Audience Engagement
Last weekend, Chicago a cappella had a special performance, along rather unusual lines. A longtime patron was having a big birthday, and his wife hired us to go the Unitarian Church of Evanston for a surprise party and concert.
Sometimes it's hard to know if you're affecting someone, but this was not one of those times. The fortunate birthday boy, Craig (who was turning 50) sat up in the front row, enjoying all of it. One of the requests was the hilarious song by Paul Carey, "Mashed Potato/Love Poem" from the cycle "Play With Your Food!" We hadn't sung it in a few years, and it was wonderful to once again witness that song's effect on an audience.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 07/03/2007 - 10:41am.
This week's blog comes to us courtesy of Jean Cook and Justin Jouvenal, and is a continuation of last week's posting Think Digitally, Broadcast Globally. They work with the Future of Music Coalition, an education, research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the intersection of independent music, technology, and policy.
Though interest in podcasts and Internet radio is growing exponentially, these formats have a long way to go before they 
supplant old-fashioned terrestrial radio. Traditional radios are ubiquitous, everyone knows how to use them, and we all grew up listening to them.
More than 275 million Americans listen to radio, and, according to a recent report by the Knight Foundation, radio is the most popular way for classical music consumers to hear the music. Until now, getting on the radio required building a strong relationship with your local station or being a major symphony orchestra or opera company with an NPR deal. But this year, it could also involve owning and programming a radio station in your hometown.
This October, for the first time in more than a decade (and probably for the last time ever), the FCC is giving nonprofits licenses to create and operate new radio stations. In a few years, we'll hear niche music on the radio again, on stations built by a handful of nonprofit organizations. Will yours be one of them?
Owning a radio station can give you the opportunity to bring your programming to an even broader audience, furthering your mission and bringing about many new fundraising opportunities. In Albany, one presenter is already creating synergy between live performances and radio. The WAMC Performing Arts Studio (PAS) brings a variety of music, dance, theater, and film to live audiences in and around Albany, New York, and is operated by WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, which promotes and broadcasts these performances. Recent performers to live audiences in Albany and listeners in the greater Hudson Valley region include jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, reedman David "Fathead" Newman, and gothic cello quartet Rasputina. The PAS also serves as a community hub, with locals attending daytime events such as town meetings, lectures, children's programs, and Sunday matinees. The PAS hosts a youth media project for high-needs urban and rural high schools in the New York Capital District Area and arts-in-education projects with neighborhood elementary schools.
Interested in learning more? Any nonprofit can apply for a radio station. Though the opportunity is limited to smaller metropolitan and rural areas, there are some great opportunities in places like Buffalo NY, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN, Milwaukee WI, Las Vegas NV, Alberquerque NM, Baton Rouge LA, Richmond VA, Huntsville AL, Flint MI, and Canton OH. To find out if you're in one of the 2,500+ qualifying zip codes, visit GetRadio!.
For more about how to apply for a license, check out the Future of Music Coalition fact sheet.
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Fri, 06/29/2007 - 11:58am.
Every Chicagoan should have access to an in-depth and personally relevant arts education experience. Thankfully, there are a group of organizations who fill that vital role: our community music schools.
They vary in size, in constituency, in mission, and in programs offered. But they share a commitment to encouraging a meaningful and life-changing involvement with music, one student at a time, and catering to the needs of the surrounding community.
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 12:23pm.
Greetings from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra! At long last, I am happy to make my debut in the blogosphere as a new contributor to Chicago Classical Music.
As the Education Manager of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, I am afforded a constant stream of opportunities to be inspired by the music performed at Symphony Center--a haven for the transcendental experiences created by the world's greatest collective of classical musicians and the best guest artists anywhere.
But what gives me the greatest charge of excitement is seeing young people witness--and be captivated by--the expressive capacity demonstrated by our musicians.
Such was the case at the June 5 culminating performance to our Silk Road season.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 11:18am.
Jim Hirsch is on vacation. Today's guest blogger is Chicago Sinfonietta clarinetist Dileep Gangolli.
An emerging genre in classical music - classical crossover - has captured a great deal of attention recently. And for good reason.
The statistics are some of the most compelling in the entire music 
industry according to the respected polling firm A.C. Nielsen.
Classical crossover album sales (yes, consumers still buy CDs!) were up 22.5% while popular genres were down including rap (down 20.7%) and R&B (down 18.4%).
Did someone say classical music is dead?
So what is classical crossover and why am I, a musician in the Chicago Sinfonietta, writing about it here on Jim's blog?
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 05/23/2007 - 9:38am.
Scott Spiegelberg, an Assistant Professor of Music at DePauw University and author of the blogsite, Musical Perceptions, has published his annual list of the top 50 classical music blogs. Loyal readers of chicagoclassicalmusic.org will be pleased to know that our humble little site has been listed at the 42nd ranked blog site for classical music. Thank you Scott!
Number 1? The Rest Is Noise, authored by Alex Ross topped Scott's list. Scott, what can we do to crack the top 25?
Other fun news from the Chicago Sinfonietta includes a trip with Paul 
Freeman to New York on June 6th to accept an award for the Chicago Sinfonietta's contributions to diversity in classical music given by the World Diversity Leadership Summit at the United Nations. Other honorees include Mr. Lee-Chin, a Canandian billionaire and philanthropist, Bud Selig, Commissioner of Major League baseball, HSBC, P & G, and others. Nice company! Are they really inviting me to the same party as a billionaire philanthropist? Someone, wake me up!
Finally, please indulge me one more shameless plug for our
upcoming concerts with alternative rockers, Poi Dog Pondering, on June 4
th at Symphony Center and June 10
th at Lund Auditorium. For those of you who are looking for something a little different, you've found it! Check out how Poi Dog's reinterpretation of themes from Carmen play out complete with video images over what will be a fun and interesting concert.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 05/16/2007 - 11:54am.
Who says classical music is only for older people? 
Check out this article by Richard Alleyne recently published in the UK Telegraph. Listenership is up significantly among the "under 15's" on Britain's Classic FM radio station. Nearly a half-million kids are listening to the station each week according to recent figures.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 05/09/2007 - 11:25am.
I recently read a quote in an ASOL email about an article written by Grayson Perry (UK Times) about the rise of a “blockbuster” mentality in the arts on the part of audience members, and by extension, arts programmers. Perry wrote, “There seems to be a schism opening up between the idea of attending an event and the actual experience. People appear to care more about gaining evidence of their presence at a cultural landmark than drinking in its pleasures. They want a photograph of themselves in front of the museum or even the star exhibit; they want the souvenir mousemat; in short they want its autograph. The erratic organic memory of looking at beauty seems to have been downgraded to a supporting role.” Perry added: “Blockbusters seem to be pandering to what I call the bungee-jump culture. People are becoming desensitized to the wonder and the sublime in their daily existence ... So it is with art that needs to be ‘once in a lifetime’ or incredibly famous before people feel it is worth seeing.”
Wow! I must confess that I am not immune to the “blockbuster” mentality.
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The other day, there appeared in the Dcist an article about how Jeff Beam went to the orchestra for (nearly) the first time. The whole experience really was about taking the “orchestra challenge” Drew McManus set up on his Adaptistration blog site through the April Take a Friend to Orchestra month. Yours truly and a month’s worth of other music professionals wrote pieces about how “ordinary people who love classical music can invite a friend who does not regularly go to hear live music to a concert.” Click here to continue reading
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Listener Memories, Recordings and Rare Interviews Pre-empt Regular Music Schedule
98.7WFMT, Chicago's Classical Experience, is paying tribute to Russian musician and human rights activist
Mstislav Rostropovich who died this morning in Moscow. Today, Friday April 27, and tomorrow morning, Saturday April 28, the station is airing recordings from its archives of Rostropovich cello performances and conducting various orchestras around the world. In addition, the station is airing voicemails and reading emails from listeners recounting memories of the world-renowned musician, who visited Chicago many times during his lifetime. Rare interviews have also been posted on wfmt.com.
The special tribute pre-empts previously scheduled musical programming. "Today represents a major loss for the classical music world" said WFMT Program Director
Peter Whorf, "and it's only appropriate that we use our archives to pay tribute." On his blog, Whorf posted a rare audio clip of composer
Dmitri Shostakovich speaking of his friend Rostropovich as well as a recent interview producer
Jon Tolansky conducted with him in 2002. One Internet listener remarked via email that "the great significance of Mstislav Rostropovich to the music world and the world in general is tremendous. As you played his recording of what he played at the [collapse of the] Berlin Wall, I was deeply touched. Your efforts all morning to honor this great person is just one more reason what we love your station. "Thanks so much for all you do daily to enrich our lives." More information about 98.7WFMT and 98.7WFMT Streaming is available at www.wfmt.com .
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