Remember the Arts

Times are bad. Uncertainty and loss loom around every corner. And since none of us knows what’s really happening to our money, except the numbers keep becoming more dismal every time we open our retirement statements, most people are hunkering down until the economy evens out again.

Unfortunately, one of the first places to get hit with lowered donations and reduced tickets sales are the arts. That seems understandable—if it’s a choice between putting food on my or my neighbors’ table and going to the ballet, I choose food. But for those of us who are lucky enough to be able to afford our needs while also helping our neighbors some, continuing our support of the arts is also important. Anyone interested in reading this blog probably already understands the importance of art and music in our lives: It helps civilize humanity; it helps us explore our emotions and expand our understandings. And that’s in addition to teaching us logic, problem solving and a host of other very useful attributes. If artists or musicians or organizations are forced to succumb to an unfriendly economy to the point that they can’t produce or present their art, we all are poorer for it.

So while you’re hunkered down protecting your pennies, please make the effort to attend a musical event or go to a play or give a donation to an arts organization. When the economy finally recovers, it would be very sad if we raise our collective heads and breathe sighs of relief just to discover that members of our arts community have taken the ultimate economic hit.

Merge Two Competing Chamber Music Presenter Organizations?

The performing arts market is tremendously fragmented. That fragmentation inevitably leads to inefficiencies. There are more than 520 presenter entities who are organizational members of Chamber Music America. And one thing that’s clear from examining CMA’s directory of chamber music presenters is that communities in the U.S. that have performing arts markets that are robust enough to have one presenter tend in fact to have two or more chamber music presenters. In many cases, that means that there is relatively intense competition for what is almost certainly a finite market—a finite monthly or quarterly consumer spend per household. Probably the same is also true in cities in Europe and the U.K.

For simplicity and to directly respond to the anonymous emailer’s question, I’ve put together a mathematical model that is for two competitors in a market—a duopoly. It would be far more complex to create an accurate, actionable financial merger model for three or more competitors. Actually, if the proposition were to simultaneously consolidate three or more competitors into one unified presenter organization, then you could still use this Cournot-Nash game-theory model as-is. You would simply put your own figures in as Presenter P, and then sum the figures for all of your competitors and put those sums in the Rival R column. Click here to read more.

Volunteers are the Backbone of Nonprofits

Last week we welcomed back our volunteers with a party to kick-off the season and thank all of them for their dedication and service. During the party I looked around and realized what a unique relationship non-profit organizations get to have with dedicated, hard-working individuals who have a passion for what they volunteer for. While the party was given by the staff to thank the volunteers many of them showed up early to help us set up even though they were not asked to. It’s funny how the core of a person never changes no matter what the circumstance. Once a volunteer, always a volunteer.

Whether the non-profit is big or small I guarantee it could not survive without the worthy volunteer time of individuals. Take The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum for instance. Most of the greeters and security people standing throughout the galleries are volunteers. One of the reasons The Nelson-Atkins is able to open their doors for free to the public is because of these individuals willingness to serve.

Tomorrow night is our first concert of the season and I look forward to seeing our volunteers in action. At the box office I will be working with two women who have been volunteering in the box office during concerts for many years now. Since this is my first concert it is a great relief to me to be with two wonderful people who can show me the ropes.

I honestly do not know how we would survive without the help of many, many people who are dedicated to helping us bring beautiful music to the masses. If you are not yet volunteering for a non-profit arts organization I would highly recommend it. There is nothing more satisfying than working for a cause you believe in.

Working for The Friends

Working in a non-profit office for chamber music was not something that was exactly high on my list of things to do as a college student. I had homework to do, real work to do, money to make, friends to hang out with, papers to write, naps to take; an internship was one of the last things on my mind. If I happened to find one, sure, that'd be fine, but it was not pertinent to my life at that present moment. But fate would happen to intervene. One day, after my brain had been slighted by too many hours of dull repetitive work, my cell phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize, so I let it go to voicemail. Upon hearing the message that our marketing director Jeremy had left, I was astounded. He had actually offered me an internship. It wasn't I who was fighting through ranks to earn a prestigious position as office intern, I was chosen.

I'd have to admit, for a few seconds, I felt like Highlander.

But once reality came back to me, and I stepped off the nearest table and relinquished my pen which I had brandished as a sword, I immediately called him back. We set up a meeting for the next Wednesday. When the day arrived, I dressed to look my best and went to the interview. We discussed the facets of working in the office, the music, the not being paid-ness (much to my chagrin). At the end of it all, I didn't feel like running out of the office into the street, so I decided that I'd work for them. A shake of the hand and my work schedule was set.

I do some of the basic boring intern things: Calling, filing, mailing, answering phones, typing; it's to be expected to do those things. But I do have opportunities to have more responsibilities. Because I'm the only one in the office under the age of 22, I have become the in-house techie and master of Facebook and Myspace. Also being a film student, I get to make a promotion video for The Friends of Chamber Music, which is something I highly look forward to. Plus it's always nice to be able to work in a professional atmosphere, and I look forward to being with the Friends for a long time.

Bring the Kids

We’re going to Paradise Park! That’s one of my favorite spots to enjoy with my grandkids—a delightful educational play spot right off 470/291 in Lee’s Summit with lots of great things to do and experience for kids from tiny to big! Granddaughter Carlyn and I went there to play last week—splashed in the water tables, checked out pretend groceries in the play store, made a beautiful “apple tree” out of the art supplies, and played outside on the little-kids’ jungle gym.

On December 7th, we’ll get to go back! For the first time, The Friends have made arrangements to have one of our “What Makes It Great?” performances there. Entertaining and educational Rob Kapilow, with the Biava and Penderecki String Quartets, will explore and perform Mendelssohn’s Octet. 2:00 Sunday afternoon, December 7, 2008. We’ll have an entire afternoon to learn about classical music together with our families, grab a bite at the food court, and play together until we’re all happily exhausted! (Paradise Park is staying open late especially for us folks going to the music program.)
Be sure to join Carlyn and me (oh, and maybe her mama and daddy) at Paradise Park on December 7th.

Great music with great fun! Great combination!

Music's Healing Power

My grandmother recently passed away. She was 96, and lived a long, happy life. Her cancer diagnosis came only one month ago, and we were fortunate that she didn’t suffer for very long. My family is grieving over this loss, but I find that we’re all using music to help lift our spirits.

A couple of weeks ago, on my way to visit Grandma, I listened to the Carter Family in the car. I wanted to hear something “old-timey” and simple, something that would remind me of Grandma’s childhood days on a farm in central Missouri. Much of the Carter Family’s gospel-themed music was appropriate to my mood, too. Grandma always followed the Carters’ advice to “Keep on the Sunny Side”!

Over that weekend visit to see Grandma, my dad, a bluegrass enthusiast, played his old record of Bill Monroe doing classics such as “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?” and “He Will Set Your Fields on Fire.” He played this record a lot while I was growing up, so the songs sounded very familiar and comforting. Later that day, my mom played a CD of hymns arranged by John Rutter, one of her favorite composers and arrangers. I realized that as all of us were coming to terms with Grandma’s prognosis, we were finding music that wouldn’t necessarily provide complete solace, but that would give us a soundtrack under which we could reflect upon our emotions and memories.

Both of my grandparents were big jazz fans. My grandfather, who passed away ten years ago, had a record collection that included all the “greats”. When he was in the nursing home, my mom would play Benny Goodman or Billie Holiday on a small stereo in his room, and he would smile as if this elixir was better than any pain medicine. Music can be powerful not only for those who love the dying, but for the dying, themselves.

My mom is going to play the organ at Grandma’s funeral. She says that Grandma always loved hearing her play, especially when she would “bang out” big, powerful hymns. One of Grandma’s favorite hymns was “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” Mom will play it at the funeral, and will play it LOUD! Grandma will be smiling, I’m sure.

Art is Always Present

We have had a cloud of doom and gloom over our lives with threats and worries of a troubled economic state. Everywhere you turn there are talks of cutbacks and foreclosures and minimal resources. It’s real and it’s serious.

Often in situations where there is a question of resources we often look at what we can cut back on that will help to alleviate our financial burden. Unfortunately, that is often the arts. Those of us in the industry argue its need in maintaining a society of expression and diverse culture; others may argue that it is an extra benefit, something that we can live without. My opinion was recently confirmed in a new way.

A couple of weeks ago, The Friends participated in the Plaza Art Fair. This is always a very exciting event for our organizations because we get to interact with long committed patrons while at the same time informing others who are interested in learning about who we are and what we do. I chose to really take in as much as I could this year being relatively new to The Friends. When it was all over I was at the art fair all 28 hours! I interacted with countless attendees about The Friends and our upcoming season. We even had a game in which contestants could win a prize by playing “Name that Composer.” I ended up learning a lot about the impact of the arts that weekend. I have a degree in theatre and I have always been an advocate for the arts but I saw something a little different with this experience. Whenever someone would engage in a conversation with me about the season I would see excitement build within them and an energy just take off. The mere thought of what they might experience through catharsis at one of our concerts really exhibited the power of art. I would like to say that they were excited due to my eloquent words and engaging delivery but I will have to take a hit to the ego because it was more than that. It was the art. It was the legacy of the wide range of music we present, some of it going back 1200 years.

That weekend left me even more energized about the art we present. It drove my passion for the arts to be even stronger as I saw how art is always present no matter what the crisis, and furthermore that classical music isn’t for the elite but for everyone. Its effect can be the redemption we need in a time of crisis.