Posted by David on October 17, 2002 at 12:18:30:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Calgary Philharmonic Shuts Down posted by dp on October 17, 2002 at 11:52:24:
A very optimistic view. When was the last time you met anyone who, having spent much of his time and energy pursuing a music degree, took any class other than music?
Specialization has become the key. One person specializes in marketing, another in accounting, another in administration, another in tuba playing. How many tuba players are marketing whizzes? (your answer lies in the number of tuba players working as full time soloists)
Besides what I have already said, the function of an orchestra is to provide a service to the community. That makes it a business. Successful businesses are, by and large, not run by "artists". While a smattering of courses in the arts would possibly make the administrators a little more sympathetic, each of them still has a business to run.
A successful business requires a great deal of effort. We have gotten used to others supplying the money to make an orchestra run. How about some capitalistic use of the time and efforts necessary to make an orchestra successful? How many orchestras could actually survive without federal government help, or donations, or city tax dollars? Do orchestras try to create new markets? Do most orchestras encourage members to create CD's for the benefit of the orchestra? When was the last brass quintet concert done by members of the major orchestra in town for the benefit of the orchestra?
Other ideas to make music profitable?