It is easy to fall into a routine or comfort zone in our listening, especially the more entrenched in a music scene one becomes. It happens. But what happens when musicians reach across genres to listen to one another and audiences follow?
Over the past year, I have become more active in my symphony and concert hall attendance, and I noticed as I did so, my perspectives changed. Where five years ago it would have been nothing to stay up for a house show featuring loud guitars and basement full of guys in plaid talking about their recent pedal acquisitions, I have come to expect to be home by 10:00, 11:00 PM tops. I traded my skinny jeans for little, black dresses, and I have come to expect very different perspectives and purposes from concerts.
Last week, I delved back into the good ol' days and went to a fantastic post-rock show. It was loud, the kids were incredibly young, and it was at a bar downtown with two giant, flat screen televisions and bar clatter... but much of the music was not just good, it was basically symphonic.
The Transient Definition of "Symphonic"
What does that even mean, symphonic? Our definition today is much different than in centuries past. Remember, the symphony has a history of evolving, and the word's meaning is not concrete, by any means. Don't believe me? Check this out.
So, I left the show last week thinking about how to invite more of an exchange between the symphonic stage and world of Orange amps and PBR. There are albums that I would be hard-pressed not to call symphonic, and there are cello suites that sound fantastic on a Gibson. Basically, I see musicians crossing borders and I wonder if it is time for more of us in the audience to do so as well.
To this you might scoff: "Well, Kylie, have you not heard of the San Francisco Symphony's SoundBox, or New. Music at Short North Stage?"
Yes, those are fantastic ventures, and I am so fortunate to know the folks who make them possible. (Donato Cabrera and the Johnstones are significant influences on my listening and my musical experience.) But maybe we, as listeners and musicians, should further our investigation of where music belongs and to whom it belongs.
Why can't a band such as The Appleseed Cast or Mogwai open or close for a Symphony Orchestra? New Music is accepted in many circles, but how far does that sense of exploration extend for audiences?
I posed a few of these questions to longtime friend, local musician, WOSU radio engineer and broadcaster, Eric French, and his responses were illuminating. Eric attends probably 25 to 30 concerts a year that would be considered Classical or symphonic as a sound engineer. His calendar is already quite full.
French suspects, however, that other rock musicians might not necessarily seek out concerts hosted by our symphonies and orchestras because there is: "...more of a time commitment to learn how to enjoy Classical. "
In short, rock music is more mentally and even emotionally accessible to the average-- or in Eric's case-- even the educated listener. (He is a graduate of the Capital Conservatory of Music, after all.) It takes time for many people to understand and appreciate Dvorák or Brahms enough to commit to dressing up, paying for parking, paying for tickets, and enjoying two hours of music.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is Already On It
The folks in Baltimore have already caught this wave. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is partnering with their local radio station, WTMD 89.7 FM, and at least three local bands and performing artists for a new concert series aimed at people my age. They call it, Pulse. What's more; they are live-streaming the series.
"Everyone in the arts is trying to reach the next generation...Today's audiences consume culture and experience music in a different way than their parents, so the BSO knew it was important to create a concert experience to meet their expectations." -Paul Meecham, BSO president and CEO
The BSO isn't stopping with just adding local bands, either. Local brewers, chefs and artisans will be invited to sell their goods and add to the concert experience in the lobby after each concert in the series beginning September 24th.
Location, Location, Location
Perhaps the next question is where do these musicians belong, and where will it be best appreciated? At a bar with a five dollar cover charge, or in a symphony hall which may feel "stuffy" to younger audiences? Those perceptions do make an impact on how many young people and lower income persons attend.
Realistically, even if their set would sound better and an audience would appreciate the lack of bar noise, most bands could not afford to rent out the better theatres in Columbus. (The Southern Theatre seats 925 people and costs $2345 for a one day performance rental.)
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Picnic With The Pops recently featured the band Pink Martini, and this past week they invited a U2 "tribute" band. It seems like these are steps toward blending genres-- and I happen to like that blend with Pink Martini-- but what about smaller, local bands that are already writing music with a symphonic or orchestral sound in mind?
Who fits that bill?
Check out my friends and old bandmates in Flotation Walls, or take local band The End of The Ocean for instance. Moreover, their sound is already symphonic. Their songs have movements, after all. The same goes for The Appleseed Cast from Kansas. These are musicians, many of whom have trained in conservatories, who are taking their knowledge of historical composition and applying it to new compositions.
What would this look like in Columbus? The CSO with Flotation Walls playing some Phillip Glass? Angela Perley joins ProMusica for Copland's Appalachian Spring? Who knows. But it would certainly draw a diverse crowd.
In sum, I want to propose that musicians, arts program directors, and booking agents think outside the Pops, and invite acts that share common soundscapes, even if their instruments require a few more amps.