpts of John Adams' autobiography; here we have the esteemed Michael Tilson Thomas previewing his own concert! I could do without the mini-me paragraph openers ["It was thrilling, but it fed on itself." "By the early '70s he realized the danger." "These were the years of the … [Read more...]