Vlog #16 Audience praise and pushback
We just did a show after which a lot of people came up to say how much they liked it. A few days later, I came across a blog post from someone who really didn’t like it.
Vlog #14 We’re not emotion machines
Two recent articles in the blogosphere deal with the role of emotions in music and in the appreciation of music. Both were really insightful in their discussion about the attitude that music is primarily about manipulating emotions. Of course, music inspires passion and excites emotions, but that’s not all it does.
Vlog #13 The value of recordings (and Grammys)
Fresh off the 2012 Grammys, some thoughts about what recordings and awards mean for new music performance.
Vlog #12 Musicians are Energy Managers
David Lang says composers are managers of energy, which I think also applied to performers. It’s refreshing to think about music-making in terms of energy management, because it makes us mindful that the whole experience of the concert is a performance. Musicians should therefore pay attention to how they perform every part of the concert, even when they aren’t making a sound.
Vlog #11 Two sides of concert-hall etiquette
The New York Philharmonic incident in which a cell phone alarm halted a Mahler performance says something about the complications of concert-hall etiquette.
Vlog #10 Perform in a club
Conventional performance spaces for classical music can be great, but they come with a lot of cultural baggage that can get in the way of developing new audiences.
Vlog #9 The program note is dead!
Program notes aren’t worth the distraction. They take away from the experience of hearing and seeing music live. Use the web instead.
Vlog #8 Your ideas about entrepreneurship
I’ve been asked to design a curriculum for arts entrepreneurship. What kinds of career-building skills would you like to learn or wish you had? Give me your input in the comments section.
Vlog #7 Value vs. cost
Always bear in mind the value of every aspect of a project or performance. While keeping the cost low is a good strategy, there are some things that should cost what you value them.