What do the people want? Let’s ask!

I’m involved with two research projects right now and I’m eager to hear what our study participants have to say. One involves the Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO, http://www.ilcouncilorchestras.org, a long-standing organization that wants to learn how best to serve its member orchestras across the state. The project team — me, board member Joe McLennan and Ben Wechsler, my fellow volunteer (www.benwechsler.com) — have been tussling with every aspect of the survey and accompanying “listening groups” (member feedback meetings). Among other things, we hope to uncover the different needs of professional vs community orchestras, and major-market vs small-market orchestras, and where ICO can fill the gaps to help all members succeed. One aspect of research that I feel strongly about is practicality. How will the survey be implemented? Who will enter/gather the data? What do you want to do with the information? Data is useless unless you can use it to support action. More on the other research project later…

Turokovic, Haque, Writers’ Theater – and Chicago Chamber Musicians!

I’m kicking off this blog fresh off an amazing Chicago Chamber Musicians concert I attended Monday night that included a fresh approach to collaboration — the kind of collaboration that can help attract new audiences. The concert included guest appearances by Milan Turkovic, the international bassoon virtuoso, performing Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major with the CCM ensemble, and Fareed Haque, the international jazz and classical guitarist, performing Kurtag’s The Little Predicament with CSO members Jennifer Gunn and Michael Mulcahy. If that wasn’t interesting enough, the concert was preceded by “Serenade with Salieri,” But what’s more unusual was the pre-concert presentation of “Serenade with Salieri,” a theater piece using selections from Sir Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus and featuring William J. Norris of Chicago’s Writers’ Theatre. Turkovic created the piece as part of the 2006 celebrations in Austria commemorating Mozart’s 250th birthday, calling upon composer Antonio Salieri to explore Mozart’s Gran Partita with CCM artists. These kinds of collaborations are not only exciting for audiences to experience, but also can help a classical music organization reach out to theater (or dance) audiences, and vice versa. The challenge for arts organizations is to find compatible organizations with which to partner–and managing the logistical details that accompany this kind of cross-fertilization. Here’s to hoping these collaborations expand audiences on all sides.