Monetherese

This user is a participant in WikiProject Classical music.

Background

I am a second-year masters student studying violin performance at the Longy School of Music with Laura Bossert. I received my B.M. in violin performance and music business at DePaul University.

Outreach and The Future of Classical Music

I am a participant in the Future of Classical Music FAll 2007 class, in which we are attempting to bring some insight to this very vast and complex topic. This user page fulfills a requirement for the class. My focus will be on outreach as a key component to the future of classical music.

My Philosophy

I would like to open this forum up to additional outreach ideas. Each person in this world responds to music differently and as musicians we can learn from the experiences of other musicians, getting ideas that will make our outreach more effective. "Outreach," however we choose to define it, has become a necessary part of the classical music world. Outreach will continue to be a key component in every classical musician's career, as classical music's competition (for example technology and instant access to a variety of music) continues to grow.

Overview

In the US, outreach has become a vital and required component of a non-profit classical music ensembles' mission statement, whether it be in addition to its primary activities or the foundation of their activities. This term outreach encompasses a broad range of applications. Each group brings its own unique talents and creative ideas defining outreach in many diverse ways, from reinventing the traditional concert setting and providing educational experiences, to performing in unusal venues. Outreach allows classical musicians the flexibility to bring classical music into modern settings, as opposed to the very orderly traditional performance that evolved in the 20th-century. Outreach is critical in developing audiences for classical music, educating new audiences and making a new generation excited about classical music. Classical musicians are now required to think outside the concert hall box for the art of classical music to thrive and have a place in the future of society.

Outreach Within the Traditional Concert Setting

Program Notes

Written program notes have become a staple of the modern classical music concert. They provide analysis and context of the pieces being performed that guides the listener's experience. A necessity in many cases for modern music, programs notes are now produced for classical music of any time period, providing historical background to further educate the audience.

Higher musical education has accepted the demand on performers to create program notes and many music programs require courses on the subject. In fact, writing program notes has become a business. Many freelance writers and musicologists are hired to write notes for performers. Grace Notes is just one example of countless such businesses. Through Overtures to an Audience Paul Serotsky turned writing program notes into an outreach program. In lieu of a fee, he asks for a donation to a charity. Countless websites provide program notes on numerous pieces and new composers often provide notes on their own pieces. Program notes can also be viewed on most major ensemble's websites, allowing listeners to read about the pieces to be performed before attending a concert.

Classical musicians have amended the traditional written program notes in an effort to make classical music more personable and accessible to the masses. Aural program notes have become quite popular, with some ensembles choosing to provide only aural notes. In this setting the musician communicates directly with the audience, creating a more personal atmosphere. Pre-concert lectures have also become a staple of classical music programs, providing anoher means of educating audiences about classical music.

Concerts With An Outreach Approach

The International Chamber Artists is a chamber music ensemble based in Chicago, IL. They present a concert series for which the ticket price is Suggested Donation only. A percentage of the proceeds is donated to a local music school serving underpriviledged children. A student from the school is given the opportunity to rehearse with an ensemble member and then performs on the concert, giving the audience a first-hand view of what their choice to attend a concert does for the life of a child.

Rush Hour Concerts, based in Chicago, is an innovative series tailored to busy lifestyles. With drinks at 5:15 pm and a one-hour concert starting at 5:45pm, this series provides free classcal music at a most convenient time.

Performance Outreach in Non-Traditional Venues

A New York Times article by Anne Midgette, For Downtown Clubs, the Uptown Classical, talks about classical music moving away from the traditional recital/concert hall.

Bach With Verse supports the work of musician and story teller Richard "Dobbs" Hartshorne. He has devoted his career to performing in prisons throughout the US and performing in war torn countries such as Palestine and Afghanistan.

The Chiara String Quartet has has embraced the current trend (or need) to reach audiences in unconventional venues. Read Music That Thinks Outside the Chamber to learn about their journey.

Cellist Matt Haimovitz pushes the limits of what can be played on the cello and where traditional classical cello music is performed. A Renowned Classical Musician Hits the Rock Circuit "Great music reaches out to people no matter where you play it. I don't care what century or genre it belongs to. To me Beethoven is as contemporary as David Sanford in that it speaks to me with an urgency that makes me view the world around me in a new way. If I can communicate that to my audience, hopefully I will have their attention. People who come to hear music in the clubs are already music lovers even if they have never come into contact with classical music before." -Matt Haimovitz (For complete interview with Tim Janof click here.

Derek Mithaug, director of career development at Juilliard School, talks about the surge of classical music performance in non-traditional venues in Classical Music, the New Underground?

Gavin Borchert of Seattle Weekly comments on classcal music in non-traditional venues in his article Restless Nights.

Educational Outreach

Michael Tilson Thomas, Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, developed Keeping Score, a multi-year program designed to make classical music more accessible to people of all ages and musical backgrounds.

Young Audiences is a unique nonprofit that connects artists to schools and communities throughout the US through a network of 32 chapters/affiliates. Young Audiences programs take place in schools (programs meet state and local standards), libraries, community centers, hospitals, camps and parks, reaching children with special needs and children at risk. Schools and community centers can "order" programs that enhance their ciriculum/activities from a catalog of professional artists and arts-in-education specialists.

Miscellaneous Articles and Links

A new crop of conductors and performers is taking Generation X to the symphony by Vince Darcangelo of the Daily Camera