Internet Marketing and Public Relations for the Arts

What do you know about "White Christmas"?

2009-12-09T18:01:00.001-05:00

Although white christmas might not be your favorite christmas song, this song has been played and sung for numerous times and might be being played somewhere now. There has not been enough information on exactly when and where Irving Berlin, the composer of the song wrote this song because his working places varied all the time, and he sometime stored some pieces for later use. According to biographers, his inspiration for the song came from his son's death on Christmas Eve 1928. After the success of the song, he also composed "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499404574561734246276554.html

Se Hyun Kim

180° 달라진 야후! 메일
여러 개의 메시지를 동시에 확인? 새로운 야후! 메일의 탭으로 가능해집니다.

web trends in 2010

2009-12-06T23:26:00.001-05:00

We have all seen how social media has changed our world and our living, so what do we expect to see for social networking and technology trend in 2010. CNN recent column by Pete Cashmore discuss 10 themes and trends that will define the Web next year.

What can arts administrators and arts marketers take note of what can help arts to grow or even survive in the community?

Among the trends, real time update seem to be the continuing trend, with the gratification on Google search, what if we could have shows and performances information update for "what to do around the city" on the smart phone, then find reviews on google or Layar, then with a click of an app, buy and pay tickets with mobile payments on the phone. Then finally walking into the theater or music hall without standing forever in the "will call" line. Instantly updating reviews after the show or even purchasing the recording of the specific performance on Instant Encore. Some of this is no new experience to many smart phone users, but as arts administrators leading the industry, we need to pay attention to the trend and be ahead of what audiences are expecting from us.

Cloud computing and social gaming is also predicted as a growing trend in 2010, perhaps symphony orchestras can build and store music electronically in a sever that can be shared by all members? What if composer can compose simultaneously across the country in a collaborative effort. Maybe instead of growing your own farm on facebook, we can build our own orchestra or opera company and trade with other players? produce performances?

The possibility is endless and innovation is unpredictable. But with information overloading our online world, we have to stay focus and send the precise message to the targeted audiences.

Unorthodox Fundraising to Save Colorado Symphony

2009-12-04T15:46:00.001-05:00

In an effort to pull the Colorado Symphony Orchestra out of its financial woes, a fundraising campaign by Colorado Public Radio will benefit the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The campaign, which had to be authorized by the FCC and will feature a live broadcast performance by Yo-Yo Ma, is the first time a broadcast company has been authorized to run a campaign for an outside organization since 1993. CPR is attempting to protect the orchestra's musicians, who in September accepted a 12.5% pay cut, four weeks of unpaid furloughs, and suspension of employer contributions to pension funds to avoid a deficit.

With so many arts organizations in financial peril, there is one question that becomes a sort of "Tug O' War": whose responsibility is it to protect these organizations anyway? The public thinks the organization should be self-sufficient, the musicians think the administration should protect them, the administration thinks the public should pay for the art it desires. And while certainly the CPR campaign is welcome, it is extremely unorthodox.

A logical person would probably say that an organization should be protected by some combination of these options....and finally, in Colorado at least, it looks some part of that is happening.

--Chelsie

Big theatre + little theatre is a win-win

2009-12-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

South Coast Rep, a large LORT theatre in Orange County, has announced that it will host another local company's production in its theatre. The Chance Theatre will be re-mounting its acclaimed production of Wayne Lemon's "Jesus Hates Me" in South Coast Rep's 99 seat space. South Coast Rep is offering the space free of charge to Chance Theatre, and clearly hopes to turn this into a series if the initial venture is successful. I applaud this decision because it would be an excellent source of revenue, and vibrant theatre. It is usually not cost effective to produce progressive work on a large LORT contract because of the added costs associated with it. This way, South Coast Rep will be able to provide their audience progressive work on a much more affordable level. In addition, Chance Theatre will be able to expand its audience.

This is a clear win-win situation for everyone, and more theatres across the country should take notice.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/12/south-coast-repertory-to-host-a-small-theater-guest-production-for-the-first-time.html

-Brian

Consequences of budget cut

2009-12-02T15:44:00.001-05:00

With the economy has been down for almost over a year and unemployment rate hits the highest point in 20 years, it is not news to hear for-profit company or not-for profit organizations cut back in production and staff. Some said that this is an excellent opportunity for organizations to reform on their structure and be innovative about their production expenses, especially for those that has huge fixed cost. It is also a chance for the arts to reform and survive economic hardship. However, have we thought about the consequences of the major cut back on staff and expenses? What about productivity and quality of the work? It is common to see lay off of a few administrative positions across various departments of an organization and the duty is either split between the lucky ones who escaped the lay off or took over by new part time employees. The work load of operating an orchestra or theater is not necessarily less during an economic downturn, it actually is more difficult and challenging if not less. The heavier work load and paid freeze on a smaller sized staff definitely has impact on the quality of their output. Can the marketing team come up with fresh and creative ideas for selling the holiday hits if they are simply under-staff and just try to meet one deadline after each other? If the Project Manager in the Education and Outreach department had to oversee more projects, will that affect the quality of the program because he can't be at all the places at one time for all that is happening? Leading arts administrators or CEO should really consider the long-term consequences before they decide where to put the axe.

A Little Edutainment: College Humor's "Web Site Story"

2009-12-02T01:01:00.001-05:00

I couldn't resist posting this. It ads a nice touch to our discussion of social networking sites, and satisfies the theatre geek in me. "Web Site Story" has been around for a while, but if you haven't seen it, take a look. I love the guys at College Humor ... Sondheim couldn't have said it better. If the video doesn't show up, sorry about the gobbledygook. You can watch it here: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1913584.

--Joe

Washington National Opera's Cutback on Staff and Programming

2009-12-01T23:43:00.001-05:00

Rumors came true although nobody wants it. Washington National Opera announced that they are laying off staff and reducing their programming for the 10-11 season. WNO's programming has been shrunk each year from seven operas in 2007-2008 season to five for next season. In addition to these cutbacks, they will also reduce their annual budget from $32 million to about $26.5 million. The executive director, Mark Weinstein, will focus exclusively on fundraising and broad range financial strategic planning, and since the budget is down to $26.5 million, WNO will probably give up on international level. In addition to all these changes, what challenges WNO most is their general director, Placido Domingo. While WNO is financially struggling and making fundamental changes, their leader, Domingo is still not around, and he actually runs Los Angeles Opera and also keeps the busy life as an active professional vocalist.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113004073.html

Se Hyun Kim

180° 달라진 야후! 메일
알아서 척척! 새로운 야후! 메일은 새로운 메일이 도착할때 마다 새 메시지를 받아온답니다.

NSO's Asian Tour

2009-12-01T18:35:00.001-05:00

The National Symphony Orchestra, took its first Asian tour this summer in China and South Korea. They performed in Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Seoul and Goyang, but the orchestra kicked off the tour with a first performance in Macau.

The writer pointed out some similarities and differences of classical concerts on the Washington Post's review of the NSO's Macau performance. The most interesting thing I found is that the writer observed a noticeably young audience, with many teenagers and families including children, and the writer wonders if a sponsor had stepped in.
The concert is scheduled as part of the celebration of the Grand Auditorium of the Cultural Center in Macau, and ticket prices are even higher than regular concert prices.

Being brought up in this tiny and unique city of Macau, I am glad to see a full house for the NSO concert, and perhaps could give a better insight of the reason of the younger audiences demographic. There might be a certain private or corporate sponsor for each big cultural event. And since the cultural arts events are mostly government sponsored and operated, the size and noise of the publicity of each event depends on the budget. I remembered years ago, a poster of the world renowned violist, Yuri Bashmet, and his ensemble, is displayed on one of the biggest billboard in the center of the city around New Year's time. It is like seeing the Yo Yo Ma on Time's Square billboard during the holidays. The resources for publicity and advertising seem to be less struggling than here in the States.

As for why the audiences are noticeably younger than those here in the US, it is because of the availability. As the director of the International Festival of Macau pointed out in the article, the touring performers had expanded significantly in the past decade. My friends in Macau will get excited before the season brochure announcement, and they will discuss and decide what concerts they would like to go together. It is not difficult to find concert subscribers among the younger generations. They are excited because they do not get to see those high quality performing arts group often. It is not often that you get to see a world class symphony even if you are willing to pay the highest ticket price. You don't take something for granted if it is not always available.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060903260.html

~Gloria~

Gaining Coverage in the Media: Sound Advice for all Non-profits

2009-12-01T16:51:00.001-05:00

The Chronicle of Philanthropy just posted a transcript of today's online discussion titled Getting Good News Coverage: How to Persuade Journalists to Cover Your Cause. Participants include Matthew L. Hale of Seton Hall University and Jan Still-Lindeman, senior director of public relations at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The discussion is applicable to all non-profits. The participants emphasize establishing and building relationships with journalists, and discuss the social media and blogs as methods to share news and build support. Though much of the advice is basic, I recommend taking a look. Here are some key ideas I took away from the discussion:

In addressing the problem of static web pages, Mr. Hale suggests the use of a sophisticated blog, substituted for a webpage, and therefore easier to update. This may be helpful to organizations that lack the resources to keep a website up to date.
The moderator points out the common problem that organizations tend to "hide" the name and contact information for their press contact.
Importance of linking what we do to the big picture, or as Mr. Hale puts it, "the current obsession."
Positioning ourselves as experts in our area and how it links to greater societal movements and issues.
"Pack Journalism:" a pretty self explanatory expression, but basically journalists tend to follow each other to the big story, or "current obsession." Mr. Hale shares a particularly amusing anecdote about how to gain attention for a political campaign in L.A. during the O.J. Simpson trial. Essentially, the campaign goes to the LA Courthouse where the media are camped-out.

The conversation is insightful, and reminds us we have to remain vigilant in nourishing the relationships with journalists, and continually find creative ways of linking our story to the "current obsessions."

--Joe

Musical Medicine: The Music Therapy Debate

2009-12-01T15:41:00.001-05:00

In his article "Harp Therapy: Music as Medication," David Was illustrates some of the benefits of music therapy. Was gives an abbreviated overview of how music therapy works, naming some specific benefits and recommending that "it can't hurt" to employ music therapy. While the article itself is by no means scholarly, the research cited therein does lend itself to further consideration. For example, if the most respected, major research hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic advocate music therapy so greatly, why is it not more highly regarded as a legitimate means of healing? Or, more relevant to the field of arts administration: why don't we use this to our advantage more? Clearly there is reputable research showing the benefits of music therapy, yet it is uncommon to hear about organizations utilizing it. I'm all for it.

--Chelsie

This Production of “Hairspray” is Not Lost in Translation

2009-11-30T19:32:00.000-05:00

The Shaftesbury Theatre in London was the first to adopt the AirScript, a hand-held device that scrolls through a musical or theater work's script in eight different languages simultaneously with the action on stage. Similar to opera's long(er) time use of supertitles, this device is meant to attract more tourists, but in contrast to projected overhead titles, it has a back-lit LED low-glare screen that minimizes the distraction for neighboring audience members.

The article by BBC News sites advancements in technology as making this possible and more affordable for theaters to implement. Audience members at the Shaftesbury can rent the device for 6 pounds at the production of "Hairspray."

While some may still remain skeptical of adding any additional electronics to the front of house atmosphere and the system still has its shortcomings (for example improvised sections of any given work), this cutting edge way of integrating technology to reach new and expanded audiences might just be the kind of advancement theater needs at the international level.
--Leah

Reteetable ads to add to the social network conversation

2009-11-30T17:09:00.001-05:00

Viral marketing is nothing new, but according to a recent article in Brandweek, soon we may be seeing the "retweetable" ad, thanks to a deal between Federated Media and Tweetmeme. So now, we may begin to see share buttons on advertisements allowing the consumer to more easily repost an ad they like on Twitter. Apparently, Digg already has Dig-gable ads and is planning to expand this product. The Brandweek article asks how much consumers will be willing to share ads in their tweets and status updates. If the ads are as clever as many of the viral videos out there or add value to the conversations held over social media, they may indeed successfully increase click through rates.

I was a spectator for last week's "biggest" holiday: Black Friday, and was stunned by the number of status updates about friends rising early to fight for the best deals at their favorite stores. Some invited others to join them in the shop-fest. One status update read: "Anyone want to meet at [outlet mall] at 4:30 am?" What if the deals on HD TV's and irregular designer hand bags had been retweetable? No doubt the word would have spread even faster. Shopping for many is a social event.

The Arts may find another tool in the dig gable, shareable, and retweetable advertisement. Our younger patrons may be willing to pass an ad along, provided it adds to their conversation. That's the tricky part. This tool may be an opportunity to explore when inspiring younger patrons to take part in group sales or spread the word about special 35 and under deals offered by many performing arts organizations. I'm sure there are any number of creative ways an ad can "add to the conversation." The retweedable ad gives us a new avenue to explore.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3ie96e2720eadfdfa3c183445b50501131

--Joe

Fundraisers in a down economy

2009-11-30T00:47:00.000-05:00

Attached is the plan for the Chattanooga Symphony's opera fundraisers. It's wonderful that they want to bring back opera productions, but I question whether their fundraisers will bring in more money than they cost. With an elaborate touring show and a new production, this seems like an expensive way to raise money in a down economy. I wish that this article had included information on whether there had been any special compaigns or fund drives, which would cost less.

How things have changed

2009-11-30T00:33:00.001-05:00

Here's an interesting retrospective on changes in the classical music world over the last 10 years trhough an interview between Anne Midgette, music critic Washington Post, and Tom Huizenga, music critic NPR. Almost all of the topics discussed involve the difference that the internet has made on music from availability to changing tastes. I think her arguement that musical tastes are becoming more catholic is true in a fashion. I'm not sure that people's tastes are changing to incorporate a melding of classical and other (rock, country, jazz) styles. I think that it's more likely that people have always had these tastes, but now this music is more available. The widening of what is appropriate in a concert setting, or even what is a concert setting always for greater enjoyment in the classical arts. I also think that her message on branding is very timely and important. The classical groups who reach out to the community and rebrand themselves as exciting, open or new offer more to today's audience. She mentions the changing role of critics and the decent from the ivory tower of good taste as well. Her section on Classical Radio though made me think that the organizations who are more open to the community should start doing classical radio. Truly, most classical radio contains repeats of the greatest hits with an emphasis on soporific pieces. With new and interesting material at hand, it may be another way for more avant garde programming to reach the audience.

Great Composer with Poor Trombone Skills

2009-11-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Sue Addison, a principal trombonist for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, recently discovered that Edward Elgar who was a world-famous composer and died in 1934 was a terrible trombone player. She researched his trombone which has been kept at Royal college of Music and found a letter from Elgar's friend, Dora Penny.

In the letter, Penny said. "On one occasion, he [Elgar] got up and fetched a trombone that was standing in a corner and began trying to play passages in the score. He didn't do very well and often played a note higher or lower than the one he wanted...and as he swore every time that happened, I got into such a state of hysterics that I didn't know what to do. Then he turned to me [and said]: 'How do you expect me to play this dodgasted thing if you laugh?."

It is hard to imagine one of the most remarkable composers plays an instrument, and the people laugh at his skills although he wrote a beautiful melodies for the instrument, but then, how many could world famous composers play trombone well? Even if they composed beautiful melodies or pieces for an instrument, it doesn't mean they are also good at playing the instrument.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/great-composer-shame-he-couldnt-play-1824125.html

Se Hyun

180° 달라진 야후! 메일
두둥! 새로운 야후! 메일에서는 메시지를 여기저기 끌어다 놓을 수 있답니다.

Symphony for moms

2009-11-28T13:39:00.001-05:00

Earlier at a dinner party, I overheard a conversation among a few expecting mothers and mothers who have young children. They are all between the age of late twenties and early forties, all highly educated women. Some of them are classical concerts lovers and used to attend concerts regularly before they have a family and they expressed their disappointment of not being able to attend concerts regularly anymore. A mother explained that she would need to plan weeks in advance to attend a concert: to find out the information about the concert, then book a nanny for the time she would be away during the concert, and coordinate all the same with another mom who she goes to the concert with. She mentioned that time and planning is one factor that stops her from going to the concert, but money is another factor. A $25 concert ticket suddenly become $60-$80 for the evening for hiring nanny and a night out.

Going to concert should be a relaxing and enjoyable experience, just because you are a mom and have a family should not make it so much more difficult. Most symphony orchestras offer kids and family concerts, but what if the moms or dads just want to attend an adult concert like they used to? Isn't accessibility to quality music is part of the mission for many symphonies? Perhaps a free babysitting service at the concert hall will be a solution to all? Young professional parents can still enjoy a classical concert or even getting single tickets at the last minute will not be impossible because they could not find any babysitters last minute. Ikea offer a children's corner for kids while moms and dads do their shopping, why not the symphony, theater, ballet or opera?

The Berlin Phil Goes Digital

2009-11-27T16:17:00.001-05:00

The Berlin Philharmonic has recently launched an online innovation-- the digital concert hall. In an effort to make their performances more affordable and accessible to the masses, the digital concert hall streams the orchestra's performance in high definition-- complete with swooping shots and close-ups. Eager viewers must pay 9.90 Euros per performance, or 149 Euros for a season pass. Currently the program is not making money. The orchestra's PR chief, Elisabeth Hilsdorf, indicates that while viewership averages about 2,000 people per event, 6,000-7,000 are necessary to break even.

While I'm excited to see that the Berlin Philharmonic is reaching out and making an effort to bring their performances into the digital age, I was surprised to see that they're charging for tickets. One wouldn't pay to tune in on television, or to watch on YouTube, so are people willing to pay for this service? My instinct is probably not. It would seem that people who are willing to commit that much money to watching an online performance would likely be willing to shell out a little more to see it live. Possibly because the orchestra is so well known, die-hard fans who are unable to attend for geographical reasons might be willing to purchase tickets for the digital concert hall. Streaming performances is a great idea, but perhaps more as an outreach project than a financial venture.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/11/berlin-philharmonic-by-way-of-the-world-wide-web.html

-Katie

Shaq Leaves the Court for the Gallery

2009-11-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

Shaquille O'Neal is taking a break from his normal job this spring, as he curates an exhibition for the Flag Art Foundation in New York. The show, entitled "Size DOES Matter," is set to run from late February through May, and is right up Shaq's alley: it features several works about how scale and size of objects affects our perception.

Though Shaq is no stranger to trying new things, this show in particular is a bit out of his normal realm of entertainment--which includes a small number of bad rap CDs, terrible films, and not-so-highly anticipated cameos on television shows.

Shaq's "interesting" past in the arts and entertainment business makes me slightly wary of this particular exhibition. On the one hand, Shaq's curating work could mirror his past, highlighting tacky, uncreative, and poorly-done works. On the other hand, since Shaq doesn't actually have to perform, per se, in this effort, it could be an interesting and tasteful exhibition filled with thought-provoking works created by great artists.

At this point I am happy, albeit a little scared, to admit that I am leaning towards the latter at this point--already Shaq has secured Ron Mueck's "Untitled (Big Man)," which will be on loan from a Washington museum. Who really knows, though? It could be a huge flop. Either way, I'm happy to see a sports all-star take an active and very public interest in the arts community.

--Chelsie

Boldness of London Philharmonic Orhcestra's Financial Boss

2009-11-25T08:14:00.001-05:00

Cameron Poole, a former financial director for the publicly- funded London Philharmonic Orchestra, is in a trouble because of his boldness. The orchestra believe that Poole dragged the orchestra's money out and spent it for his personal life. The money was estimated to be £560,000. He quit the orchestra in August, and was also kicked out of the property by his wife, Suzanne who is a Tory councillor. The orchestra and his previous bosses have launched a High Court action to get the money back, and a criminal investigation by City of London Police will be followed. According to Suzanne, she found that he spent £4,000 for candlesticks which she thought were useless. Suzanne now fears that the family home could be taken to pay the debts. An insider said,"this has come as a real shock for Suzanne. She now faces losing her home and her political career. Suzanne has kicked him out of the house and wants nothing to do with him now."

Has he ever had a brain? I was just amazed by his brave spirit and all the staff who didn't even notice until the time they actually found out £560,000 was gone. Indeed, he was the expert although he unfortunately got caught at the end.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23773668-orchestras-finance-boss-siphoned-off-pound-560000.do

Se Hyun

180° 달라진 야후! 메일
두둥! 새로운 야후! 메일에서는 메시지를 여기저기 끌어다 놓을 수 있답니다.

Sex Sells...Even Classical Music?

2009-11-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

A German orchestra announced plans on November 17 to bring classical music to where the people are....judging by where exactly the orchestra will be playing, the people are concentrated in the brothels of Leipzig. The article cites that the orchestra's performance will be held as part of the "Sex.Macht.Musik." festival, an event devoted to erotic music culture and featuring "licentious and erotic works."

While I realize that the primary purpose of this performance is as part of the music festival, to say that it is "bringing music to where the people are" seems a little extreme. Call me crazy...but aren't there people in parks, too?

--Chelsie

Google pairs with US State Department to host images from Iraq's National Museum

2009-11-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Google has announced that it will host 14,000 images of artifacts contained in Iraqi's National Museum. The museum contains countless artifacts from the Stone Age, Babylonian, Assyrian and Islamic periods. The images are scheduled to be posted early next year and will be paid for by Google and the US State Department. Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, stated "I can think of no better use of our time and our resources than to make the images and ideas from your civilisation, from the very beginnings of time, available to billions of people worldwide."

I find it very interesting that Google is being involved in what appears to be cultural diplomacy. It is no secret that the US has received criticism for its dealings in Iraq from the international community. Cultural diplomacy had long been a part of international relations, but it was abandoned in recent times. The Obama administration is trying to reintroduce that in part to mend international views of the United State's. What is especially interesting about all of this is the inclusion of the technology juggernaut Google. Is it dangerous for a private company to become entangled in international politics? I think it could, but the exposure for google will be monstrous. Here's to Google for continuing to be the innovators in our ever-changing technological world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8376554.stm

Have you voted yet?

2009-11-24T11:34:00.001-05:00

Not only not-for profit organizations could take advantages of social media for marketing and community outreach, for-profit business could also benefit from social networking sites. ChaseCommunityGiving is giving away 5 million dollars to 100 local charities in the US, and your votes decide which charities the money goes to. All you need to do is to vote for your favorite charity and then rally for them by spreading the word to your friends, family and co-workers to keep the votes going. But of course, you have to become a fan of their fan page before you can vote. I think this is a brilliant idea; both the idea of community giving and facebook voting. It is amazing to see how fast does the word spread out and how it can get people involved by having them vote for their favorite charity. Don't we all want to believe our vote matter? Don't we all want to do something that can make an impact to what and who we care about? Although this is a community giving program of the bank and is not selling any products or services directly to the fans, it does for sure help to build a very positive brand image for the bank itself.

~Gloria~

The Fluid Piano!

2009-11-24T07:41:00.001-05:00

Geoff Smith, a Brighton-based composer and performer, invented multicultural acoustic piano called a fluid piano. The fluid piano has 88 keys just like other regular pianos, but what makes the piano totally different from others is that Smith placed sliders on the piano strings so that instead of staying on fixed sounds, performers can alter the tuning of notes before or during a performance and access to different scales.

Smith has been recently invited to take his fluid piano to a Chopin festival in Poland. It seems that the fluid piano has gained attention from classical music admirers whether or not they like this new revolutionary piano. Smith said that his dream is to get his fluid piano manufactured.

As you can see and hear on the video, it doesn't sound like a piano at all, but I found this very exciting. Just as Bartolomeo Cristofori invented a piano and now we play and enjoy the instrument a lot, this fluid piano might be a next step of piano evolution, so whenever in the future, people play the fluid pianos and treat the regular pianos in the way we now treat all the ancestors of the piano such as harpsichords. While reading and watching the video, I thought George Crumb would love this piano.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/23/composer-fluid-piano-geoff-smith

Se Hyun

180° 달라진 야후! 메일
여러 개의 메시지를 동시에 확인? 새로운 야후! 메일의 탭으로 가능해집니다.

what is the real message?

2009-11-23T01:49:00.001-05:00

There has been lots of discussion about how our social media is changing significantly, especially with social networking sites like facebook and twitter. Recent research shows that even though only 27% of twitter users posted daily, 46% checked for updates everyday. It also reflects that younger microblogger users are also highly mobile, accessing social media at various locations. It is not unusual to see people checking updates while working, driving, sitting in class or even in the washroom. So we know users have access to updates everywhere, but the question is, what messages should arts organizations be sending to their followers? "Come see our concert tonight" "Our season opening play was a great success last night" Or more importantly is to ask the question: what purpose do these updates serve? Are they trying to capture more audiences? or is it simply a tool to keep fans update and perhaps building a customer loyalty or branding image? However, regardless of what direction/strategy arts organizations are taking with these social networking sites, it is still difficult, at least for now, to track the result of the messages it posted on twitter or facebook fan page.

“The Nutcracker” Can’t Save Ballet

2009-11-22T16:50:00.001-05:00

Shopping malls are already decked out for Christmas and its time for ballet companies to put up their once-a-year profit-making performances of "The Nutcracker." The Washington Post's Sarah Kaufman says, "[these performances] can account for as much as half of a ballet company's total annual performances."

The article also discusses conservative programming stemming from "shaky economics" and general lack of funding., so they are forced to rely on old standbys just to survive. Kaufman also makes the interesting point that no other art form would be able to exist when offering such a limited selection. Then she goes as far as saying we are producing an "inauthentic domestic art" when so many principal roles are danced by foreigners.

On the other hand, one inspiring production I saw last season was Mark Morris' "The Hard Nut," winner of Ovation TV's "Battle of the Nutcrackers." The production premiered in Belgium in 1991. You can see some clips here on YouTube. While "The Nutcracker" alone may not be enough to save an art form, the tradition and the opportunity for adaptation means it will still be around for years to come.

--Leah