Thursday, August 9, 2012

Survival 2.0: Classical music should try this or else...

The audiences have grey hair, canes, and senior discounts. A majority of the audience members at classical concerts or recitals have retired.  Sure, there is a smattering of young people present and some parents bring their children to the symphony or to Lang Lang.  However, the general trend has been toward an aging audience in classical music concert venues. Which begs the question that I ask everytime I attend a concert...

Who is going to be the next generation of classical music listeners?

Why should young people even care about this music?  More importantly, why should arts program administrators be concerned that young people care? Well, quite frankly, the very survival of this beloved art form depends on it. 

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a videoconference by Rob Kapilow, sponsored by the American Consulate in Ottawa, which may have provided, in part, a viable solution.  The solution? Bring classical music TO people. Do not expect people to come to classical music.  Do you see the difference?  Let me elaborate.  



Kapilow's premise is that all people, when they hear the great works of classical music, will love them.  Inside of these works that we cherish is something inherent that will touch the human soul.  That is not to claim that all works of classical music will touch each person deeply or in the same manner.  However, on a program for a recital or concert there will be at least one piece that does its job correctly and communicates to that listener.  We have all experienced this works influence on our own hearts and lives.  Do we trust that the music has the power to transform on its own? 

Sure, you would respond.  The music is the agent of change.  Now, what remains is how do we get a wider variety of people experiencing this?  The answer is not simple and the solution does require some degree of funding (a topic upon which a BOOK could be written so I'll refrain here).  However, Kapilow suggests that we bring music to people, not people to music.  We are very proficient at marketing our events, spreading the good word on social media, and generally advertising. Nonetheless, that modus operandi assumes that people will respond to those invitations.  



What if people were not invited? What if we invited ourselves to inject music into their day or to bring the music we so deeply value to their community or context?  What would that look like?  What would the venue's appearance be?  I hope by this point, your imagination has moved beyond the traditonal concert hall.  A concert in a playground? Why not.  That's simply one example. The Met Opera in NY has completely got this right with their Live in HD broadcasts.  Not all of us are able to attend Met Opera performances in Lincoln Center (trust me, I wish).  However, the Met Opera has brought opera to us in a way that is completely unconventional and to be honest, truly amazing.  So, you're telling me I can eat popcorn AND laugh loudly at Papageno's antics at the same time? Brilliant!  Make the concert event convenient for your audience logistically.  This includes considerations for time and location.  Also, need I mention that ticket prices must be reasonable?

I would like to implore arts administrators and concert organisers to rethink their strategy in this regard.  Let's be unconventional because we have the creative capacity to be so! Performers, take responsibilty for how the audience hears your music.  Teachers, do not talk down to children when discussing music. Use technical terms because I promise you, they understand far more than we initially assume.  

One can argue that children are enrolled in music lessons and that these students will turn into music lovers and concert-attending adults. Yes, this is true but with the cost of music lessons, I would not depend on that avenue. 

To conclude, I am going to leave you, dear reader, with a few thoughts about music in society.  We should start to see music as a tool that can engage society in a real conversation.  Moreover, we should trust that every person has some degree of musical intuition.  Trust the music to do the rest.  As Walt Whitman said, "to have great poets, there must be great audiences."

I leave you with a piece that is touching my heart recently. How would you bring this sublime music to an audience that normally would not hear this work?