Focusrite’s Post

When what you DO seems like a really great reason for gathering, says Priya Parker, it’s easy to neglect the crucial exercise of establishing a meaningful purpose—the “why” for your gathering. This oversight is prevalent in the classical music world. Orchestras and opera companies, according to Parker’s framework, too often conflate category with purpose. Translation: Classical music is the “what”, not the “why”—the product, not the purpose. Establishing a meaningful purpose means moving beyond art for art’s sake and asking “Why?” or “To what end?” When we skip this step, it’s very difficult to successfully communicate our value, justify our funding, and attract donors and ticket buyers. Plus, says Parker, we miss out on the possibility of creating something truly ✨transformative.✨ ________________________ For more audience-building ideas grounded in proven innovation frameworks, tap the 🔔 in my profile or follow @cultureforhire. #audiencedevelopment #artsmarketing #artsandculture

Support young people Support musicians Support live music And jazz ain’t dead! UK Jazz collective wins Mercury music prize and refs all the good work that goes into supporting artist development in the UK. In case some of you hadn’t noticed I’m a massive fan and supporter of music and musicians. I also love jazz. And I love those keeping music(and especially jazz) live and alive, growing and reinterpreted. I used to go to NYC every week for work, now I know I’ve told this story before but if you’ll indulge me. Here is how I used to do the trip - “Chairman’s flight” out - daytime work 6 hours straight on the plane, no interruptions. Typically I would review business performance, write the strategy, read any papers / deal reviews / budget requests /investment cases. So full on, no chilling with a movie and red wine. I’d land around 2 and get to Manhattan and checked in around 5 (traffic) just in time to shower, grab a bite from whole foods and catch the early jazz show at 7:30 to be in bed for 10. On the last night (flight the next morning, no client meetings) I’d do a late night out. I often used to catch the late jazz set around 11pm when the young “cats” came in to do their thing. I loved it it was live vibrant, referential whilst exploring and pushing the boundary jazz was definately still alive and evolving in front of you. New York has always been strong for music and in particular jazz, one of the reasons is the strength of the music schools there (jazz is very technical even if it appears free form) Now I’ve also stated publicly that right now I think London has the edge on the scene so this is a great recognition of both the talent in the uk and the strength of the teaching infrastructure both formal and informal - that’s important and we should all continue to support education, music and live it really makes a difference to young people. Now whilst we’re at it and I’ve said this before. The UK used to have the worlds biggest music company. And media used to be recognised as the UK’s third largest export (after defence and finance). Let’s do it again! Who’s with me? And whilst we’re at it why don’t we build that studio at last to rival Hollywood?

48% of the U.S. population doesn't feel welcome in the classical music world. This will never change, unless we can get our loyal audiences to understand that it is their responsibility to help Outsiders feel welcome. But also—too many of our rituals stem from 19th century exclusionary ideals that make Outsiders feel marginalized and less than. It’s time to trade the implicit expectations for explicit guidelines. What would that look like when it comes to the implicit expectations around applause? What if we reserved one section in the concert hall for those who feel moved to respond to music in real time—and another for those who prefer to wait til the end? #artsmarketing #audiencedevelopment #artsadministration

Music is Economy— PERIOD!!! A centralized statewide office Makes it All Make Sense!!! A main key to success is organization. Let’s create the equilibrium needed, and collectively be drivers of effective change in the “gig” /“creator” economy.

🎶 Dive into the past with music in this Harmonizing Project 🕰️ Follow these 6 steps to showcase history in a whole new light! https://buff.ly/3QbpkTD

Closing the achievement gap in schools will happen faster by addressing the music gap. Research demonstrates it time and time again. Students do better in every category when given music and the arts as tools of expression! Learn in detail about our art education classes here: https://lnkd.in/grbzbbJV #prop28 #Afterschoolprogram #musicprogramca #californiakids #elopcalifornia

“48% of the U.S. population doesn't feel welcome in the classical music world.” Thank you to Ruth Hartt for sharing this data point. I have a few thoughts on this. There are several reasons why 48% of the U.S. population may not feel welcome in the classical music world. -Classical music has historically been associated with elitism and exclusivity, which create barriers for individuals from historically unrecognized and excluded backgrounds. -The cost/time/accessibility of attending concerts, the lack of representation of different cultures and perspectives in programming, and the perception of classical music as unrelatable to communities contributes to feelings of exclusion. -The historically and present-day exclusion of musicians, conductors, and composers from marginalized backgrounds in the classical music industry further perpetuates a lack of inclusivity. When individuals do not see themselves reflected on stage or in leadership positions, they may feel that their voices and experiences are not valued or welcomed. This lack of representation contributes to a limited range of perspectives and narratives being showcased in classical music, which continues to perpetuate systemic inequities across the field. -Going even deeper, classical music education and training requires significant resources and access to specialized institutions or private instruction. This creates barriers for individuals from marginalized communities who may not have the same opportunities to pursue classical music education or exposure. -The lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices within educational institutions and orchestras further perpetuate these inequalities. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach. It involves marketing, communicating, and promoting DEI across all areas of the organization, actively seeking out and supporting musicians, conductors, and composers from historically unrecognized and excluded backgrounds, making concerts and events more affordable and accessible, expanding classical music education initiatives, and guiding staff and leadership to truly understand WHY this is important. By actively working towards a more equitable and inclusive environment, the classical music world can begin to break down barriers and ensure that everyone feels valued and represented. This is not impossible. Is it difficult?  Of course, it is. But there are amazing DEI minded people and organizations engaging in the work. Y’all remember the title of the post, right? “48% of the U.S. population doesn't feel welcome in the classical music world.” Let’s work to change this. Respectfully, Dr. Roque Diaz #DEI #ClassicalMusicOrganizationsCanChange #NotImpossible #WhatIsYourWhy #DownWithClassicalMusicPolice

(ICYMI) After becoming intrigued by music as a teenager, South African music creator and producer, Reactor B started to release music to follow his passion with his career. As the guest on this episode of Celeb Savant, he fills us in on his journey in the music industry.. Find the link to the interview in the comments.

How to catch the attention of music supervisors with a great email.🎶✉ - Highlight their accolades - Congratulate them on their achievements. -If you or your artist has a gig in the same city where the supervisor is based, invite them to the gig. 🔊Voiceover by our CEO Amelia McCloskey #musicsync #pitchperfect #brandcommunication #syncsavvy #musicmarketing #synclicensing #musicindustry #musicsupervision #entertainmentindustry

Giving back: always important, especially when it aligns with your organisation's values. Coxswain Alliance sponsors a critical learning and development program with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; the Fellows. This is about nurturing the talent of the future, building capability. Have a listen to how the seasoned players David and Matthew talk about mentoring young and talented players. It is a nuanced approach that offers multiple avenues for building capability. And Matthew's comment goes to the heart of it. It's not just about being a good player; it's also about being a good colleague. Isn't that the truth!