orchestra21

Reblog → Image

Zürich by Cortis & Sonderegger

Great view from the side of the concert hall I’m accustomed to. [Image via spaceships]

Humblr

So this happened over the weekend:

When I moved orchestra21 over to Tumblr nine months ago I could not have imagined that so many of you would take an interest in my view of the symphonic world. I’m deeply humbled to have such a diverse readership and very much inspired to continue sharing aspects of the orchestra biz you won’t encounter elsewhere.

Look out for a special giveaway coming up in the next week – it’ll be my way of saying thanks to all my Tumblr folks!

Reblog → Image

Interesting illustration by Brian Rea for a recent New York Times piece on music licensing and copyright enforcement. [via kateoplis]

As I look at this graphic I have to wonder how we might plot ‘Those who listen to music live’ – after all, the accepted wisdom of the moment is that contemporary musicians ‘have learned to consider their recorded output, formerly their bread and butter, as a form of promotion for live shows.’

Music lessons

This weekend I was featured in the ongoing Courier-Journal series on lessons learned through work. My interview with Matt Frassica touches on a variety of challenges in the classical music business that have helped form my outlook on conducting and orchestra leadership.

Regarding orchestras:

I think orchestras have sometimes walled themselves off a little bit by saying, “This is what we do, and we don’t do other things.” We don’t have to be quite so self-limiting.

On becoming a conductor and, more essentially, a leader:

When you go through school you learn the mechanics and, hopefully, you learn about the repertoire. But as a conductor you don’t really learn how to be a leader in a larger sense of the word, whether it’s leading a performance or leading an organization. I try to build consensus and to encourage everybody I work with to buy into what we’re doing.

Tumblr shout-out!:

I really admire some of the [tech] companies for the way they do business. I think we could learn a lot from them. I love Tumblr, and I love the way they seem to be very approachable and inclusive and open. They’re very responsive to their users. I feel that orchestras can learn a lot from that.

On symphonic programming:

We do curate a tradition, but have started to realize that even though that’s one important thing we do, we also have to help establish new traditions and open our canon to new voices.

Responding to a living sound:

As a conductor it’s the sound of the orchestra that provides the greatest feedback. I’m searching for the right language or the right gesture that encourages a particular sound from the orchestra, and when the orchestra achieves that sound I immediately run back through all the steps I took to get there and find out what was it I did that helped to facilitate that.

Image

GPOYW In rehearsal with the Louisville Orchestra edition.

[Photo by O’Neil Arnold]

Video

And here I thought I knew everything there was to know about bringing a musical score to life. [Fabulous stop-motion by animator and illustrator Eleanor Stewart]

Quote

'There [is] all this buzz on Facebook and Twitter. Audiences just don’t do that with typical orchestra concerts.'

Reblog → Image

Characteristically evocative music photography from one of my favorite photoblogs and this week’s recommended Tumblr, hello, romantic. by Megan McIsaac. Follow Megan for a steady stream of wonderful imagery, musical and otherwise. [Update: Order a print from Megan]

And if you’d like to make a Tumblr recommendation yourself please consider supporting me this week in the directory.