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josephus07 · 01-31-2006, 10:22 PM

I'm curious about putting on recitals outside of a school setting.

What kinds of things have worked for people in terms of:

Finding a location
Programming
Marketing / drawing people in.

It seems to me that there is a way to get an audience interested in anything you program:

Take 5 minutes or less before a piece to do one or more of the following:

-let the audience know what to listen for
-let the audience know why you picked the piece
-explain the piece in basic analytical terms
-explain the value
-explain the composer's intent
-relate the piece to something they may know.

Maybe we're not knowledgeable enough about what we are playing (we just know how to play it) or lack the communication skills to effectively engage an audience in aspects beyond what is actually coming out of our bells.

There is some music that, no matter how strong your musical intent or expression, people just won't get. But if we help them, maybe they'll come away with something other than, "That just sounded like noise," and maybe we can start creating a more educated listening audience.

I remember going to a Fulcrum Point concert (Steven Burns, Chicago) a few years back, and as a COMPOSITION major, my mind was wandering a bit. I don't think there was anything wrong with the programming and there certainly wasn't anything wrong with the playing or the music director (Mr. Burns), but I definitely could have benefitted from some more knowledge of the material.

This summer I saw Tim Adams give a recital (timpanist in the Pittsburgh Symphony). I think a big part of why the audience connected with him so well and why he had them captivated was because of the brief but pertinent information he offered about each piece.

I also think sometimes that as performers we create too much of a wall between stage and audience. I'm all for being completely engulfed in the music while I'm playing, but before and after...why be so "distant"?

Any thoughts?

01-31-2006, 10:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
josephus07 Pianissimo User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 93	Step right up to the show... I'm curious about putting on recitals outside of a school setting. What kinds of things have worked for people in terms of: Finding a location Programming Marketing / drawing people in. It seems to me that there is a way to get an audience interested in anything you program: Take 5 minutes or less before a piece to do one or more of the following: -let the audience know what to listen for -let the audience know why you picked the piece -explain the piece in basic analytical terms -explain the value -explain the composer's intent -relate the piece to something they may know. Maybe we're not knowledgeable enough about what we are playing (we just know how to play it) or lack the communication skills to effectively engage an audience in aspects beyond what is actually coming out of our bells. There is some music that, no matter how strong your musical intent or expression, people just won't get. But if we help them, maybe they'll come away with something other than, "That just sounded like noise," and maybe we can start creating a more educated listening audience. I remember going to a Fulcrum Point concert (Steven Burns, Chicago) a few years back, and as a COMPOSITION major, my mind was wandering a bit. I don't think there was anything wrong with the programming and there certainly wasn't anything wrong with the playing or the music director (Mr. Burns), but I definitely could have benefitted from some more knowledge of the material. This summer I saw Tim Adams give a recital (timpanist in the Pittsburgh Symphony). I think a big part of why the audience connected with him so well and why he had them captivated was because of the brief but pertinent information he offered about each piece. I also think sometimes that as performers we create too much of a wall between stage and audience. I'm all for being completely engulfed in the music while I'm playing, but before and after...why be so "distant"? Any thoughts?