Anne Midgette weighs in on the discussion over on her blog The Classical Beat:I do think it's unfortunate, though, when there's no sense of a person behind the playing. Classical music can suffer from a sense of entitlement: there's an idea that the music is so great it's enough just to play it, and everyone should be in awe. Yes: the music is that great. That's precisely why the performer has to work so hard to delve into it, to bring it across, to make it more than merely notes executed well. (The same thing, incidentally, holds true of … [Read more...]
Like Many Others
If I may--and I may, because I am the Blog Mistress--I'd like to steer the conversation toward classical music concert presentations. If I may--and again, I may---I'm going to quote my own blog entry from November: I saw three excellent classical pianists last week: Jonathan Biss, who performed at the club (le) poisson rouge with my client Gabriel Kahane, Leif Ove Andsnes, and Pierre Laurent Aimard, both of whom played at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. I went in knowing two out of three would be "special."Let's start with concerts that I … [Read more...]
Previously, on ‘Life’s a Pitch’
If you're just joining us now for the virtual panel on specialness that friends and colleagues have described to me as "intense," "required reading," and "wordy," here's what's been going on this week. If you could hear Benjamin Linus' voice in your head when you read this, that would be great. Previously, on Life's a Pitch.Jonathan issued a throwdown about how the human interest press publicists dream of actually distracts audiences from the music. He writes, "the more of a persona the person onstage has cultivated, the harder it is for this … [Read more...]
Onion-peeling
Matthew, further to this:As a critic, I make no bones about the fact that my own taste is highly idiosyncratic, and that I will never, ever be all things to all people. The fact that my own sense of specialness is driven more by repertoire than performer puts me, I know, in the minority, as does the nature of some of that repertoire. I'm curious if every concert or recording you preview, or every artist you profile, is special to you. As you mention in your post, and as we all know, arts coverage is shrinking. Beyond repertoire, as you write in … [Read more...]
Here’s what you missed
I'm sure you all miss me blogging about the usual highbrow fare here on Life's a Pitch. (A quick scan down the December entry titles shows Girls straddling footballs sell things, In which I am pardoned for stealing electricity, and Flacks and the City. Why do you people read this??). But I think our very...special?...guests James, Jonathan, Matthew and Michael are doing a fantastic job. They may even be out-blogging their hostess, which, I should have clarified, is Not Actually Allowed. If you're just tuning in now, here's what you missed. … [Read more...]
For you, special price.
I was at the Chamber Music America conference this weekend, and took a turn around the exhibitor section after one of the sessions. For those of you who have never been to a conference, artist management companies set up booths, lay out artist flyers, and sell their clients to the presenters who walk by. I realize this sounds a bit like some kind of Orientalist Indiana Jones market sequence, and that's not entirely inaccurate. Watching bookers and managers really sell their artists is a pleasant reminder that, all evidence to the contrary, … [Read more...]
And what makes you so special?
This is an exciting week on Life's a Pitch. We're hosting a virtual panel on when and how artists, managers, journalists, presenters and publicists single out musicians for being "special" in their promotion and career-building efforts. I'll be joined by a musician, pianist Jonathan Biss; a manager, James Egelhofer at IMG Artists; a critic, Matthew Guerrieri, who blogs at Soho the Dog and writes for the Boston Globe; and a presenter, Michael Kondziolka at University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And in case you really haven't been … [Read more...]
The day the ratings didn’t die
It's 7am here in the City of Angels, and I am enjoying that famous LA sunrise. You know, that one that nips over the parking garages, picking up the glittering reds of the car brake lights and the saturated grays of the smog as it rises only to bow in servitude to the neon studio signs? I'm here because our girl Hilary is the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien tonight, and in a couple hours I'm off to play Rock Band 2 in the green room (our schedule says it's there) and ask Rob Lowe why Sam left The West Wing.The Tonight Show … [Read more...]
Any Kit Will Do
From our friends at a management agency, may we present The Worst Possible E mail:From: JournalistSent: Friday, January 08, 2010 5:35 PMTo: Artist AssistantSubject: Press KitPlease send a press kit. Thank you.[Auto Signature]Kindly note the lack of deadline, the lack of reason for the request, and--oh wait!--the lack of artist name. Happy Monday! … [Read more...]
2009 Pitchy Nominees, even though it’s 2010
Sorry, team: I've been a bad, bad blogger. This, this and this are to blame, but if I didn't have a day (" ") job, I wouldn't have anything to blog about. Life's a Pitch would be exclusively devoted to the last season of Lost and my ill-fated attempts at hot yoga, and no one needs that. I still want you to vote for the Best of PR and Marketing/Classical Music edition in 2009! It's not too late; you loved 2009!Alright, so the nominees are... Best Publicity MoveJoyce DiDonato literally breaks a leg.Gustavo Dudamel...I don't know, gets … [Read more...]
Location x 3
Some day my fancy apartment slash home office near Lincoln Center will come. But for the time being, I'm forced to find quiet yet cool, central yet uncrowded interview locations for my clients. This is fairly easy during the day, but gets a bit more complicated around happy hour. I thought other publicists (and journalists) might have this problem, so if we start a list here, I'll ask Doug to add it as a sidebar on the blog. I'll begin:Cafe Lalo201 West 83rd StreetNew York, NY 10024(212) 496-6031http://www.cafelalo.com/ Pros: Upper West Side, … [Read more...]
Bach to Reality
Life's a Pitch devotees (hey, Aliza) may recall the 2008 Arnold Schoenberg birthday festivities, during which Hilary answered questions about that Chopsticks-easy violin concerto he wrote. I actually just ran through it this morning. Cake. On Monday, January 11, Hilary will take your questions about J.S. Bach to celebrate the release of her new album, Bach: Violin and Voice. Joining her on the album are baritone Matthias Goerne, soprano Christine Schäfer, conductor Alexander Liebreich and the Munich Chamber Orchestra, with whom our girl will … [Read more...]
Girls straddling footballs sell things
...you heard it here first. I'm feeling especially generous this New Year's Eve eve, so I want all you orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and record labels out there to feel free to make this ad your own:Thank you, Penn Station, for all the class you bring to this world. … [Read more...]
And while we’re on the subject
I never know if press release subjects should be catchy or informative. On the one hand, I realize how inundated journalists are with releases, pitches, and e mails of all stripes, so while I usually tell people to assume writers don't read beyond your first paragraph, we might be at a point where they don't read anything but your subject. Should an e mail subject be something that makes journalists open your press release or something that prevents them from having to?I have this Gmail account where all the nonsense I sign up for is dumped. … [Read more...]