Orchestras can build communities through music
At the close of the Lane County Community College Chamber Orchestra’s final concert today, I was reminded of the value that orchestras consisting of unpaid members or volunteers can bring to communities. As part of the 12 member violin section of the chamber orchestra, I felt very fortunate to have to opportunity and accessibility of this ensemble in Eugene, Oregon.
Being the longest established of the professional nonprofit arts, symphonies create cultural destinations in many areas. Community-based orchestras benefit from being able to utilize strong organizational structures established by the symphony orchestra mammoths, but without the same level of accountability and management oversight as the professional symphonies. So, community arts organizations can quickly asses community needs and maneuver themselves to fill existing gaps in the musical arena.
To illustrate the course of change between a community-based symphony and a professional orchestra, this brief history of the New York Philharmonic gives a synopsis of the early era of the famous orchestra. The case of the New York Philharmonic shows how a group of musicians can influence the value of music in a community.
The crucial role that symphony orchestras play in their communities is important for all symphony managers, musicians, and audiences to consider.
Because orchestras in the U.S. are prominent players in the the musical fabric of this country…
Orchestras exist in all 50 states, in virtually every community, with annual budgets ranging from less than $12,000 to more than $83 million.
350-400 professional orchestras,
800-900 volunteer orchestras
150-200 collegiate/conservatory orchestras
400-500 youth orchestras
(from Quick Orchestra Facts, 2009, League of American Orchestras)
Building community through music is a forward-thinking approach that encourages an orchestras to bring music to the community and to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in classical music.
At the League of American Orchestras new blog discussion – Orchestra R/Evolution, Mark Clague notes:
what’s more important today than ever is to create community connections by reducing the barriers between orchestra and audience to forge a rich, interactive community of friends. What today’s orchestras have that is increasingly rare in virtually mediated life is a passion for lived experience. Sharing the joy of making great music with our friends must be our goal.
(The Power of Community, http://orchestrarevolution.org/?p=141)
Should some of the approximately 800-900 community orchestras in the United States be charged with the task of breaking barriers between classical music and audiences, or should it lie in the realm of the professionalized larger symphonies?
The answer is — both. Community and professional ensembles working together to promote classical music will enhance the validity and influence of a broad range of performing arts.
NY Philharmonic Concert in the Parks
Greg Sandow proposes an innovative idea of including a broad range of community members in the creation of new classical pieces. His post, A piece for the whole community, gives food for thought regarding the possibilities of community engagement. This could be the perfect blending of professional/community symphonies with the common goal of developing future audiences. That is truly building community through music!
