Archive for the 'Behind the Scenes' Category

Today’s Dispatch Article

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 15, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, columbus symphony orchestra, symphony board and symphony management
. 4 Comments

Korine Fujiwara, a violinist with the orchestra, responded appropriately to the hypocritical attack on Junichi Hirokami by Tony Beadle in today’s Dispatch. While it is common for a Music Director to “jet set” from city to city to make a living, and thereby hardly ever residing in any particular city in which he directs, Tony Beadle’s has lived in an Extended Stay hotel since he began working for the Columbus Symphony, which is unheard of for an Executive Director.

It should also be known that Junichi Hirokami, during any visit to Columbus, made himself completely available for meetings with prospective donors. Yet Tony Beadle failed to schedule Maestro Hirokami to lobby for the orchestra.

Hello all,

Regarding the following quote from today’s Dispatch 7/15/2008: (emphasis mine) “Hirokami should have remained neutral, said Tony Beadle, executive director of the symphony — adding that Hirokami has also failed to perform key duties of a music director for a major orchestra, partly because he hasn’t put down roots in central Ohio. “A good deal of the work is not done on the podium,” Beadle said. “A music director is the face of the orchestra and ambassador of good will to the community and potential donors.”

I still haven’t had the opportunity to meet Mr. Beadle’s family. Have he and his family moved from Boston to Columbus yet? Where does he currently reside? In what state? Do they still live in the Boston area?

The fact that Hirokami doesn’t live in Columbus has been widely touted in the press, but if it is indeed true that after more than two years, Tony Beadle, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Columbus Symphony, HAS STILL NOT “PUT DOWN ROOTS IN CENTRAL OHIO” either, shouldn’t this also be newsworthy? Isn’t it also a HUGE problem for fundraising and the overall general health of an organization IF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOESN’T HAVE A PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN CENTRAL OHIO?

We all have had the pleasure of meeting Junichi Hirokami’s family on many occasions, and it is my understanding that they even visited potential schools for their daughter on at least one occasion.

Korine Fujiwara

I would like to add that the board hired Junichi two years ago. Yet management has failed to effectively market him and utilize his time wisely when he visits Columbus. Who is to say he wouldn’t move here if given appropriate support from a functioning board.

Make it Everyone’s Orchestra!

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 15, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, Our Supporters and columbus symphony orchestra
. 0 Comments

I excerpted the following from a letter posted on Symphony Strong by Tim Veach, Artistic Director Columbus Dance Theatre. He proposes the heretical idea of a culture tax for Columbus. When you think about the numbers: small tax of $50/year/household (which includes free concerts) produces a vibrant, thriving downtown which draws corporations to Columbus; everyone wins, even capitalists!

Culture is not a luxury. It is vital to the economic and creative health of a major urban economy. The failure of a community’s cultural institutions signals a regressive economic environment hostile to future growth and economic development. Vital economies are creative ones.

In response to this economic and cultural emergency I offer a proposal for Columbus.

The entire budget of the major (organizations with budgets exceeding 1 million dollars annually) arts organizations should be funded directly through a minimal tax, The Franklin County Culture Tax. Using U.S. Census Bureau statistics, if the adult population of Franklin County paid an average of $50 per year this would create an annual allocation of $38 million dollars for these major institutions.

What is the direct benefit to county residents? All performances and admissions would be free to Franklin county residents. This operational underpinning would then allow these cultural institutions to raise money for their endowments – something that has eluded all of the major organizations as they must spend the bulk of their contributed revenue on general operations.

Funds could be monitored through the Greater Columbus Arts Council who would use their current quality control measures to guarantee the judicious management of the public’s money.

A peripheral benefit of this program would be the freeing of significant funds at GCAC that currently go to the major institutions in the city. This money could then sustain the smaller cultural organizations and attractions in town also enabling them to offer their programming at no cost to county residents. Currently GCAC is funded by a portion of the Hotel/Motel tax. As of today, Franklin County residents are paying nothing to sustain their local arts organizations, unless, of course, you are living in a hotel.

This creative solution to our current arts funding dilemma will undoubtedly be met by an onslaught of naysayers. That is the nature of democracy. We debate and work together on creative solutions to better our communities. This will take work. Creation is hard. Destruction is easy. Let us not take the easy path.

I call upon Mayor Coleman and the members of City Council to offer temporary assistance from the city to guarantee the immediate survival of the CSO – an organization whose presence brings cultural and economic gravitas to the heart of our city. I then offer a plea to our elected leaders to consider this proposal or soon we could be a city without a voice.

Tim Veach Artistic Director Columbus Dance Theatre

Saturday’s Spectacular Concert

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 14, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life, Orchestral Playing, Our Supporters and Performances
. 1 Comment


It’s amazing what a group of people can do in a short time when they put their collective mind to it. In the past two weeks the musicians, shut out by their own board and management, went into action and self-produced two concerts, a family concert Friday and a tour de force Saturday in Vets Memorial Auditorium.

Ten days ago we didn’t even know who the conductors would be. Nor did we know where we would get stands and chairs, or who would be generous enough to let us borrow the music we needed. We didn’t have a way to sell tickets, or a box office of any sort. We had no stage crew, and no insurance for the concerts in case someone got injured. Boy, did we learn fast!

With the untiring focus of our “concerts committee”, formed of a dozen or so musicians from the orchestra, the concerts seemed to take shape out of thin air. As I read the email reports, I offered to help, and became involved with centralizing the coordination of volunteers. When Donna Gerhold of the Women’s Association of the CSO, emailed me offering to help, I seized on the opportunity. A few days later, I phoned my friend Jayne Gocken to ask if she would volunteer. Jayne used to run the Granville Symphony, and so has a lot experience working the front of the auditorium as the audience arrives. She jumped on it and shot off a list of questions to me which lead to some very useful outcomes, such as passing clipboards around to gather contact information from supporters so we can notify them of future events.

After one orchestra meeting, David Edge, a violinist in the orchestra, offered to go to Staples to buy the clipboards and lined paper for the signup lists. That was the day before the first concert. Things seemed to fall into place.

The concert itself went very smoothly, with E.J. Thomas as MC introducing each piece from the podium, with Jaime Morales-Matos leading the orchestra through vigorous and exciting tempos, with the heart-felt ceremonial presentation of a plaque from the Musicians of the Columbus Symphony to Marines from the Lima Company for proud service to their country, down to the excited applause between each piece and at the end.

Several musicians commented that the acoustics were not as bad as we remembered it, having rehearsed there for some Picnic with the Pops events. If we could move forward on the stage, toward the audience, the hall would fill with our music even better. The reverb (sound feedback from the hall) was not bad, a bit harsh, but better than the Ohio Theater. The stage of Vets Memorial is also suitably wide to allow the orchestra to spread out, which is the normal configuration for orchestras allowing more of the sound to get off the stage. (Unlike the box shape of the Ohio Theater stage, which bounces much of the sound back into the orchestra, rather than out to the audience. In other words, the Ohio Theater doesn’t give the patron their money’s worth.)

Considering the cavernous size of the auditorium (3600 seats) and a week’s notice for publicity, we had a good crowd, over 1500. Just think what will happen when we REALLY plan it ahead and have learned from this experience. I hope you are able to join us for our next thrilling concert!

Self Governing Orchestra?

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 12, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, columbus symphony orchestra, symphony board and symphony management
. 1 Comment

This letter was posted, apparently anonymously, on Symphony Strong.

Concerning the difficulties the CSO has had with the board- In England the London Symphony Orchestra, one of the great ones of the world, was started in the 20’s or so as an orchestra owned and managed by the musicians themselves. They have a manager, but this person is also a musician with the orchestra itself. (Last notable one was Clive Gillinson, a cellist with the LSO, now manager of Carnegie Hall). Couldn’t this be a model the CSO could at least try, as they have already demonstrated their ability to put together a credible budget plan? Much of the “dead wood” (my opinion only) upstairs in the management dept. would be eliminated, and the musicians would be able to control their own fate, although they might not have the income that they have now…Check it out, CSO, we need you

Excitement and Nervousness

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 11, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life and Off the Record
. 1 Comment

I am excited to be performing some concerts today, Friday July 11, and tomorrow, July 12. Yet I am also unusually nervous and anxious. Why should I be? I know the music I am about to play and have performed those pieces dozens of times. But this feels different.

There is so much riding on the upcoming concerts for me as an orchestral musician who has been in the orchestra since 1989. The mood and perception of the crowd could make or break one of our last hopes for showing that we don’t need the board and management with their defeatist attitudes to survive and continue to play music for our beloved audiences.

Isn’t it strange that the public’s opinion has been ignored by board and management? Should that not be their goal? Especially in a democratic country? Yet, they are getting away with it, and the Columbus community needs to show them they are wrong with their attendance.

Suppose the audience is small for the huge Vets Hall? It will look so embarrassing for all of us. And the board will have their confirmation to continue as they have.

So I’m nervous for YOU, too! I want us, musicians and audience, to band together in a new kind of solidarity between two traditionally separated parts of the live music making experience.

I want to play my best for you. And I hope you want to be the BEST possible audience we could ever have. Show us how you really feel. We’ll feel it. You’ll feel it. The board will also feel it and fear it.

David

The Most Important Concert Yet

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 10, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Our Supporters and columbus symphony orchestra
. 1 Comment

This Saturday, you can show that you want your orchestra back! All the information you need for the concerts is HERE. We need volunteers to sell tickets and usher for the Saturday evening concert. Please contact Donna Gerhold at gerhold@insight.rr.com to find out what you can do. Breaking news: Now you can buy tickets at MCSO Concerts, the musician concerts website.

Musicians Concerts this Weekend

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 8, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life, Off the Record, Our Supporters, Performances and Personal
. 0 Comments

Several folks have inquired regarding details of this weekend’s concerts by musicians of the Columbus Symphony. If you don’t have time to read my passionate philosophical explorations :-) on the implications of the phrase “musicians concerts”, all the information you need for the concerts is HERE. Also, we need volunteers to sell tickets and usher for the Saturday evening concert. Please contact Donna Gerhold at gerhold@insight.rr.com to find out what you can do. Breaking news: Now you can buy tickets at MCSO Concerts, the musician concerts website.

Now for my philosophical entreaty on the value of live classical music:

I can’t help but notice the playful redundancy of the phrase “musicians concert”; yet there it is, in all it’s ironic nakedness. It sounds so honest and real, as opposed to the “such and such symphony orchestra”, which already sounds corporate. (although the word corporate, beyond its business use, also means “united or combined into one”, an ideal for a group of musicians from a musical point of view)

When did the “musicians’ get replaced by an “institution” or an “organization”? As if they didn’t exist in the flesh, but only in terms of something else!

Has the time come when all sides will band together, no pun intended, to make the music happen?

Judging from the recent event here in Columbus and also the longterm history of professional music making, the question arises; How do we traverse this sludge of tradition and habit to attain the pure goal embodied in the phrase musicians concert? We don’t want to throw the good out with the bad. Yet, isn’t that part of the American spirit, to look unflinchingly with fresh eyes and see, or attempt to see, what is of real value and what is dead weight?

Another question; Are these upcoming concerts just a “job” for us, the musicians? After all, we have to make a living at what we do to continue to do it. Then there’s the aching question, what constitutes “making a living”? But we won’t go there just now. Let us assume the concept of “free market” thinking will fumble it’s way to some real truth, if we continue to ask the right questions. Such as, what is the value of the music we play? Can a dollar sign really be placed on the complex emotions aroused by great classical music?

The quality of the music is certainly an important factor. Any “product” (I hate to use the word here) has a “value”. But what system, or organization, determines that value? Are fads valuable because they sell well for awhile?

Continuing with the idea of fads, why is it that many, many people gravitate toward classical music as they age? Shouldn’t their wisdom and experience count as a meaningful indication of the “value” of the music they wish to hear?

Bear with me, I need to work this through.

A few weeks ago, I drove the seven hours trip to Bethesda, MD, where I grew up, to visit with my mother and sister for a few days. I always listen to music on the trip. Since classical music has trouble cutting through the substantial hum of the highway, I picked a half dozen pop/world pop CDs from the library to play during the driving time.

I didn’t listen to more than 5 minutes of any of those CDs. These CD’s were so insipid, all of them, Shafqat Ali Khan, pseudo Indian music (I grew up in India, and heard numerous “classical” Indian concerts), Jolie Holland (get a composer), Astor Piazzolla (a real classical composer) remixed (huh???!), even Steely Dan, whom I used to listen to, seemed washed out, stale. Am I getting old? At least “rock” music didn’t try to impress anyone, and won over hearts and minds with that idea!

Back to the subject: musicians concerts! I could go on with the yadayadayada of how dedicated we are, how much time we spend practicing, how much money we spend on our equipment. Even though it’s all true, we made those choices, after all. So what is all our effort worth? Is it up to the public to decide? You’re darn right? People with whom we share all our passion and dedication, the process and the outcome, the suffering and the joy, the growing pains and the growth spurts, will be like family to us, and us to them. They will love us for what we do, not the product we make.

That’s the real value of music, and especially classical music, which is by FAR the most difficult AND rewarding type of music there is, both for members of the audience and the musicians. (except for really great jazz)

OK, I’ve had my say. Now for some details about this weekend’s concerts. Friday’s concert is for kids of all ages. David Tanner, whose untiring efforts to produce the most complete web site about and for musicians and their supporters, has put all the information you could possibly need, including a big satellite photo with big red arrows pointing to parking, and red warnings of problems you might have getting there, plus really nice, big photos of the venue, HERE. (Hint: You will need to bring your own chairs/blankets)

Saturday’s 7:30 PM concert is at Vets Memorial, 300 West Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215. We need VOLUNTEERS for Saturday’s concert, at least 20, to help out with ticket sales and seating and other very important details to make this concert work for all of us! Please contact Donna Gerhold (gerhold@insight.rr.com) for how you can help.

Please forgive us all (the musicians as a group) for any glitches in this process. We are on a steep, steep learning curve. But don’t worry, we learn fast, but we can’t do it without you. We may be experts at the unbelievably complex details of phrasing Brahms, but need all of you to stay the course with us as we begin to make Brahms’ music, and all classical music, YOURS!

Valerie Gibbs letter to WACSO

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 7, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Our Supporters and columbus symphony orchestra
. 2 Comments

I met Valerie and John Gibbs at my home recital in May. They have shown a great deal of passion and determination to help the musicians of the Columbus Symphony continue to make music. And they have sought to keep an even keel in public perception of the ongoing saga of the Symphony, its history and outcome. To that end, Valerie and others composed this wonderful letter to the members of the Women’s Association of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (WACSO).

Dear fellow WACSO member, July 4. 2008

We all know that we are at a critical moment in the life of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra that we love so much.

We have very few constructive options that could lead to the continuing life of the symphony—and very little time.

While we are not, nor can we be, part of the negotiations, we can do three things—get accurate information about the past and present situation; write to civic leaders like Mayor Coleman, Governor Strickland, President Gee of The Ohio State University; and publicize, attend and support upcoming musicians’ concerts—and urge our friends to do these three things.

The time to act on behalf of keeping our symphony alive is now. We have our four Youth orchestras and all the students and schools they represent hanging in the balance as well.

We may not all be aware that as of the beginning of June the musicians pay has been ended; moreover, their insurance, including their health benefits, have been cut off as of July first. One way we can support them right now is to go to a website that features upcoming concerts. By our attendance, and donations, we can give them our direct support. Their new website is The Musicians of the Columbus Symphony.

If our symphony orchestra is silenced, look at what our capital city is about to lose:

    -The cultural, educational and musical life-blood of our city that brings an unparalled joy into our lives, and into the lives of future generations.

    -An attraction to keep and to draw high-quality businesses in and to our area.

    -Some of the finest orchestra musicians anywhere—some of whom have already left their local students as well as this ensemble behind in search of more secure employment—who have spent years together building up our symphony to its emerging world class status.

    -The reason to stay involved in Columbus for Junichi Hirokami, an outstanding young conductor, musician and advocate for the highest and best of music.

We have faced crises like these before. In 1969 we women were behind the successful effort to save the Ohio Theatre when it was on the very brink of destruction, when the chandeliers and other Ohio Theatre cultural treasures had all been sold. During that crisis we helped raise the money to renovate the Ohio Theatre so our symphony could have a home.

For almost 60 years we have stood whole-heartedly behind the orchestra musicians of Columbus, supporting our Symphony’s mission “to develop and foster the art of orchestral music at the highest possible artistic level,” attending concerts, purchasing series’ tickets, and throwing our full weight into fundraising and other vital community work for the Symphony.

As we celebrate the courage and sacrificial efforts of those few but faithful 56 signers of our Declaration of Independence this July 4, those who paved the way for our lives here today, let us commit ourselves anew to what we believe in, for generations to come: Live Symphonic Music for Columbus.

Sincerely,

Valerie Gibbs, (Lyric), Encore/Caprice Lifetime member

Announcing Musician’s New Website

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 2, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Our Supporters and Performances
. 0 Comments

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of one symphony musician, Julia Rose, Associate Principal/Third Horn, we now have a terrific website where supporters of The Musicians of the Columbus Symphony can find their way to us directly.

The site is brand, spanking new. Features will be added soon, so keep checking back. While you’re at it, “favorite” it, so you can come back often.

To My Readers

Published
by
dtclarinet
on June 30, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics and columbus symphony orchestra
. 1 Comment

I will post again soon. I have been very busy getting three rooms in my house ready to rent out in order to make ends meet and keep my beautiful home and garden. I have had to pack up much of my life into boxes and cram my practice space into one small room. Doable, but chaotic.

I am also having to apply for Federal assistance to help pay the high price ($550/month) to continue the insurance plan which has now been dropped by the Symphony, even though several staff member’s salaries and benefits continue to be paid.

I am still sad beyond belief that those in the community who are members of organizations formed to support the Symphony have been convinced by the pseudo-logic of Buzz Trafford’s lawyerly manipulations to believe that there are no other options than what has already been done.

The truth is, the board did not have to withhold ticket sales for the Fall season in order to continue negotiations with the musicians. This simple fact betrays their innocence in handling the situation. They claim they cannot sell ticket because they don’t have a contract with the musicians. In fact, they have a contract, which they have broken. And their efforts to negotiate a fair contract for the current musicians has been anything but fair; it’s been unilateral and immobile. While the musician’s offered a sizeable cut to BEGIN negotiations, the board, led by Buzz Trafford, refused to budge from their original plan. This is not negotiation.

One supporter, who is one of the most circumspect and polite individuals I’ve ever met, spoke up at a recent meeting and stated that, after reviewing the events of the past few months, and as uncomfortable as it was for him to say; the Board intended to destroy the orchestra all along.

Motives are moot at this point. The fact is, our livelihoods and our valuable contribution to Columbus as music makers, teachers, neighbors, friends, is ending. And that end has come to pass solely on the backs of the decision makers on our current Board of Trustees. They are responsible for the destruction of the orchestra, not the failing economy, not the “lack of support” from corporate donors, not any reasons they give. It’s simply their original intention to destroy the Orchestra, masked behind a “financial crisis”. This is not to say there is not a financial crisis. Any musician would agree that there is. But the desired outcome to resolve that crisis is vastly different from the Board’s view than the musicians, or any other of the numerous, educated supporters of the Orchestra.

We need new leadership, plain and simple. Those on the board who are willing to take a fresh look at the situation and actually support the orchestra should remain. The others, who have either been involved in the plan to destroy the orchestra, or who have in complicit in their silence, should step aside.

I also want to mention to any of you reading my posts that you should be aware of any unusually long page loads, especially if the note at the bottom of the screen says “downloading from sum4count.net”, which is a Trojan malware script that piggy backed onto my blog. I have taken all the necessary steps to prevent any further infiltration, but just in case you saw that phrase, you also need to take steps to clean your computer of this virus. I apologize if this has caused any problems for anyone. I can assure you, it won’t happen again. (Luckily I have a Mac and it was relatively unscathed, but my laptop PC has been destroyed and must be completely rebuilt)