Archives for 2016

Only one event at the seminal 21CMposium at DePauw University (see my last post) was in standard conference format — a panel discussion. That was deliberate, and was one reason the symposium was so pwerful. It presented conclusions, inspirations, action points. Rather than pondering big questions and not finding any answers. But that one panel… …was in a quiet way sensational. When Sarah Robinson (see my post) gave her presentation — about how she’d made a joyful career they didn’t prepare her for when she was a student — she was wearing … [Read more...]

A piece of mine will be played in the spring at a university. (More later on that.) The conductor and I were talking about how I might be there for the performance. I suggested a visit to the school, to do some of the speaking I've often done. Here are some things I suggested. Which, needless to say, I can do anywhere. Speak about the future of classical music Of course I do this all the time. Some things I talk about: We all know that classical music is in trouble, but the exact nature of the data isn’t well known. I can clarify … [Read more...]

…that I’ve ever been at… This was the DePauw School of Music 21Cymposium, held the weekend before last. I gave the keynote talk, but…later for that. What inspired me about this event wasn’t anything I said, but who I said it to: an audience of classical music changemakers. And, even more, the other presenters were inspiring. Like my friend Sarah Robinson. Someone who’s built a new kind of classical music career, starting with playing classical music in clubs. And who knows club gigs inside out, so much so that she wrote an essential book on … [Read more...]

I'm flying today -- so happy to say this! -- to DePauw University, where I'll take part in a big event at the School of Music. Their pathbreaking (as I'm sure it will be)  21CMPosium. And why that name? Because DePauw (as longtime readers here know) created a pathbreaking music curriculum, which they called 21CM, because it prepares students to be 21st century musicians. They've got a 21CM site, not so much about the curriculum, but instead an exploration of the ideas they've got. And which they promote from others. And now they're … [Read more...]

Updated to include links to my last post and to a recording of the music I'm writing about. And one comment added about what the harps play.  So, yesterday I blogged about how complex Wagner’s orchestration is in Götterdämmerung. Far more complex than it is in earlier Ring operas (apart from the last part of Siegfried). Today, a quirky orchestral detail. So quirky.Weird! Something I’m not sure would be audible in performance, and which, as I’ll explain, we most likely won’t get any chance to hear. How crazy is this? You might want to look … [Read more...]

And so, about Wagner’s orchestration… I’m back from vacation. Including two active weeks in England, where Rafa announced he’d like to stay “all day,” meaning forever. Here he is, looking at the landscape through binoculars, next to the ruins of an old barn, on a hillside. And yes, Wagner, Before I get back into future of classical music things on my blog — serious stuff — I wanted to extend my vacation in my mind, by talking about some things I found in the full orchestral score of Götterdämmerung. Maybe you remember how excited I was by … [Read more...]

I trust this will be my last post about classical music publicity, at least for a while. Well, wait…I'm tempted to reprint one from long ago, about how to write press releases.  But let that be. What's much more important is to reprint something else -- a guest post by Lara Downes from a couple of years ago. It's about how she promoted a performance by classical pianist Christopher O'Riley, at a concert series she's run at a jazz club, where she draws an audience with many people in it who don't normally go to classical concerts.  This is … [Read more...]

What's in this post: Classical music press releases have to bring the music vividly alive, because they're going to be read -- crucially read -- by many people who aren't classical music specialists I’ve heard that classical music publicists are talking about what I’ve been writing, posts that say these publicists aren't as effective they should be. So I thought I’d expand on these posts (which are here, here, and here). To say more about why I’m concerned. And, maybe, to help the many people who've agreed with me, and think, as I … [Read more...]

I got a press release from the Boston Symphony, advertising live streams from Tanglewood. On July 15 (tomorrow, as I write this), Pinchas Zukerman will conduct the Mozart E flat symphony, and the BSO will stream the second and third movements. Which seems lame. Why not the whole piece? Let me say that -- as I wonder about the streaming, and a bit further down, roll my eyes a bit at how part of the release is written -- I don't mean to single out the BSO. I see weak things from many classical music institutions. The BSO is no worse than many … [Read more...]

…look for one who thinks strategically. By which I mean the following. Traditionally, publicists try to get you in the media. Get newspaper articles written about you, get your performances reviewed, get you on TV, whatever. While marketers would concentrate on selling tickets. Advertise in newspapers, send email to a mailing list, whatever. But now we’re in a nother age And so the traditional ways may not work anymore. It’s suited to a culture we no longer really have, where your prospective audience could be counted on to read the … [Read more...]

What’s in this post: A Boston Symphony concert poster, just as ineffective as most classical music press releases A theory: that these materials are ineffective because no one really expects them to do very much. And then, at the end, this thought: If you put out ineffective stuff because, in your heart, you don’t think these materials can be effective, then haven’t you made a self-fulfilling prophency? And wouldn’t it be better — even crucial, since we need a new audience — to find out what really sells? I was in Boston, … [Read more...]

I've said these things before, for instance. But they need to be said again, following up on my last post, about a quick way to improve almost any publicity pitch. What’s in today's post: Classical music publicists don’t know how to say why we should care about the music they publicize. This problem afflicts the entire field of classical music. We don’t know how to say why anyone should care about the music we love. I can help with this problem. I deal with it in my consulting work. A big problem with classical music … [Read more...]

I get a lot of ineffective pitches from classical music publicists. In fact — sad to say — I think most of the pitches I get from classical music publicists aren’t very strong. Take this one, which came recently: Hope all is well. I am following up about a possible review of XXX’s new album featuring pianist YYY. Details are below. What’s wrong with that? “Details are below.” Never write this! Give us the information we need right now. Don’t make us work to get it. Because — this is a truth we’ve all got to face — you can count on people … [Read more...]