Our next guest blog will be next Wednesday. Today I have a few random thoughts due to current events this week. This week we have seen the GM over at the Metropolitan Opera hiss at another review outlet, we have seen a major consultant for our industry disregard the rule of confidentiality when posting on Huffington Post, and there have been some wonderful audience development ideas floating around the country that were implemented.
- The Met reverses policy, will allow Opera News to review productions http://t.co/yn6TiJgf
Wow! Talk about elitism at its worst. “Allow” to review? The GM has an issue with less than positive reviews, so he decides to axe a critic’s right to review if they do not meet his standards. This is a poor choice of arts management on so many levels. We need more journalism, not less for one. If journalists continue to feel the wrath for simply doing their job, they do have the power to not cover you, period. Plus, not having open opinions to our art work would actually harm us more in the end. Let me expound quickly on this point.
Let’s say we do quality work for the most part, but we get a bad review on a particular performance or event. We can use this review (with a grain of salt) to discover how we can become better for our next performance or event. We need the feedback to continue to strive to be better. Without this honest feedback, we are missing out on the complete artistic process.
Plus, you can honor the fact that any review is simply one person’s opinion and not the end all or be all for audience attendance. Use the review to your advantage by getting a variety of opinions to create some buzz. A controversial review could still catapult you to a bigger audience. Be smart about working with journalists and critics. Being demanding is only going to get you a bad reputation and more bad press.
2. Kaiser & the Cardinal Sin of Consultancy. http://t.co/4MExjM9L
My friend and colleague, Amy Wratchford wrote a blog for #2amt about Kaiser’s consultant faux pas. I commented after this post to give my view of the situation. These are my humble opinions. Let me know your thoughts on this issue too. For the record, I have always valued the arts commentary of Michael Kaiser, so I was very much surprised to view this particular post.
3. Foodies and music lovers unite! Listen to a Clip From Harvard’s Asparagus Opera http://t.co/6RbOgpYg
UK virtual orchestra puts you in conductor’s stand http://t.co/9C9Zy4NX
New outlet offers tickets, info on zoo, ASF, museum events in downtown Montgomery http://t.co/B567eBy0
These are three fantastic ideas that I have had in the past, but others beat me to it. I now have positive evidence that ideas are floating all around us. Some of us may be more in tune to these ideas than others, and it becomes a matter of who decides to implement these ideas for their benefit. In all three of these cases, there are elements of all 4 C’s at hand, especially Collaboration. In order to gain a better audience, a more fitting audience, it is best to collaborate with others and work on creative projects that will connect you to your community.
So there you have it – random thoughts on current events in our industry. Please do feel free to reply if you have any random thoughts of your own. A Wonderful Wednesday to you and yours!
Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana
Shoshana Fanizza
Audience Development Specialists
https://www.buildmyaudience.com
“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”
~James Stewart
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