Audience development should be a top priority of every musician and arts organization. For musicians and arts organizations to achieve financial sustainability, it’s vital that they develop new audiences and build communities of supporters. Attracting and...
“Among adults who participated – as creators or performers – in performing arts activities, the majority (62 percent) did so to spend time with family and friends.” –National Endowment for the Arts “U.S. Patterns of Arts Participation,” p. 3...
“When you’re thoroughly prepared for a concert, you’ve taken charge of the personal, task-oriented and situational components of performing.” The Musician’s Way, p. 155 The Winter 2020 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter is now available....
“Diverse careers are available to musicians because people worldwide consume huge amounts of music-related products and services every day.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 300 Supply and demand are the fundamental forces that determine prices. So, for us classical musicians,...
“Audiences differ as much as individuals do.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 209 For musicians, career sustainability hinges on audience development. When we continually attract new listeners, our revenues grow, and we gain the freedom to fully devote ourselves to our art....
“As you perform, radiate the character of a composition.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 189 I’ve attended thousands of classical concerts, and despite my love of the music, I have to admit that fewer than 10% of those concerts were wholly or mostly enjoyable....
“What is best in music is not to be found in the notes.” –Gustav Mahler (Gunther Schuller, The Compleat Conductor, Oxford, 1998, p. 106) If you’re a classical musician who aspires to a concert career, you’re in danger. In danger of becoming a commodity. That’s because...
“Memorable concerts don’t merely deliver what’s expected; they also take audiences beyond what they can envision.” -The Musician’s Way, p. 211 We musicians have it in our power to attract hordes of enthusiastic fans. And one of the most effective ways we can do so is...
“Let your community feed your creativity.” –The Musician’s Way, p. 313 When we musicians plan self-produced concerts, we set out to share our art and generate income. Problem is, although self-produced concerts bring many rewards, they’re pricey to put on – venue,...
