This is another paper I wrote earlier in the semester for an Arts Leadership class called Artistic Decision Making. It was taught by Richard Decker, vice president of the Syracuse Symphony.
The modern orchestra competes against a technological age offering a large variety of easy entertainment. The audience houses several different generations of people at any given time; as such, tastes and expectations of the client base are demanding and varied. In order to keep up with the changing times and audience members, the orchestra needs to find a way to balance the old, conservative model of success with newer, innovative risks. To keep these ideas focused and easy to sort, I have identified five different appeal aspects of a successful product that consumers expect based on my personal qualitative analysis of successful businesses and musical groups: Quality, Relevance, Accessibility, Scarcity, and Importance.
The quality of the orchestra seems to have a direct effect on the customer size. This is an obvious factor for any musical director or patron. The harder the orchestra works, the better the response from patrons and the easier it will be to market the concert. Marketing and Public Relations are an integral part of the orchestra. The more times a person sees a press release or newspaper article about the orchestra, its impact on the community, and interviews with musicians, the more effective it will be. The idea of a symphony concert must become as natural as a trip to the movies. If possible, the orchestra should look to publicize their events in unique ways to attract a younger audience. They should market in coffee shops, at movie theaters, and other areas of entertainment to destroy the perception that the symphony is “high art” and not accessible to people of all intelligence levels. Perhaps a poster with an artistic shot of a younger symphony musician outside of the concert hall (as opposed to the generic panoramic shot of the full orchestra in the hall) would appeal to the generation of internet users who likes things personalized.
Once the audience is attracted to the orchestra, they must be convinced that orchestral music is relevant to their lives. Aside from making an emotional connection to the music, they should be given to the opportunity to be educated about the music they are going to hear. Many orchestras offer a pre-concert talk, but more can be done without antagonizing those who wish for the concert to be free of speeches. When people are getting into their seats before the concert they can have the option of watching a big screen above the stage that gives an informal slide show or presentation on the music that is about to be heard. A clever way of engaging the audience would be to incorporate several different learning styles into the slideshow. Perhaps a brief explanation of the music, the composer’s intent, and the life of the composer can be interspersed with artwork that was influenced by the music or the age the music was created in. The screen can have trivia questions about the composer’s life with random, interesting facts to help them feel like they know the composer before they hear his work. Those who wish to ignore the screen and socialize with the people around them can do so freely without feeling forced to learn; the curious who do not want to come to the symphony an hour early for the pre-concert talk will be satisfied with these attempts.
The idea of accessibility is important to a consumer. If the cost of going to the event (in terms of effort, money, and time) is equal or greater to the cost of the event, people will hesitate to go. Parents have to find babysitters, patrons have to pay to park, and leave several hours out of their day for the purposes of attending the symphony. Most orchestras I am aware of recognize these factors and offer their patrons several different days and times to attend the concert, and sometimes even ticket discounts. I think this idea can be expanded even more. If the orchestra has two distinct types of consumer personalities, like “conservative” and “contemporary”, then the orchestra will find it difficult to cater to both on the same night. It would be interesting to have one night dedicated to the traditional, formal concert setting and another night in a more casual, social-oriented setting. For the night of the casual concert the patrons could be offered a chance to mingle with the orchestra in a reception before the concert and receive free drinks for a higher ticket price. If financially possible, the orchestra should consider looking into playing in new concert venues, especially more non-traditional settings like sports arenas, comedy houses, or museums. It would be wise for a smaller version of the orchestra to perform in these kinds of places on non-concert days to increase awareness and boost interest.
Orchestras should consider the idea of making their popular products seem scarcer than they actually are in order to increase the desire for them. Instead of following the traditional overture, concerto, and symphony format for the majority of concerts, the orchestra could program several smaller works and a movement or two out of a symphony. This would allow the orchestra to play a wide variety of music, giving them the chance to play new music without an audience getting overwhelmed by the lack of tonality. The new music would be interspersed with very popular classical pieces at first. Gradually the orchestra can introduce wonderful classical pieces by composers who are not as recognizable as Mozart. This particular set of concerts could be called “Top 10 pieces of the month” or “Dim Sum”, denoting that there are several smaller works instead of a long symphony. Those who have never sat through a symphony before might find it less of a chore to sit through a concert with tons of variety. When people hear clips from symphonies that they like very much they will be more likely to want to listen to the full thing.
Another idea to make the orchestra a “unique” experience is to involve a large amount of visual art in the performance. The movie “Fantasia” is very popular because it combines animation with classical music. Television shows once used classical music as their background to add to the drama of the show. It was great education for children, because they recognized the piece later on in life and always wanted to hear it as they got older. The orchestra could consider commissioning an animation artist to draw something related to the music to be shown during the piece, especially for music that is more difficult to understand tonally. If a patron can relate the piece to his or her life, regardless of how pleasing it sounds to the ear, they will enjoy it more. Another interesting idea would be to involve dancers in the concert. The dancers could make up a dance to fit the piece and do it on the stage while people were watching. Dancers could be as varied as Salsa dancing for a Ginastera piece or even a mini-ballet for Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite. I believe the visual art will only enhance the effect of the music, not distract patrons. This would be fantastic way for people to get exposure to different kinds of art and support the arts in general in their schools.
Ideally, the orchestral experience should be more emotionally important to people than a trip to Starbucks. A way to reinforce this idea is to convince the audience that the orchestra finds the community important. Other than frequent educational outreach events, the musicians could find ways to harness their musical talent and passion into benefiting the community in very practical ways. The orchestra could put on a benefit concert to raise money for arts education in schools or endorse organizations that do charitable activities for the name recognition. If possible, the price of tickets could slightly increase for the season with the intent of donating 5% of ticket prices to a specific charitable institute, like a children’s hospital. The consumers would not have to do any extra work or donate time in order to make a worthy contribution to the world, and they would forever associate the orchestra with a good cause, giving them more reason to support the orchestra and find it more important than a trip to Starbucks.
There is no easy way to solve the orchestral crisis. I believe the best chance the orchestra has of staying a living art form is to replace the association of antiquity in people’s minds with innovative and purposeful art that is relevant to people’s lives. There are many creative ways to go about doing this as well as the practical: it must evolve the orchestral experience along with the technology and cultural expectations of the age. The orchestra should not be a few steps behind the age; it needs to adapt as quickly as it can to understand its market and exceed its expectations. Only then will it interest the patrons and keep them returning for more.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Combating Dissatisfaction in American Orchestras
This is a paper I wrote for an Arts Leadership course called Realities of Orchestral Life, taught by David Angus, the President & Secretary-Treasurer of the Rochester Musicians' Association, Local 66 of the American Federation of Musicians and third horn in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. The ideas presented below seem simplistic, but I remind you that the basics must be mastered before more complicated ideas present themselves.
Symphony musicians are in a difficult state. Their passion and livelihood are determined by non-musicians who think in terms of numbers and business models; those who make the artistic decisions are often constricted by money; and the audience who supports the orchestra financially typically desires to hear the same symphonies over and over again. Musicians live in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction. What they do, how they do it, and the rate of variability in which these factors change are not controlled by the musicians. Unlike most professionals, they cannot easily make a change in companies or in how they present their expertise. Assuming they were lucky enough to win another rare audition (and I do mean luck, for their skills are often matched – if not surpassed – by hundreds of others going for the same job), they will find themselves in a different city with the same predicament: lack of control. For this reason, there are few turnarounds in professional orchestras. Those who were once excited about winning a job and playing in a professional symphony are now tempered by the reality of their situation. While most professionals would get a raise or change jobs, musicians are stuck in the same seat playing the same pieces every few years. Their dissatisfaction only grows. To handle the fact that their passion and years of dedication and craftsmanship are no longer in their control, many become apathetic.Instead of inflicting blame on any particular group or person that manages the orchestra, this author will instead present ideas to reverse the pattern of dissatisfaction in orchestras, while still maintaining the traditional roles of leadership. This way the average orchestra can experiment with these ideas without fearing that their whole management and ways of working will be restructured. The basic orchestral model currently works, but it would be much more effective if musicians and management learned to cultivate respect on both sides, expand the degree of control musicians have, and promote their orchestral goals for the future.
Many professionals have expressed concern over the “us versus them” attitude between the musicians and management in the orchestral world. While unfortunate, this is a natural consequence of the less-than-democratic system. Musicians do not feel respected by those who make the final decisions because their artistic needs are not being met or taken seriously; the responses of those who must defend their decisions are “we cannot possibly satisfy the artistic desires of eighty different people – the budget will not allow it.” There is a clear disconnect between the two groups, yet rarely is management given the chance to explain their decisions, and the reasoning is less than desirable to the musicians who are tired of hearing “money” as an excuse. Experts in business and finance are brought in to help out the orchestra, which furthers the issue of non-musicians controlling every aspect of the musicians’ lives.
A helpful solution is to remove the barriers between musicians and management to instill some mutual respect. It seems simple, but the closest way to gain respect from colleagues is to treat them with courtesy and respect. All people involved in the organization should make a conscious effort to listen to and address grievances in a respectful manner. Administrators should give in-depth details to the musicians so that they feel more involved in the decision making process. That way the orchestra would understand that it is not necessarily the fault of the administrators that caused the lack of original programming. The conductor should play to the orchestra’s strength and interests and not just his own. The orchestra is a group effort; not a totalitarian regime. Musicians should treat each other with courtesy and understand that mistakes can happen. Petty grievances should be forgotten, as distractions are created by those who thrive on drama. These are ideal situations, but they are not above the standards of the typical workplace and they are certainly not too much to ask.
A solution that is more difficult to achieve is to hold several social functions per season in order for all involved to get to know one another. Orchestras make more than just a product; they make music, which is an emotional experience. If those who are supposed to create the emotional experience are apathetic and dissatisfied, the audience will pick up on that and not feel moved by the music and not want to come back. This, in turn, affects the finances of the orchestra, meaning they do not have enough money to play pieces considered tonally risky or too large. When the artistic desires of the musicians are not fed, it tends to increase their apathy. It is a nasty cycle that can only be broken when people make the effort to change. Musicians should enjoy playing with one another, and that means trusting their colleagues enough to bear their soul and play. Trust is only achieved with repeated experiences of trustworthiness, like in friendship. If the musicians and management got to know each other on a personal level and treated one another with courtesy, they would be more willing to accept hardships and difficulties as a team.
Another huge factor in the dissatisfaction of orchestral musicians is the lack of control they exercise over their own careers. This was a brilliant thesis put out by Seymour and Robert Levine in their article, “Why They’re Not Smiling: Stress and Discontent in the Orchestra Workplace.”¹ While they concentrate on many psychological factors, this author’s suggestion will be to address the lack of control concerning artistic decision making without changing its current model of programming. There are certain percentages of the seasonal program that must be dedicated to pops, classical, and guest artists – but some concerts are open to more creative suggestions. Perhaps in the final revisions of the programming, which typically go through several revisions before permanently accepted, the artistic administrators can suggest a list of pieces that would fit in the open time slots and have the musicians vote on their favorite ones. This is a small step, true, and not complete freedom in choosing the way some would prefer, but at least the musicians have a say. Another suggestion would be for the musicians to write down a list of their most desirable pieces to play, and the artistic administrators can keep it in mind when they start planning the next season.
In order to address several concerns at once, some sort of meeting should be set up that includes all people involved in the orchestra. Instead of management on one side defending their decisions to the musicians, they will all be split up into groups to brain storm and come up with solutions together to further instill respect. Proportionally, there are less people in management then there are musicians, so the orchestra can be split up into groups of no more than ten people, with at least one of those people from management. The rest of the group would ideally come from different sections of the orchestra. The groups could sit down and discuss the decisions for the season and why they were made. Grievances that were voiced throughout the season should be divided up so each group gets a different one. That way all will be given the opportunity to be solved. At the end, each group should have one representative share the potential solutions to the rest of the orchestra. This kind of group method was explored by Robert J. Wager and Tina Ward, whose article, “The Exploration of Teamwork: The Lahti Symphony Orchestra,”² proved an interesting read.
The final factor explored in this paper will be the involvement of hope and expectation in an orchestra. If the musicians and management are not content, and yet they are not making significant efforts to change this dissatisfaction, they are most likely suffering from lack of a clear mission statement or dedication to the statement. When people are dedicated to an agreed-upon goal, their work ethic reflects the standards of that goal. Imagine eighty or more musicians dedicated to spreading their love of classical music to the community, educating them, and using their art to benefit the people around them. That kind of goal is more exciting than simply performing music that has been played fifteen times before. Musicians should understand how their art affects the world around them and convince people that it is an important and relevant part of society. If musicians are convinced of that vision themselves, their enthusiasm will exude in their performances, and the audiences will come. To encourage the mission statement around the work place, people in management should frequently recite it at the beginnings of rehearsals. During meetings and workshops people can give small talks about the importance of the vision and the effect it is having on sales, the community’s opinion of the orchestra, and the overall morale of the players. People work best when they have something to look forward to, and audiences want to be inspired.
Many symphony musicians might be unhappy in their current situation, but there are simple, effective ways to combat dissatisfaction and make the orchestra an exciting place to work, which in turn makes it an attractive event to attend. By cultivating respect and trust between the musicians and management, increasing the amount of control musicians have over their careers, and promoting the orchestra’s mission statement, the American symphony will become a career goal instead of an undesirable back-up plan. Blame will no longer separate the musicians from the management, and they will have a healthy relationship that involves thoughtful discussions and mutual agreements.
¹ - Levine, Seymour and Robert. Why They’re Not Smiling: Stress and Discontent in the Orchestral Workplace. Harmony: Forum of the Symphony Orchestra Institute, April 1996, 14-25. http://polyphonic.org/harmony.php?id=2
²- Wagner, Robert J. & Tina Ward. Explorations of Teamwork: The Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Harmony: Forum of the Symphony Orchestra Institute, October 2002, 1-24. http://polyphonic.org/harmony.php?id=15
Symphony musicians are in a difficult state. Their passion and livelihood are determined by non-musicians who think in terms of numbers and business models; those who make the artistic decisions are often constricted by money; and the audience who supports the orchestra financially typically desires to hear the same symphonies over and over again. Musicians live in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction. What they do, how they do it, and the rate of variability in which these factors change are not controlled by the musicians. Unlike most professionals, they cannot easily make a change in companies or in how they present their expertise. Assuming they were lucky enough to win another rare audition (and I do mean luck, for their skills are often matched – if not surpassed – by hundreds of others going for the same job), they will find themselves in a different city with the same predicament: lack of control. For this reason, there are few turnarounds in professional orchestras. Those who were once excited about winning a job and playing in a professional symphony are now tempered by the reality of their situation. While most professionals would get a raise or change jobs, musicians are stuck in the same seat playing the same pieces every few years. Their dissatisfaction only grows. To handle the fact that their passion and years of dedication and craftsmanship are no longer in their control, many become apathetic.Instead of inflicting blame on any particular group or person that manages the orchestra, this author will instead present ideas to reverse the pattern of dissatisfaction in orchestras, while still maintaining the traditional roles of leadership. This way the average orchestra can experiment with these ideas without fearing that their whole management and ways of working will be restructured. The basic orchestral model currently works, but it would be much more effective if musicians and management learned to cultivate respect on both sides, expand the degree of control musicians have, and promote their orchestral goals for the future.
Many professionals have expressed concern over the “us versus them” attitude between the musicians and management in the orchestral world. While unfortunate, this is a natural consequence of the less-than-democratic system. Musicians do not feel respected by those who make the final decisions because their artistic needs are not being met or taken seriously; the responses of those who must defend their decisions are “we cannot possibly satisfy the artistic desires of eighty different people – the budget will not allow it.” There is a clear disconnect between the two groups, yet rarely is management given the chance to explain their decisions, and the reasoning is less than desirable to the musicians who are tired of hearing “money” as an excuse. Experts in business and finance are brought in to help out the orchestra, which furthers the issue of non-musicians controlling every aspect of the musicians’ lives.
A helpful solution is to remove the barriers between musicians and management to instill some mutual respect. It seems simple, but the closest way to gain respect from colleagues is to treat them with courtesy and respect. All people involved in the organization should make a conscious effort to listen to and address grievances in a respectful manner. Administrators should give in-depth details to the musicians so that they feel more involved in the decision making process. That way the orchestra would understand that it is not necessarily the fault of the administrators that caused the lack of original programming. The conductor should play to the orchestra’s strength and interests and not just his own. The orchestra is a group effort; not a totalitarian regime. Musicians should treat each other with courtesy and understand that mistakes can happen. Petty grievances should be forgotten, as distractions are created by those who thrive on drama. These are ideal situations, but they are not above the standards of the typical workplace and they are certainly not too much to ask.
A solution that is more difficult to achieve is to hold several social functions per season in order for all involved to get to know one another. Orchestras make more than just a product; they make music, which is an emotional experience. If those who are supposed to create the emotional experience are apathetic and dissatisfied, the audience will pick up on that and not feel moved by the music and not want to come back. This, in turn, affects the finances of the orchestra, meaning they do not have enough money to play pieces considered tonally risky or too large. When the artistic desires of the musicians are not fed, it tends to increase their apathy. It is a nasty cycle that can only be broken when people make the effort to change. Musicians should enjoy playing with one another, and that means trusting their colleagues enough to bear their soul and play. Trust is only achieved with repeated experiences of trustworthiness, like in friendship. If the musicians and management got to know each other on a personal level and treated one another with courtesy, they would be more willing to accept hardships and difficulties as a team.
Another huge factor in the dissatisfaction of orchestral musicians is the lack of control they exercise over their own careers. This was a brilliant thesis put out by Seymour and Robert Levine in their article, “Why They’re Not Smiling: Stress and Discontent in the Orchestra Workplace.”¹ While they concentrate on many psychological factors, this author’s suggestion will be to address the lack of control concerning artistic decision making without changing its current model of programming. There are certain percentages of the seasonal program that must be dedicated to pops, classical, and guest artists – but some concerts are open to more creative suggestions. Perhaps in the final revisions of the programming, which typically go through several revisions before permanently accepted, the artistic administrators can suggest a list of pieces that would fit in the open time slots and have the musicians vote on their favorite ones. This is a small step, true, and not complete freedom in choosing the way some would prefer, but at least the musicians have a say. Another suggestion would be for the musicians to write down a list of their most desirable pieces to play, and the artistic administrators can keep it in mind when they start planning the next season.
In order to address several concerns at once, some sort of meeting should be set up that includes all people involved in the orchestra. Instead of management on one side defending their decisions to the musicians, they will all be split up into groups to brain storm and come up with solutions together to further instill respect. Proportionally, there are less people in management then there are musicians, so the orchestra can be split up into groups of no more than ten people, with at least one of those people from management. The rest of the group would ideally come from different sections of the orchestra. The groups could sit down and discuss the decisions for the season and why they were made. Grievances that were voiced throughout the season should be divided up so each group gets a different one. That way all will be given the opportunity to be solved. At the end, each group should have one representative share the potential solutions to the rest of the orchestra. This kind of group method was explored by Robert J. Wager and Tina Ward, whose article, “The Exploration of Teamwork: The Lahti Symphony Orchestra,”² proved an interesting read.
The final factor explored in this paper will be the involvement of hope and expectation in an orchestra. If the musicians and management are not content, and yet they are not making significant efforts to change this dissatisfaction, they are most likely suffering from lack of a clear mission statement or dedication to the statement. When people are dedicated to an agreed-upon goal, their work ethic reflects the standards of that goal. Imagine eighty or more musicians dedicated to spreading their love of classical music to the community, educating them, and using their art to benefit the people around them. That kind of goal is more exciting than simply performing music that has been played fifteen times before. Musicians should understand how their art affects the world around them and convince people that it is an important and relevant part of society. If musicians are convinced of that vision themselves, their enthusiasm will exude in their performances, and the audiences will come. To encourage the mission statement around the work place, people in management should frequently recite it at the beginnings of rehearsals. During meetings and workshops people can give small talks about the importance of the vision and the effect it is having on sales, the community’s opinion of the orchestra, and the overall morale of the players. People work best when they have something to look forward to, and audiences want to be inspired.
Many symphony musicians might be unhappy in their current situation, but there are simple, effective ways to combat dissatisfaction and make the orchestra an exciting place to work, which in turn makes it an attractive event to attend. By cultivating respect and trust between the musicians and management, increasing the amount of control musicians have over their careers, and promoting the orchestra’s mission statement, the American symphony will become a career goal instead of an undesirable back-up plan. Blame will no longer separate the musicians from the management, and they will have a healthy relationship that involves thoughtful discussions and mutual agreements.
¹ - Levine, Seymour and Robert. Why They’re Not Smiling: Stress and Discontent in the Orchestral Workplace. Harmony: Forum of the Symphony Orchestra Institute, April 1996, 14-25. http://polyphonic.org/harmony.php?id=2
²- Wagner, Robert J. & Tina Ward. Explorations of Teamwork: The Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Harmony: Forum of the Symphony Orchestra Institute, October 2002, 1-24. http://polyphonic.org/harmony.php?id=15
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