My friend Jaime Green, a healthy-food-I-don't-eat and theater blogger, sent this scintillating pitch over this afternoon: Subject: PLEASE POST ON YOUR BLOGPlease find attached a press release for X Theatre Company's newest show - Y.If you can promote it on your blog and through your networks that would be great.Many thanksA Quicktime file is attached to this publicist's e mail, one presumes featuring video of the production at hand, but sadly...I think it's time for a Life's a Pitch "people are idiots" tag. … [Read more...]
A grood (great and good) cause
Present (adjective, not verb) Music, a great organization with excellent marketing materials is trying to raise $30,000 this spring. Here are their reasons to give:1. If we reach our goal, the Herzfeld Foundation will match your gift2. Present Music will end the season in the black, with no deficit...yay!3. We'll put half of your gift in the Audience Commission Fund to help support a future world premiere commission4. More support leads to more collaborations with exciting guest artists and composers5. It's an investment in PM's amazing … [Read more...]
The Game of Life[‘s a Pitch]
As promised, here is the real Life's a Pitch board game, courtesy of my intern Emily Ciavarella. The Game of Life's a PitchFor 2-6 players Object: To be the first to reach the end tile, symbolizing your client's ascension into stardom. Getting Started: Every player begins with 100 "publicity points" from which to acquire publicity skills: Writing, Social Skills, Creativity, Connections, and Musical Background. Each player can distribute as many points as he or she wants to particular sections--but it has consequences, so choose … [Read more...]
Merch
A friend across the pond sent this over this weekend, from the Gap in Knightsbridge: And I think I've neglected to post about the Life's a Pitch game, which several kind readers have brought to my attention. And if I have already posted about it, I'm posting about it again. "The WILD Game of Defending the Ridiculous." I actually can't think of a more apt description of what I do for a living. My summer intern Emily and I have spent the last 30 minutes brainstorming what a classical music PR Life's a Pitch game would actually look like. What we … [Read more...]
Strange Bedfellows
iTunes = Cool. This is a Known Thing. Even the classical section is cool (can you imagine??) which is why I was surprised by the homepage yesterday and today:The first album-ish thing featured is the Leif Ove Andsnes ((swoon)) Live from the Upper Westside Apple Store concert, but the second album featured is this gem: "Homework Hits Vol. 1: The Classical Study Hall"??? Reader's Digest? I'm not entirely sure I even remember what Reader's Digest is. So not only is iTunes promoting (1) something called "Homework Hits" and (2) something by Reader's … [Read more...]
Fun with tragic oil spills and PR
Has everyone seen the British Petroleum "PR" Twitter feed?A lot of people are asking if we could have prevented this mess. Honestly, we have no clue. Our hindsight is 20/80. #bpcares about 13 hours ago via webA bird just stole my sandwich! You deserve everything you get, nature!!! #bpcares about 23 hours ago via TwitterrificEating at a very expensive restaurant and spilled salad dressing on my pants. Not sure how to tackle this. 3:55 PM May 25th via web Please help us with rebranding. We're not calling it an "oil spill" anymore, … [Read more...]
“You passed out again.”
Courtesy of my friend Megan, a live-music map of NYC: … [Read more...]
Collection plates
I've been steadfastly avoiding The Internet for two days, since I'm waiting for my sister to come home from her trip so we can watch the Lost finale together tonight. I even changed my Firefox homepage from Google News to Life's a Pitch on Sunday, since this is the only site I can guarantee will not have Lost spoilers on it. My antics are, as usual, ridiculous, but after...I don't even want to think about how many...hours of my relatively short life have been spent watching this television show, I will not have @JoeSchmoTweeter65 or Tumblr XY … [Read more...]
Staple your bacon to the table…
...we're talking about Sir Georg Solti on Letterman. We're also talking about WQXR (#($)!_@!), Daniel Barenboim, Alan Gilbert, Riccardo Muti, and the origins of the word "Philharmonic." And then we're talking about Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, discussions about the Philharmonic moving to Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Hall's RESTORATION, the Philharmonic's PROGRAMMING, young artists' careers...it just goes on and on. And on. If I wasn't currently on hold with The Death Trap That Is Verizon about my non-existent voicemail for going … [Read more...]
Country livin’
Doesn't this just sound charmingly bucolic? Yes, Lincoln Center, I will indeed come by for some gelato and l-e-m-o-n-a-d-e tomorrow. I have the perfect Dartmouth sweatshirt blanket for the occasion. Start Summer Early at Lincoln Center Join us this Friday from 12:00 to 3:00 as Lincoln Center gets a head start on summer with a free party for the community celebrating the opening of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Lawn. Come mingle, have a picnic, check out what's new about the Lincoln Center campus, and enjoy a beautiful day. We'll have... * … [Read more...]
Let’s hear it for the girls
My blog-league Judith Dobrzynski over at Real Clear Arts sent this my way earlier today. I'll be going, namely because it occurred to me that I've never seen/heard an orchestra musician--man or woman--speak publicly about his or her career. Strange, yes? The panel is at the Brooklyn Museum on June 13th, and is free with museum admission. Brooklyn Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art Presents Panel Discussion on Pioneering Female Classical Musicians Panelists Include Orin O'Brien, the First Woman Appointed to a Position in a … [Read more...]
Chunky and Overrated: The Future of Classical Music
I've always thought that classical music celebrities, Bring Your Own Air Quotes, occupied a kind of fame ideal: famous enough to make very good livings, famous enough to have passionate fans, famous enough to maybe even be recognized in, say, a bar around Manhattan School of Music. Not so famous, though, that they can't walk down the street, that cameras are parked outside their apartment, or that they can't make one fashion slip or gain three pounds without millions of people having their say on the subject. Of course, it's my job to make my … [Read more...]
___pun on Sirius___
I've been working on Jean-Yves Thibaudet's Gershwin album (buy it here, why? Because JOHN WILLIAMS CLARINET CONCERTO says it's an "excellent performance," among other reasons), and we're off to Sirius/XM tomorrow at 5pm. There are few things I love more (ridiculously high percent dark chocolate, pesto, Brian Stokes Mitchell) than press opportunities that beget more press opportunities. In this case, Sirius/XM will not only air the interview and in-studio performance, but they're promoting the recording session and asking for a live audience via … [Read more...]
One guy in the horse carriage industry
I'm behind on my Daily Shows, so I just watched the one with Newsweek editor Jon Meacham this weekend. Jon Meacham, who was a trouper and did NOT cancel his appearance--which was most likely booked to promote is new PBS show Need To Know--on the day The Washington Post decided to sell his magazine. Sadly, they did not get to talk about the show, but I was really blown away by his interview: The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cJon Meachamwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorTea Party"I do not believe that … [Read more...]