Getting Real with Classical Music, Part 3

OK, so I’ve written before about classical music checking in with reality and just giving the general public some of what they want, in order to rebuild trust in our …

Excellence vs. Opportunity

I heard someone mention excellence and opportunity awhile back and I can’t stop thinking about it. I chose a career in “excellent performance” once I began music schools, intent to play bass in a …

guitarist plays while keyboardist and photographer listen

Revolution Is a Work in Progress

Having begun the Knight Project to expand our Classical Revolution Detroit series in January, we’ve again witnessed the usual results: several people thanking us for sharing classical and symphonic music where they …

Classical Revolution Detroit event playing Brahms Clarinet Quintet 2011

Classicism vs. Classism

I took part in a place-making workshop last week in Detroit. Despite the usual negative reports, my hometown is actually receiving huge private investments from billionaires, local corporations, and major …

Beyond Dumbing Down

This post is the speech I delivered at SphinxCon last week. (Video) Yes, it’s long at 15-minutes… but I’ll bring in some of the more interesting pictures from the slideshow. …

Getting Real with Classical Music, Part 2

So I left off here writing about the need for our major institutions to go beyond dumbing down to reach the casual community. In support of that statement, I was at a …

Knight Project Blogpost II – Let Me Count the Ways

I am in New York City for annual booking conferences with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and Chamber Music America (CMA). APAP is the largest such conference in North …