Etc.
Submitted by Amy Iwano on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 5:42pm.
At the recent annual Chamber Music America conference, where musicians, composers, managers, presenters and others involved in the field gather each year, I had the opportunity to hear Oliver Sacks (author of, among other works, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat) talk about his most recent book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.
He told stories of patients he’s treated – people with Parkinson’s disease who respond to rhythmic music (but not to Wagner's!) and a patient with Alzheimer’s who couldn’t remember things like what he had for breakfast but did remember every baritone line he’d ever sung and still participated in an a cappella singing group. He talked about amusia – the “inability to recognize musical tones” – can you imagine?! One of his patients with amusia told him that, to her, music sounds like pots and pans being thrown against a wall.
Other amazing and interesting items were that one in two congenitally blind people have perfect pitch (a high percentage of piano tuners are blind) and that musicians’ brains, when scanned, look visibly different. An interesting book to curl up with during these cold months…
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John Adams was in the office for 90 minutes this morning - primarily to see (above) the set and costume designs for A Flowering Tree, but also to look at all the other things we are putting together around the performances of the very beautiful new opera next May. It was a happy session all round and John was clearly very pleased with everything. Thats a good start! Below you see him with three of our key staff, Colleen Flanigan, Marla Krupman, and Kara Kane, respectively directors of marketing, development and education. Between them they manage to provide huge additional animation to our whole enterprise of opera production. John is an enthusiastic contributor to and supporter of all their efforts.
This afternoon we had our annual staff Christmas party complete with Secret Santa gift exchanges. I will not publish to photos of this exciting event here......! Regrettably as a result of this event I had to miss a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Chicago Classical Music website. That was bad of me but my staff come first. I had hoped to slip away at 4 but one thing led to another including the excellent round of carol singing where our excellent pianist director of finance Dave Wise displayed his exceptional talent at the keyboard. But please look at the splendidly relaunched CCM site. It is doing very well and making a valuable contribution to musical life in this city.
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 3:13pm.
I was recently alerted to an impending budget crunch for Illinois arts organizations, if cuts to state funding of the Illinois Arts Council are not reversed.
Late last month, Governor Blagojevich vetoed a budget approved by the Illinois General Assembly on August 10, reducing funding to the Illinois Arts Council by 19%. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago are among hundreds of organizations and individual artists who enrich the lives of every state resident and visitor through a wide range of artistic programming. Every business and individual is impacted by this veto.
As passed by the general assembly, the IAC budget represents less than one half of 1% of the state budget, an amazing bargain at $2 per citizen per year.
Also on the chopping block is the state board of education's Arts and Foreign Language grant program. If the Governor's veto is not reversed, this entire program will be cut.
Hopefully, this is not new news for all CCM readers, but I encourage all colleagues and friends of the arts to raise your voice in opposition of the proposed cuts.
Illinois Arts Week is slated for October 7-13, and, in eloquent (and now ironic) form, the state has published a proclamation affirming the importance of the arts to each Illinoisan.
Regardless of political affiliation, it would be a terrible sign of concession and apathy NOT to respond with fervent support of the immeasurable benefits of a rich arts experience for every citizen of the state.
Consider what the value of the arts is to YOU. (If you are reading this blog, there is a pretty good chance that it is significant.)
Imagine what difference could be in the life of your neighbors or the students at the nearby public school through:
~a hands-on recreation of an Impressionistic masterpiece, offering a creative way to explore cultural and social common ground;
~the chance to take affordable violin lessons with an inspiring teacher, a new role model who opens a gateway for creativity, pride, and aspiration;
~the opportunity for an at-risk teenager to express--through community theater--the struggle to find a meaningful place in a complex world;
~attending an inspiring orchestra performance of music from different cultures and traditions, lifting a perceived notion of exclusivity and introducing the possibility of creative teamwork.
Perhaps we won't have the chance to find out.
Please share this information and voice your opinion.
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Thu, 09/06/2007 - 5:08pm.
This is the first in a series of profiles of Chicago's community music schools According to Bob Fiedler, Executive Director of the People's Music School, "there are nearly half a million students enrolled in the Chicago Public Schools who don't have access to significant musical training at school. This is our role, to address that need." People's Music School, one of about a dozen community music schools in the Chicago area, approaches this need in an amazing way, by offering free instruction in a community of predominantly low-income immigrants and ethnic minorities.
I had a chance to speak with Fiedler and Vincent Centeno, the school's Director of Music and Programs, last week. According to Centeno, many of school's students are realizing a dream that their parents deferred. Centeno is himself an example, having emigrated from the Philippines to Uptown when he was nine. Although he had studied piano as a child, his family could not afford a piano in the United States.
At that time, People's Music School had not yet been founded; however, after a short stint at a Chicago Park District music program where he was asked to play trumpet, Vincent continued to study piano with an aunt and, later, with a music student from Northwestern University. In college-Centeno studied piano at DePaul University with the late Melody Lord and long-time CSO member Mary Sauer-he began to hear about People's from friends who were hired as faculty. After meeting founder Rita Simo, Vincent was attracted to the school's philosophy (students are required to take one full term of music theory classes before beginning instrumental instruction) and the amazing sense of community. People's Music School offered him a great opportunity to give back.
Centeno's story is beautiful, but NOT unique in such a wonderful place as People's Music School. In exchange for free access to music instruction, students and parents are expected to contribute time doing a variety of administrative tasks. In addition to providing vital logistical support, this involvement gives every child and parent a feeling of ownership and belonging. They commit their time (traveling to and from classes or lessons, practicing, volunteering) and invest their energy in the school because they benefit immensely from the support it offers them and their community. Each student and parent understands that their community is stronger because they work together.
A true People's Music School success story is Victor Marin. As a child, Victor was drawn to the guitar, yet his family could not afford the cost of the instrument or instruction. After learning about Peoples' Music School in his church bulletin, he began a journey that would change his life. He began taking guitar lessons in 1982. After four years at People's Music School, Victor attended Roosevelt University to continue his training. In 1989, Victor was invited by Simo to return to the school to teach guitar.
After 25 years at People's Music School, Victor hopes to inspire in his students a lasting enjoyment of music and encourage the development of discipline. Just as the people were incredibly influential and motivating during his study at People's, Vincent is himself a great role model for the benefits of music education and community involvement.
When asked what means the most, Marin offered the following: "giving back what was given to me makes me very proud."
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I always enjoy asking what people consider are the benefits of music education. Inevitably, I hear something new, colored by each person's own experience and the challenges that he or she faces every day. Of course, Fiedler mentioned the connections between music, creativity and analytical learning. But what I've held onto most is his idea that music offers an opportunity to tap into joy and self-confidence, natural byproducts of an ongoing musical experience.
After study and individual practice, students are encouraged to perform. At People's Music School the annual Performathon offers a chance to show off what the student has learned; it gives friends, family, and peers the opportunity to celebrate the year's accomplishments and share in the joy of hearing live music. The student can't help but feel proud and motivated to continue; the audience can't help but feel inspired to listen again or to participate themselves!
Another related benefit, although much larger scale, was described in a 1999 PBS program titled Seeking Solutions. Citing a 1995 study of Chicago neighborhoods, the program revealed that despite the circumstance of the neighborhood, Uptown had half the crime rate of other city communities. Credit was given to the strengths of the cultural, social service, and neighborhood institutions-including People's Music School.
(More recent statistics, obtained from the 2005 City of Chicago Police Department Murder Analysis, states that the murder rate in the district surrounding People's Music School (23rd District) is the second lowest in the entire city at 2.1 victims per 100,000 residents!)
During a time when there is serious concern about the continued, long-term viability of classical music in our culture, when school music programs are hanging by a thread, the story of People's Music School offers hope to those who lack access to a meaningful, musical experience in their community. 350 students at a time, People's is nurturing the next generation of musicians and audience members. Their stories are beautiful examples of what is possible anywhere.
For those who are conscious of a need to build stronger communities and nurture positive values and skills among the youth in our city (discipline, hard work, respect, self-pride, critical thinking, active listening, poise), an easy way to begin is by playing an instrument! People's Music School is nurturing the development of strong citizens, 350 at a time.
People's offers instruction on 13 instruments and voice, music theory, and opportunities to perform in ensembles or solo. Enrollment is open to anyone over the age of four, on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please visit the school website. For a listing of other Chicago-area community music schools, visit here.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 11:11am.
Everyone loves a good contest, right?
I was recently contacted by Alex Davison of Gramaphone Magazine about a world-wide contest to name the classical
music artist of the year, and honor other notable achievements in our field. There are a group of nominees that were chosen by Gramophone Magazine's own critics as well as respected members of the industry, including retailers, broadcasters, arts administrators, and musicians. Sure, it feels a bit like our favourite pop music TV show on Fox, but if it helps raise the profile of classical music artists and orchestras, I'm all for it.
Want to have your voice heard? Click on to the Gramaphone website and cast your vote. The results will be published in real time on the Gramophone website, as well as in the special November Gramophone Awards Issue of the magazine, out on the 3rd of October.
Don't forget that age-old Chicago tradition of voting early and voting often. And if you happen to write in the Chicago Sinfonietta, or any of the partner organizations on ccm.org, we won't mind at all.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 08/08/2007 - 10:55am.
A few interesting items caught my attention this week. Drew McManus, writer of the classical music blog, Adaptistration, found a financial model 
that provides the "value" of classical music blogs. Drew was nice to include our humble little site that, lo and behold, is valued at $22,017.06. I'm wondering what gave us the extra 6 cents worth of value. I'm also wondering what we need to do to reach the $220,000 value of the top-ranked Arts Journal. Suggestions?
Another article that caught my attention this week was Andrew Patner's Chicago Sun-Times column about the recent successes experienced by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Congratulations to CEO, Deborah Card, for her stewardship of Chicago's flagship classical music organization. Ticket sales are up, the budget is balanced for the first time in a long while, and the artistic product has been broadened to appeal to many new audience members.
Finally, we have some changes coming on this site very soon. We are working on a re-design of the site that will include some new and exciting functions (more about this in the future), we are saying goodbye to Steve Burkholder, our long-time Webmaster who is leaving us for some new opportunities (Thanks Steve!!), and we are welcoming a new Site Manager, Angela Golden, who will begin her work in just a few weeks (Welcome Angela!) and is the author of next week's blog.
That's it for today. Don't forget to send me suggestions on how to up our blog value.
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Submitted by Amy Iwano on Thu, 08/02/2007 - 10:37pm.
I recently attended the American Symphony Orchestra League conference in “Music City,” Nashville, Tennessee (where the League announced its new name: the League of American Orchestras). As with these conferences, a couple of performances were scheduled (we were all gathered together in the name of music, after all!), and I attended a wonderfully adventurous and invigorating concert given by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra in the 9-month-old Schermerhorn Symphony Center, home of the Nashville Symphony.
It’s a beautiful hall, modeled after the “shoebox” design of the Musikverein in Vienna. What’s special about it are the plentiful natural light illuminating the wood interior and the technology that provides flexibility to accommodate various types of events, including main floor seats on motorized platforms that allow them to be quickly stored away, converting the venue from a concert hall into a ballroom. The acoustics, also boosted by technological advances, are very fine.
A further distinctive feature is the seating. The only fixed seats are those at the rear of the hall, opposite the stage. The second and third level seats are comfortable, upholstered armchairs that can be moved around, and these chairs also have small side tables that can hold a drink or program book.
For the Nashville Chamber Orchestra concert I heard, the main floor was not set with concert-style seats, but rather filled with cocktail tables and chairs, and waiters served beverages up to the time of the start of the performance, right in front of the stage! How nice would it be to sip a glass of wine while listening to a live performance of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen?
From this informal set-up to the interesting programming to the obvious commitment of the musicians, it was a very friendly and engaging experience. Bravo to all who had a hand in thinking about how to make a beautiful, user- and music-friendly hall and to the NCO for creating an energetic and welcoming concert event.
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Thu, 08/02/2007 - 11:45am.
For me, summer at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is full of season-end reports and preparations for next season, and combined with a lull in imminent deadlines and an inbox that seems to grow at a snail's pace, I am happy to have some time to reflect on the effectiveness of our programs and think about opportunities for growth and improvement.
I recently received the season evaluation of our Music Activity Partnership (MAP) program, currently in the middle of a three-year partnership with select classrooms at 10 select Chicago public elementary schools.
MAP works with classroom teachers (most without any previous musical training), integrating musical activities into their repertoire of teaching techniques. Participating classrooms are given access to an exceptional array of opportunities, including Teaching Artist visits, in-school performances, and a trip to a Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert. (For a more thorough description of the MAP program, visit here).
In the words of one participating teacher, MAP is "a jewel of a program...it's so holistic. So many angles to getting music in the classroom."
As the season's evaluation supports, participating students made large strides in understanding and enjoying music. Considering the quality of the experiences offered by MAP, these results should not be a surprise. But what is the difference between the students who participate in the MAP program and CSO audience members, amateur instrumentalists, or classical music enthusiasts?
The very short answer is "More." More exposure and access, and the consistent involvement of individuals-teachers, parents, and others-who take on the responsibility of nurturing the growing interest.
The longer answer is enhanced, I think, by one of my favorite models of human behavior: Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The Hierarchy, shown below, is a visual representation of the order in which we are innately drawn towards fulfilling different personal needs.
At the bottom are basic, survival elements (food, water, safety and shelter). As these are obtained, there are natural urges for emotional stability (belongingness, self-esteem, social acceptance) and, finally, complex understanding (beauty, justice, realizing one's full potential).
Can this model be translated to illustrate levels of MUSICAL need? Does this enlighten our understanding of responsibility to provide those needs?
I should pause to note that several bloggers have recently written about the benefits of a prolonged musical experience (Cincinnati pianist Joshua Nemith, Chicago bassist Jason Heath), based on a recent study by NAMM. There is also a great page on the MENC Advocacy website with statistics and facts supporting the benefits of musical education on a variety of skills. Needless to say that there is a growing body of solid support here.
A hierarchy of musical needs
Musical "needs" are not tied to physical survival, however, evidence from any of the above sources (and from my own experience as a musician and teacher) supports the many ways that music enables the fulfillment of Maslow's higher-level needs, specifically esteem, aesthetic and cognitive needs, self-actualization. So I insist on the use of the word "needs" in this transposed model.
Exposure to music and music education is one common denominator among successful, satisfied, articulate people and should be a guaranteed opportunity for every child. Moreover, an ongoing musical experience (ideally begun at a young age) is the answer to concerns about the stability of orchestras and arts organizations. Although it will not sell tickets now, it is an investment in a future generation of musically-literate patrons and participants.
Below is a reinvention of this hierarchy, with musical needs parallel to human needs. (In my diagram, the hierarchy is presented upside-down.)
Maslow's Heirarchy | Hierarchy of Musical Needs |
Physiological needs: | Food and drink | Primary musical competence: | the ability to listen; understanding the musical language (rhythm and pitch) |
Safety needs: | Security and physiological safety | Musical "safety": | continued experience and access prevents a threat to primary musical competence |
Belongingness and love needs: | Affiliation, acceptance, affection | Musical socialization: | Everyone shares the ability to participate in music (as a listener or performer). |
Esteem needs: | Competence, approval, recognition | Esteem needs provided through musical participation: | Musical participation provides an opportunity to meet these needs. |
Aesthetic and cognitive needs: | Knowledge, understanding, goodness, justice, beauty, order, symmetry | The musical aesthetic: | Ongoing musical study offers the opportunity to understand and participate in artistic creation. |
Cognitive enhancement through music: | There are countless parallel academic, professional, and social skills that music helps to develop. |
Self-actualization | Realizing one's full potential | Musical self-actualization | Continuing a life-long relationship with music; using musical experience and skills to build a satisfying life. |
Increasing levels of this hierarchy do NOT have to be commensurate with musical performance skills. That is to say that fulfillment is not limited to Juilliard Students or American Idols. Musical participation and achievement IS available to everyone, and it is possible to begin at any point in life.
In Maslow's Hierarchy, needs are achieved along a flexible continuum. As life circumstances change, a person may move backwards, to a lower level of need. By contrast, intellectual musical achievement is permanent.
Consider this response from a student attending one of this season's CSO Very Special Promenade concerts (for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade) as motivation for pursuing these needs. When asked to describe how hearing the concert made him feel, he drew the picture below.
And, in a way, Maslow underscores this idea. He includes creative abilities among the instinctual self-actualizing potentials, that is, among the skills that allow humans to be the best that they can be. Creativity is given the same altitude as reason, problem solving, morality, and objectivity. If creativity--at the core of musical participation--is among the few truly human traits, shouldn't these skills be nurtured at the primary levels of need?
How should these needs be ensured? Please share your thoughts.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 07/18/2007 - 9:42am.
I'm just back from a nice break and am playing catch-up so this will be short and (hopefully) sweet. Want to get free a free ticket to either of the Chicago Sinfonietta's first two concerts of the 2007-2008 season? Use this link to go to our website and request a season brochure. That's all you have to do to take advantage of this offer. Well, that and enter "T104" in the field that asks you for the promotion code. 
While you're there, check out the descriptions of the two concerts you can attend for free! Here's a teaser - Concert One features a world-class 18-piece jazz ensemble trading movements with our musicians, and Concert Two explores an environmental theme featuring a Native American flutist and the participation of the Chicago Humanities Festival and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
You don't have to decide which concert you want to go to just yet - we'll get back to you in August for your choice, so don't forget to give us your phone number and e-mail.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 07/03/2007 - 10:41am.
This week's blog comes to us courtesy of Jean Cook and Justin Jouvenal, and is a continuation of last week's posting Think Digitally, Broadcast Globally. They work with the Future of Music Coalition, an education, research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the intersection of independent music, technology, and policy.
Though interest in podcasts and Internet radio is growing exponentially, these formats have a long way to go before they 
supplant old-fashioned terrestrial radio. Traditional radios are ubiquitous, everyone knows how to use them, and we all grew up listening to them.
More than 275 million Americans listen to radio, and, according to a recent report by the Knight Foundation, radio is the most popular way for classical music consumers to hear the music. Until now, getting on the radio required building a strong relationship with your local station or being a major symphony orchestra or opera company with an NPR deal. But this year, it could also involve owning and programming a radio station in your hometown.
This October, for the first time in more than a decade (and probably for the last time ever), the FCC is giving nonprofits licenses to create and operate new radio stations. In a few years, we'll hear niche music on the radio again, on stations built by a handful of nonprofit organizations. Will yours be one of them?
Owning a radio station can give you the opportunity to bring your programming to an even broader audience, furthering your mission and bringing about many new fundraising opportunities. In Albany, one presenter is already creating synergy between live performances and radio. The WAMC Performing Arts Studio (PAS) brings a variety of music, dance, theater, and film to live audiences in and around Albany, New York, and is operated by WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, which promotes and broadcasts these performances. Recent performers to live audiences in Albany and listeners in the greater Hudson Valley region include jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, reedman David "Fathead" Newman, and gothic cello quartet Rasputina. The PAS also serves as a community hub, with locals attending daytime events such as town meetings, lectures, children's programs, and Sunday matinees. The PAS hosts a youth media project for high-needs urban and rural high schools in the New York Capital District Area and arts-in-education projects with neighborhood elementary schools.
Interested in learning more? Any nonprofit can apply for a radio station. Though the opportunity is limited to smaller metropolitan and rural areas, there are some great opportunities in places like Buffalo NY, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN, Milwaukee WI, Las Vegas NV, Alberquerque NM, Baton Rouge LA, Richmond VA, Huntsville AL, Flint MI, and Canton OH. To find out if you're in one of the 2,500+ qualifying zip codes, visit GetRadio!.
For more about how to apply for a license, check out the Future of Music Coalition fact sheet.
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