I was surfing various blogs and came across this site. It is a project of the American Youth Symphony‘s Plight of American Music Initiative. While it seems largely to be aimed at the efforts of youth orchestras and other youth ensembles, some of the points made could be applicable to major symphonic ensembles. Here is the opening of their mission statement:
As you may know, from jazz to rock and roll to hip hop, mainstream America has always greeted the expressive music of young generations with disdain. In spite of this, history has proven these musics to be a
valid part of American Art.However, for the first time in our history, a generation– from kids to college graduates– is being brought up on a diet of electronic, non-melodious music. Criticism is no longer about the moral or philosophical content of a young generation’s music, but rather the way in which music comes to life — which up until now was by performers playing musical instruments.
This new paradigm could render traditional forms of American music, such as the symphony, opera or even jazz extinct as the current generation reaches maturity and the current supporters have passed on.
And here are the opening paragraphs of their report on the “MTV/hip-hop generation” and symphony orchestras:
The American Youth Symphony issues this report as part of its Plight of American Music Initiative. This Initiative, in part, is an ongoing discussion program─taking place in middle and high schools across the country─addressing the state of instrumental music performance and its appreciation by the MTV / Hip Hop Generation.
We view this report as significant because unlike major studies and data cited herein, it recognizes the new paradigm that exists in our society regarding electronic sound (see definition below), MTV and Hip Hop culture and a reconfiguring of traditional demographic segments.
The effects of this new paradigm are challenging. Previously, the research of musical tastes and behaviors went forward on the premise that people agreed generally with what defined music, i.e. melodies, harmonies and rhythms performed by people on musical and vocal instruments. However, the traditional parameters of what constitutes music and a musical performance have been dramatically expanded by the MTV / Hip Hop culture. Today, the young generation no longer differentiates between the artistry involved in playing a musical instrument, such as a violin, versus the artistry involved in choosing a violin sample and then programming a computer to play it.
It is in this context that this report concludes that the culture, financial position and presentation of the major
symphony orchestras in the United States, with regard to classical music, are detrimental to the task of impacting the MTV / Hip Hop Generation. We do conclude however, that the role of the youth and community orchestras is vital but needs retooling in order to increase the MTV / Hip Hop generation’s familiarity with instrumental music performance.
The basic thrust of the report is that the age group of non-classical music lovers between 12 – 34 years old is being totally overlooked by all traditional music institutions, and that there are specific strategies which might help to woo this important and under-served generation. Here are some of their recommendations:
Proponants of traditional music forms must:
1) . . . be willing to abandon the failed marketing strategies of large symphony orchestras who may have different social and musical priorites and who possess complex financial stuctures.
2) Recognize that youth orchestras do not have to change their mission of providing an enlightening experience to youth by teaching them classical music. However, they must also institute an equal mission of making the experience for young listeners interesting and comfortable.
3) Understand that commercial marketing is the new world order in garnering widespread musical allegiances among youth and that fostering a long-term welfare culture of survival by grants, donations and tuition makes you less creative, savvy and resourceful in the commercial marketplace.
4) Recognize that your greatest financial comodity is the orchestra itself.