This week I learned something from a paper one of my students wrote. About how to present a case for classical music. Two words in that paper showed me something i hadn't so strongly realized. What we were working on This was a paper about why classical music is valuable, what it can do that no other kind of music can. I ask my students to think very carefully about this, because it’s crucial for classical music’s future. We need new listeners. So how do we find them? What can we say to make them think classical music can do something for … [Read more...]

What they should do to prepare students for classical music’s future. These are things I said in my talk at the Jacobs School at Indiana University. First, conservatories should make the future of classical music a major topic of discussion. I’d think this has to come from the top. The conservatory’s dean or president needs to be talking publicly about the problems we face, and about solutions. The subject has to come up in courses. Be discussed by studio teachers. There could be courses specifically about the future, like the one I teach at … [Read more...]

More about my IU visit (to the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University). I found the school, overall, to be an open and welcoming place. With a lot of emphasis — in the composition department, for instance — on student initiatives. Of course, as I said in my last post, I only got a taste of what’s there. Certainly there were some old-fashioned things. I’d love to go back, and get to know things better. Tech I mentioned in my first post about my visit that the school benefits from being part of a major university. Because, for instance, … [Read more...]

I’ve featured right now on the 21CM.org website. 21CM — shorthand for 21st Century Musician — is what the DePauw School of Music calls its revolutionary curriculum (and revamped school ambience), aimed at preparing classical musicians for the future. The website is, in effect, a monthly magazine, with future-aimed content. Very much worth reading, no matter what month. I’m in it now for two reasons. My talk First, they’re featuring the talk I gave in September at DePauw’s 21CMposium, the most inspiring conference I’ve ever been at, all about … [Read more...]

I’m pretty much wowed, after spending a long weekend — last Friday to Monday — at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Of course it’s a big place, so there’s a lot I missed. So of course this is just a partial impression. But I was the guest of the school’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Career Development, and I'm confifdent that this functions wonderfully. From what I saw, and what I know elsewhere, it must be one of the top entrepreneurship programs at any conservatory. Smoothing the way For one thing, Alain Barker, who … [Read more...]

This week I’m flying out to visit the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, which of course is one of the biggest and most important conservatories in the US. I’ll be the guest of their Office of Entrepreneurship and Career Development. I’ll meet with the people who run it, see what they’re doing. And I’ll have other meetings with faculty and administration of the school. I’ll also attend performances, most notably — since the school is famous for its opera department — a production of Handel’s Rodelinda. Plus I’ll be a judge for an … [Read more...]

Continuing from my last post, about how to define classical music… My students — in my Juilliard course on classical music’s future — came up with a definition that I think works. It happens to be the definition I worked out years ago for myself, but I didn’t lead the students to it. They found it on their own. It’s in two parts. First, classical music is the music of the European tradition. Both the art and entertainment music, it’s important to say. Because we have the idea that classical music is, by nature, high art. But in past … [Read more...]

This question deeply engages the students in my graduate course on the future of classical music, which I teach at Juilliard each spring. The link takes you to the week by week class schedule, with links to all assignments. For an overview of the course, go here. And this is an important question. We need a new audience. But how are we going to get one if we can’t tell people why classical music is valuable? And how can we do that if we don’t know what classical music is? Without, that is, falling back on boilerplate — resounding phrases … [Read more...]

Over and over I’ve said that our classical music world doesn’t feel like the world outside, the world most people live in. Including our hoped-for new audience! Not that I’m the only one saying this. But one organization that did something to address the problem, bigtime, is the California Symphony, spearheaded by its executive director, Aubrey Bergauer. So, without another word, I’ll link to Aubrey’s post on the orchestra’s blog, a post called “Orchestra X: The Results.” Some excerpts: Back in August, we rolled out a new program called … [Read more...]

Happy new year, everyone! I've been slow restarting here. Much holiday travel and happiness, and a weekend in our country house, flying Rafa's new remote control helicopter clear over the roof. And then preparations for my spring semester Juilliard course, Classical Music in an Age of Pop. The link takes you to last year's class schedule, with all assignments, but this year's will be reasonably similar. For a shorter read, here's a course overview. And now… …I'll tease some upcoming blog posts… How will we know when classical music is truly … [Read more...]

Well, this is a festive photo! Rafa — my son, five years old (can barely believe it) — outfits himself and a neighbor’s dog with fireman helmets. Grinning like a mad thing, because he’d just done a prank. Stuck out his tongue for the first draft of the photo. Happy holidays, everyone. I hope they’re joyful for you. As for me — your warmth, your support, your interest in what I do helps keep me going all through the year. So thanks for that! I’m grateful. And in return, I'll send very strong wishes for your happiness. And now a gift … [Read more...]

On Facebook and Twitter I’ve been talking about bad graphic design in classical music. Why does bad design matter? Because we need a new audience. Our new audience comes — will come — from the outside world, where good design is everywhere, taken for granted when you’re dealing with professionals. If we can’t match that, we look like we don't function in the real word. That we're not professional. That what we do can't be very good. Which, to put it mildly, isn’t in our interest. I'll give an example -- the Kennedy Center program book. Not … [Read more...]

A joyful Thanksgiving hello, to everyone. In my life, I'm thankful first for Anne and Rafa, my wife and five year-old son. I'd start with them, and end with them. My loving warm, smart family. Our big kid, who figures things out “in my brain” (as he says). Climbs anything, jumps from unexpected heights, and with happy abandon throws himself through the air, from ottoman to couch and back again. And who loves us with all his heart, as we love him. And then music I’ll just make a list, things that wowed me in concert or on recordings. Won’t … [Read more...]

My own Weegee Photos. Premiered by Jenny Lin on my Strathmore concert in April. Based on dark, very film noir photos by Weegee, who photographed emergencies and crime scenes in New York in the 1940s, and sold the pictures to the tabloids. That’s one of his photos, called “Gunman Killed By Off-Duty Cop at 344 Broome Street.” Weegee is a cult figure now, a recognized artist. Shows in museums. So these are eight piano pieces based on his work. Here’s the score. Plus a link to Jenny’s Strathmore performance. This is hard music. She played … [Read more...]

Write a good subject line! This is something I stress in my consulting work. If you’re sending out professional email — designed to advance a project of yours — make sure the subject line gets people interested. It’s amazing how often I see email from publicists with the subject line “Press release.” Why would that interest me? I get so many press releases. Wow, another one. Why not tell me what it’s about? As in: “Lost Beethoven symphony to be premiered.” Well, sure. No way I can believe that someone publicizing that wouldn’t say so in the … [Read more...]