MQOD

24. October 2008 · 4 comments · Categories: Ramble

The realities of popular music culture and jazz are you can rely on individual expression to achieve things — the technical mastery doesn’t matter so much. But classical music requires both. The analogy I like to use is the difference between an actor in a sitcom and an actor in the theater. In a sitcom, pretty much the job is just to be funny, and most actors generally can be funny. But to be in a play by a Tom Stoppard or an Arthur Miller, you have to develop a character that is convincing.

-Branford Marsalis

Read more here.

My Preference

24. October 2008 · 4 comments · Categories: Links, Ramble

In a preemptive strike to keep audiences from trading an evening of theater for TV and a frozen pizza during troubled economic times, Center Theatre Group is announcing a new “Entertainment Stimulus Package” that will make available 100,000 tickets at $20, available for all performances at all three of its theaters –the Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas — for the entire 2008-09 season.

RTWT

I much prefer this to comps. Free tickets don’t work. People take them — what’s the harm in taking free tickets?! But they feel no obligation to show up.

I also think handing out free tickets gives the recipient the idea that what he or she is about it attend is really of little or no value. Giving them a nice discount doesn’t come across quite that way.

Some will suggest that giving out comps encourages the recipients to purchase tickets the next time around. In all my years of handing out comps I don’t believe I’ve ever heard someone say, “Next time I’m gonna buy some tickets! That was great!” However I’ve frequently heard, “Thanks, and let me know when you can get some more comps!”

Just my thoughts on the matter. And that is all.

BQOD

24. October 2008 · Comments Off on BQOD · Categories: BQOD

Years ago my closest friend, Mark Leffler, was at a San Francisco symphony. Throughout one piece of music he sat mesmerized to the building intensity, louder and louder until his own energy could barely be contained. Finally, with Mark on the edge of his seat, the music came to an abrupt end and Mark exploded upward applauding and cheering in un-symphony like character. But the piece of music was only pausing and every eye, conductor’s included, turned to Mark, who found himself standing amongst hundreds of black ties cheering as if he were at a hockey game. He later admitted however that it is moments like this that we must live for, to give in to our emotions and just express how we feel.

I found the above here, a blog by some “mountain sports photographers”. Check ’em out. 🙂

Free!

24. October 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Free!, Links

You can get free downloads from The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Cool eh? Check it out!