Answers to "Some Questions"

For my Business of Music course at the University of Ottawa, we were asked to read this article by Greg Sandow, and provide a synopsis and reflection. I've chosen to post my response here. Enjoy. ---Craig.


In his reflection, “Some Questions”, Sandow presents a series of inquiries to help explain why the classical music industry is shrinking, and potentially failing. Seeing as his reflections and questions are based mainly on his own experiences, I would like to reflect upon his questions through my own perspective.

1.) Sandow asks “Why isn’t the audience more active in the classical music world”, and more pertinently, “why don’t they get more involved with the music itself?” When I consider my personal experience of studying music, having done so enthusiastically for almost 10 years before understanding that listening to music is a dialogue, and before discovering the literature the communities that understood that music works beyond sound and relationships, that it is an organism that lives as long as we live, and that we must care for it, communicate to it, tend to it, and make the effort to understand it, and then still have questions of what it is and how it works and why it matters obscured I wonder the following: If after ten years of searching and caring, I finally barely understand this, can we blame the average listener, who started in the same place and had the same formative education as me, for be not being active and involved?

2.) Next, Sandow asks why people inside classical music institutions don’t talk about music more? He wonders why there are not more musician-conductor-staff-board-audience dialogues? I don’t really have an answer to this, but to me, a lack of communication indicates a serious problem. There is something in the ‘hierarchy’ of the classical music industry that promotes this attitude. In amateur music circles, musicians are passionate about music, playing with fervor, and care. Yet, for many in the average professional music world, however, the spark seems gone. However, it seems to me that an antiquated view professionalism is employed daily in the music world. To clarify, professionalism often means “show up on time, keep your mouth shut and play it right, the first time.” It’s the latter two points that interest me the most. What is to become of an art form when there is no room for or the dialogue. Part of passion is the drive to push oneself to the limits, exploring and trying new artistic ideas. I’m certain that art is not about doing it right.

3.) Why do we advertise classical music so badly? Sandow seems to conclude that most press releases and program notes are ego based, talking about the apparent greatness of the performer, composer, work, or all three. It is arguable that many of my colleagues were educated in institutions that valued ‘fact’ and ‘reason’ over emotional content. We were taught to develop rational skills, and to view the world – including the arts – through this lens. Music is wonderful because it allows us to explore other, experiential, human aspects of our life. There are things in the world that exists as a combination of mind and heart. But we’re never ever told this. This is the big secret. And so, what do we have but ‘facts’ and ‘history’ in our advertising.

4.) What do we ourselves get from all these concerts? I would like to argue that many performers, don’t get much out of the experience. For many, it’s a job. A job they love, but ultimately, a job. For me, it’s always been about learning the skills, playing it right and then maybe, just maybe having time to add your personal interpretation, and connect to the experience. Far too often I feel like we are craftsmen, or even technicians? Why do so many talented musicians leave the field? Is it because it’s not rewarding enough? And I’m not talking financially. The good players always have a gig. But it’s not rewarding to be a technician of music. It’s not what we signed up for, but it’s what the industry Sandow speaks of can resign us to.

5.) Why doesn’t classical music get closer to pop? There is a divide between “high” and “low” art. As Sandow pointed out, some pop is truly cheap and commercial, while some is not. To refute all popular music on the basis of the cheap and commercial is to refute all classical music because of Andre Rieu. Consider that serious pop music accepts and promotes dialogue between performer and the listener. Furthermore, I’ve never known my friends in popular music to be afraid of expression or doing making their music ‘wrong.’ Most of my colleagues who write and perform popular music use it as a medium to express something personal the them.

6.) Why don’t we play more new music? We do. It’s just a little bit more ‘underground’. Furthermore, maybe the industry has alienated people. Maybe it has been too intellectual, or too uncompromising. Maybe the balance is off. Maybe people do try to care, but when there’s nothing there but a brick wall that says ‘you don’t know shit, so don’t even bother, man”.

7.) Why aren’t we part of contemporary life? I don’t know. I feel like I can understand, but that in order to express it I would need to be in a dialogue with everyone who is reading this.

Sandow raises one final question: Why are we in crisis? Why haven’t we attracted a new audience? For the answer to these questions and more, see #1 through 7 above.