A very well-written and impassioned posting by CSO principal clarinetist David H. Thomas is well-worth a read. He makes the case for arts organizations building a strong sense of self and where that ‘self’ fits in the greater community – and that sometimes it just means believing the the worth of the organization to make the organization’s presence in the community something that the community will demand, not just enjoy.
A relatively new grassroots website has done a great deal for the Columbus Symphony. Symphony Strong has helped the musicians feel the support of all of Columbus. We need all the help we can get since, tragically, little or no support has come from our local newspaper, the Dispatch. (One has to wonder what they are thinking.)
However, Symphony Strong and others like it, formed to garner support, have struggled to break through deeper issues preventing a real blossoming of solutions. The bigger picture looks like this. The face of Columbus is not one or a few people, but a culture of all of us, our self-perception and how others outside the city see us.
Let’s say that I, David Thomas, see myself as a dashing, statuesque model, while others (unwilling to pop my bubble) see me as a craggy, half century old man. Who is right? I need to look closely at myself and find a positive overlap between those two views. I may not be a young model, but I can certainly enhance my image by spending some money on a good suit and a fine haircut and a fresh attitude. Then I can really like myself without self-deception.
He gets to the crux of the issue when he talks about how the orchestra relates to and benefits the community.
If you make a persuasive case for the benefits of having a world-class orchestra in your community, the support will no doubt come.
Read the entire post here.