How do we bring in new listeners?
What will a diverse public of younger
people find irresistible here?
Outside of the typical strategies of engaging new arts marketing consultants to run a branding campaign, a subscription drive, and funding a ticket give-away to students, there are ample opportunities to pluck some fruit at the top of the tree.
In this respect, the member musicians of your orchestra are a triple asset. Besides playing inspired orchestra and chamber music concerts, several members will have pregnant ideas for sales and marketing, or about design and popular culture, or dream up kick-ass events, artistic themes or engagement strategies. This is why orchestras have musician committees of course, but you will want to nurture some star power among members. A few musicians will gravitate to the front of the stage as natural concert hosts who are informative and sexy in an innocent way in front of an audience.
Empower others with training in arranging, song-writing, conducting, song, dance, public speaking and opportunities to dream up a new series. Because personality and creative hybrids are what nearly half of Americans will want to buy. Once you have the right bait, you’ll know how to fish. Because innovation often occurs completely by chance, it pays to experiment on a small scale.
Missionaries
Not only must we step up our game inside the hall, but we can consistently step outside our sanctuaries to go where the people are. Musicians, with respect for other music forms, can casually show non-believers how instrumental music is spirited, and why the traditional experience in the hall maximizes its potential impact. Even if it is with 15-minute pop up chamber music in the park or impromptu chamber music parties in a non-smoking bar. Along with the industry crisis of recent years came new curiosity among remotely interested music lovers. They wonder, “Should we care if our local orchestra folds? What would I be missing out on?”
Now is the time for an enthusiastic HELL YEAH to these questions… with hosted concerts that connect, consistently, freely and everywhere. Orchestras need to capitalize on the current period of openness to highlight the sport of instrumental music. Service exchanges and optional chamber music services are key contractual methods for orchestras looking to empower their musicians to drive innovation. Majors like St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Detroit are already growing new roots with their musicians. The next step is to turn up the volume. These chamber groups are the arms with which we embrace our communities.
Chamber music and new music must be warm and informative events where audience and musicians can really meet. Some will then come to the orchestra to see their new friends. Churches and schools are ideal chamber venues because everyone is used to being quiet. But the recent spate of statewide smoking laws frees classical to go underground in bars, clubs and restaurants. Acoustic amplification is not terribly difficult to work out. In fact, CutTime comes with a 400 watt amp system that works in rooms up to 3,000 sq. ft.. Letting go of silence for a few hours lets us put classical where people discover other music. Such sacrifice serves art in new ways.
Classical Revolution has been inspiring newcomers with real classical in non-traditional venues since 2006 and has over 40 chapters worldwide. This grassroots movement that began in San Francisco, organizes classical musicians to show up for sight reading (classical open jam) or present a rehearsed or crossover ensemble. Players love the relaxed vibe.
Chamber symphonies
With CutTime publications, some of those ensembles could play familiar symphonic masterpieces that sound rich as the originals. The mixed octet (Players) transcriptions (flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, percussion, violin and double bass) feature the four choirs of the orchestra. Since we have so much public domain music, it will help to be able to adapt such music in house. CutTime teaches fluent and effective skills in arranging, orchestrating and Finale® music notation software.
CutTime enables your wider community and orchestra to truly meet each other. CutTime re-roots the classical tradition in the ancient Greeks and paints the big picture to reset its context for today. We propose high quality programs, but offers a scale of refinement presenters can dial. Number 10 is the pure concert tradition, while number 1 is the wild circus of a spontaneous club date. Somewhere in the middle, are a number of comfortable settings to engage listeners who prefer some raw energy with their refinement. If the game of music is to make it matter, then doing more of whatever it takes also serves the art form. CutTime trains musicians to step one foot outside the artistic tower, constructively bridge to the casual masses, and how to overcome unstated objections and potential hecklers. (Things We Learned at Telemarketing)
- Contact CutTime Productions today for more ideas.
