Audience connectivity in orchestral performances

SHARI LINDBLOM FACULTY OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY MASTER OF ARTS (RESEARCH), 2009

Key Words Orchestra, Audience, Connectivity, Sustainability, Performance, Music

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2008

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page ii ABSTRACT

With the general global decline in the popularity and profitability of traditional orchestras, ways to build new audiences, develop new repertoires and create new networks and business partnerships are being explored.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the various elements of a proposed Orchestral Sustainability Framework and determine if and how these elements contribute to an increased audience connection with the music performance experience.

Three main elements are explored in this Orchestral Sustainability Framework:

1. Social aspects of audience connection such as performer/audience interaction and ways of emotional engagement

2. Artistic aspects of audience connection such as the impact of poly-stylistic genres, blend of instruments and sounds and the importance of inter-sensory perception using visuals, theatre and music

3. Economic aspects of audience connection such as networking with business partnerships, impact of branding and marketing and the importance of distribution channels

Audience reactions are central to this approach. Audiences from a variety of existing orchestral models have been researched through case studies, interviews, surveys, focus groups and participant observation. An orchestra, formed specifically for this project, performed to selected audiences and at the Brisbane Festival of Arts in 2006 and is now achieving commercialisation. The style of this orchestra is characterised by audience and performer interactivity, theatrical staging, visuals, spontaneity and less formality. Research has been conducted on this orchestral model, with contributions from the musicians, directors, producers, promoters and audiences.

The research hypothesis proposes that a greater connectivity with the audience results in a more sustainable product, where sustainability is indicated by the orchestras’ ability to generate a sufficient amount of box office revenue and

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page iii sponsorship. A variety of different models are considered which demonstrate orchestras that can achieve their mission of satisfying their audience, while being financial viable.

The findings from the literature and the case studies clearly demonstrate the importance of many elements in the sustainability framework to achieve a greater level of audience connection with the orchestra.

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CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...... ii FIGURE INDEX...... i TABLE INDEX i 1 INTRODUCTION...... 1 1.1 Statement of the problem...... 1 1.2 Rationale for the research...... 2 1.3 Overview of Research Approach...... 4 1.4 High-level research methodology description...... 8 1.5 Research Hypothesis...... 9 1.6 Overview of each chapter...... 11 2 LITERATURE REVIEW...... 12 2.1 Arts Marketing Historical Context...... 12 2.2 The Classical Music Context...... 14 2.3 The Orchestral Context...... 15 2.4 Social/Personal Aspects of Audience Development...... 19 2.4.1 Interactivity...... 19 2.4.2 Style of performance...... 21 2.4.3 Emotional/psychological connection...... 24 2.4.4 Musical learning...... 27 2.5 Artistic Aspects of Orchestral Product...... 29 2.5.1 Poly-stylistic music genres /Blends of instruments and sounds...... 29 2.5.2 Inter-sensory perception...... 31 2.6 Economic Aspects and Distribution Strategies...... 34 2.6.1 Networking/Business Partnerships...... 34 2.6.2 Strong branding and marketing...... 36 2.6.3 Entrepreneurial Management...... 38 2.6.4 Distribution Channels...... 39 2.7 Conclusions from Literature ...... 41 3 METHODOLOGY...... 43 3.1 The Research Project...... 43 3.2 The Interpretative Paradigm...... 43 3.3 The Research Strategy...... 47 4 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS...... 54 4.1 Introduction to the Case Studies...... 54 4.2 Data Presentation – The Deep Blue Orchestra...... 59 4.2.1 Audience Survey Results - December 2005...... 59 4.2.2 Audience Focus Group Responses – December 2005...... 61 4.2.3 Musicians Focus Group Responses – December 2005...... 65 4.2.4 Audience Survey Results – July 2006...... 69 4.2.5 SMS Data – July 2006...... 76

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4.2.6 Interviews...... 77 4.2.7 Reflections on Financial Data - 2006...... 82 4.3 Data Presentation - The Queensland Orchestra...... 84 4.3.1 Audience Survey Results - October 2006...... 84 4.3.2 Audience Focus Group – October 2006...... 88 4.3.3 Audience Survey Results – August 2006...... 90 4.3.4 Audience Focus Group – August 2006...... 94 4.3.5 Audience Focus Group – July 2006...... 97 4.3.6 TQO Musicians Focus Group...... 100 4.3.7 Interview with CEO, The Queensland Orchestra – April 2006...... 102 4.3.8 Financial Reflections on Selected Concerts...... 104 5 CONCLUSION...... 105 5.1 Key findings from the research data...... 105 5.1.1 Interactivity...... 105 5.1.2 Style of performance...... 107 5.1.3 Emotional connection...... 108 5.1.4 Poly-stylistic genres...... 109 5.1.5 Distribution...... 109 5.1.6 Inter-sensory perception...... 110 5.1.7 Marketing and Promotion...... 111 5.1.8 Business Partnerships...... 112 5.2 Conclusions...... 113 BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 121 APPENDIX ONE...... 127 APPENDIX TWO...... 134 APPENDIX THREE...... 145 APPENDIX FOUR...... 153 APPENDIX FIVE...... 161

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FIGURE INDEX

Figure 1: Audience Connectivity Definition...... 7 Figure 2: Deep Blue Orchestra Audience Role...... 74 Figure 3: The Queensland Orchestra Maestro Audience Role...... 87 Figure 4: The Queensland Orchestra Clocktower Audience Role...... 93 Figure 5: Audience Preferences: A Comparison by Concert...... 94 Figure 6: Attributes of Connectivity...... 117 Figure 7: Audience Connectivity Model for 21st Century Orchestras...... 118

TABLE INDEX

Table 1: Orchestral Framework Factors...... 10 Table 2: 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework...... 42 Table 3: Deep Blue Orchestra Financial Projections...... 83

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STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP

The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made.

Signature:

Date:

Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of the problem

Over the last two decades in both Australia and globally, there has been a general decline in the traditional symphony orchestra’s audience base and this phenomenon may be attributed to a number of factors:

The 21st century audience has exposure to a wide variety of entertainment (Wolf 1999; Kolb 2000; Kotler P. and Scheff 1997) and therefore the orchestral product has increased competition. Audiences have an increased emphasis on interactive forms of entertainment and are influenced by technological factors (Lee 1998; Cook 1998; Gillies 2005). The breaking-down of social barriers and a more multi-cultural society have created exposure and interest in a wide variety of musical styles (Letts 2003; Shepherd 1991). There is a “high-brow” view of classical music, which is created to some extent by the musicians themselves (Small 1998). ‘When an art product once attains classic status, it somehow becomes isolated from the human conditions under which it was brought into being’ (Dewey 1934 p. 3). This is true of the 21st century orchestral art form, which is still very similar to its 18th century form, and which has now become isolated from mainstream modern society in many ways.

In addition, the escalating costs of attracting high profile soloists, touring costs for a large orchestra, and lack of government and private sector sponsorship have all contributed to the lack of economically sustainable organisations (Campbell 1996; Strong 2005; Brown 2003), as audiences alone are unable to ensure sustainability.

Consequently, the orchestral community is investigating ways of building new audiences, developing new repertoires and creating new networks and business partnerships. This research investigates the social, personal, artistic and economic attributes for the 21st century orchestra that will result in a sustainable and revitalised art form.

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1.2 Rationale for the research

The well-known music journalist and commentator Norman Lebrecht voices a strong opinion with his comments on the situation facing classical music. He believes that the ‘future of classical music performances hangs in the balance’ (Lebrecht 1996 p. 12). Lebrecht states that audiences are collapsing; state funding and corporate sponsorship are dwindling. One of the reasons he believes for this situation is that classical music has been ‘held hostage by business interests’ (Lebrecht 1996 p. 18). High profile artists command huge performance fees but their presence is required to draw in the audiences. Corporations and government financially back orchestras and they are increasingly demanding a return on their ‘investment’. Consequently there is pressure to present programs that will appeal to the popular market, but the result may be that the programs are not adventurous enough for classical music enthusiasts.

One of the issues that modern orchestras face is presenting programs that relate to the 21st century audience, which thereby develop a strong audience following and connection. In considering this issue, it is important to assess the relevance of the repertoire, the instrument sounds and presentation mode to the modern audience. Percy Grainger was considering this same issue in 1927 when he advocated that Australian orchestras reject the formula of instruments used in the classical-romantic genres and include instruments played in the local community, which at the time were the saxophone, piano and ukulele (Gillies 2005 p. 3). Audiences of the 21st century have had more opportunity to travel and are more affected by global communications than previous audiences and this means they have had more exposure to other cultural traditions and beliefs (Kolb 2000 p. 21). This has resulted in a desire to integrate other cultural influences into their artistic expression and so there is less interest to preserve the traditional Western classical concert experience.

In his 2005 lecture, the prominent academic and musician, Gillies, discusses the growth in popularity and success of the ‘smaller, younger and more fleet-of-foot

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 3 orchestras’ such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO). These styles of orchestra are often driven by the entrepreneurial style and charisma of their artistic director or general manager, such as Richard Tognetti, in the case of the ACO. Entrepreneurship is also evident through an orchestra’s strategy for distribution of its music. To keep up-to-date with the 21st century technological advances and people’s growing familiarity with e-media, web-broadcasting is an important distribution strategy of many modern orchestras.

One of the issues facing the orchestral art form is the distinction between art and entertainment. The critics of popular culture and art believe that it is ‘predictable, vulgar, unsophisticated and superficial’ but similarly, critics of high culture and art deem this to be ‘overly intellectual, snobbish and superficial’ (Kotler P. and Scheff 1997 p. 13). If orchestras succumb to presenting only the more elitist styles of programming by concentrating on high art, then they sacrifice audience numbers. It is interesting to note that Mozart’s Magic Flute, which is today deemed to be high art, was actually commissioned by a music hall to entertain its populist audience (Kotler P. and Scheff 1997 p. 13). This research will demonstrate that there should not need to be a distinction between art and entertainment. In the traditional concert environment the orchestra’s musicians are separated from the audience by many physical barriers and formality. In these traditional performances, ‘the heightened interactivity and physicality that goes into producing music strives to hide its face’, as U.K. violinist and journalist Lasserman describes (Lasserman 2002). Lasserman’s opinion is that audiences do not have as good a time as the musicians at a concert and that the lack of interactivity between the audience and the musicians is one of the main problems. Inherent in these observations is the way arts marketing must change to respond to new audiences, new products, new distribution channels and new business models.

Much of the research has been conducted in the Australian context, which can be seen as a microcosm of the international situation and so it is important to understand the background and issues facing the Australian arts environment in particular. Advertising and market research company Saatchi and Saatchi’s

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 4 research conducted in 2001 investigated how Australians view and interact with the arts. Some of the recommendations in this report were to ‘promote personal engagement with the arts’ and to ‘engage with the general public about the relevance of the arts to their lives’ (Saatchi & Saatchi and Costantoura 2001 pp. 301 - 303). The Australian orchestras are part of the wider initiative in the Australian arts scene which is considering how to develop a stronger audience connection with their product. The orchestral art form has the potential to be discovered by a wider range of people, if some of the barriers were dismantled.

This thesis explores a new arts marketing paradigm where the audience is at the centre of the orchestral model and contributes to developing elements of performance and style that build a deep connection with the music and orchestra. ‘Audiences, just like travellers, do not return to places that they have not connected with’ (McLean 1999). This research focuses on ways to increase audience connectivity and the way this contributes to building a more sustainable 21st century orchestral model. This study aims to find a way to bring a greater connectivity for audiences with classical music. This approach concurs with the concept of ‘musicking’, as described by Small (1998) in which music is composed to be enjoyed and experienced by the general public. As the artistic director of Orchestra X has quoted, ‘Beethoven has never gone out of style – it’s the way he’s presented that’s past tense’ (Bamberger and Bradley, 2000).

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1.3 Overview of Research Approach

The aim of the research is to analyse the various elements of a proposed Orchestral Sustainability Framework, which have been constructed by examining the key success factors for orchestral models and considering the values of the 21st century audiences. The elements of the orchestral framework are divided into three broad categories; the social and personal, the artistic and the economic elements. By investigating if these combined elements contribute to an increased audience connection with the orchestral performance, the research aims to test if this leads to a model for orchestral sustainability.

It is important for this research to clearly define the selected interpretation of the terminology. Firstly, the term orchestra refers to a ‘an organised body of bowed strings, with more than one player to a part, to which may be added any number of wind or percussion instruments’ (The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2003). It is assumed that the orchestra can include other more contemporary sounds such as electronic components. The orchestral organisation was also assumed to do live, staged performances and adhere to some form of notated, composed repertoire, rather than take an improvisational approach. Using these definitions, the term orchestra may then include the nationally–run traditional style orchestras, but also include smaller independently run ensembles.

In the context of this research the arts marketing concept of “product” refers to the orchestral performance and its associated style and impact on the audience. This definition draws on Colbert’s concept of a product having both a technical dimension and a symbolic value (Colbert 2007 p. 30).

This study makes a distinction between orchestral music and classical music and therefore it is useful to define the term classical music in the context of this study. It is assumed that classical music refers to a broad genre of music, with its traditions based on Western liturgical and secular music and spanning a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times (Kennedy 1995). It does

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 6 not only encompass works from the classical period in music, e.g. 1750 to around 1830. Symphony orchestras are one of the main proponents of classical music and this music is often scored for the traditional symphony orchestral instruments. This study draws on research relating to aspects of classical music, as it is relevant for the orchestral organization and market. However, this research study will investigate not only the classical music repertoire played by orchestras but other styles and genres that are starting to emerge.

A large part of this research focuses on audience development strategies and consumer behaviors and values. Consumption of leisure goods is ‘experiential, assessed at the moment of consumption’ and therefore ‘appeal is not only to consumer’s minds but also to their emotions’ (Colbert 2007 pp. 94-95). To understand the consumer or audiences’ relationship with the orchestral product, the concept of audience connectivity is explored.

Audience connectivity refers to the audience’s ability and interest to relate to and be involved with the music performance and the orchestra. The existence of audience connectivity may then influence the audience to further increase their ability and interest to relate to the performance and orchestra and so it is a two- way relationship. It is also dependent on the characteristics demonstrated by the performers and other aspects of the performance, which may encourage this audience connectivity. The existence of audience connectivity may also change and enhance the performance for the performers and so this also becomes a two- way relationship. The research measures audience connectivity in both a quantitative and qualitative way, by measuring how strongly the audience connected and the reasons for the existence of this connectivity. The concept of audience connectivity as defined here is shown in the following figure:

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Figure 1: Audience Connectivity Definition

Audience Performers Factors Audience Connectivity Interest Performance characteristics Ability

Demographics

Distribution within an arts marketing paradigm is concerned with establishing an appropriate relationship with the maximum number of relevant customers (Hill, O'Sullivan and O'Sullivan 1995 p. 243). In this research, the focus is on exploring the optimum distribution channels for the orchestral product to enable a stronger level of audience connectivity.

Sustainability is defined as the situation where the orchestral organisation produces an artistic product to satisfy its audience which results in a combination of box office income and sponsorship funding. This enables the orchestral organisation to achieve a level of financial viability, based on a time period of at least five years. This approach assumes that a great proportion of the financial costs to sustain an orchestral organisation can be met by the box office and so the orchestra is aspiring to a mass market consumer model, or certainly a significant niche market model. Organisations that produce a product with the aim to reach a mass market must respond to the desires of the consumer (Kolb 2000 p. 30). This is one of the challenges for the orchestral organisations who need to consider the mass market when making decisions on repertoire, presentation and marketing. This is a different situation from an orchestral organisation promoting a product based solely on the artistic vision, with no consideration for the consumer desires and needs. For sustainability to occur

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 8 there may be a requirement for a proportion of the orchestra’s income to come from sponsorship and funding. Although this research has not focused on the economic details of the sponsorship requirements, it does show that all orchestras will require this component to some extent and cannot solely rely on the box office income.

1.4 High-level research methodology description

With the many aspects to investigate within the hypothesis, a mixed paradigm view has been taken to interpret the research data. Some patterns were observed from a variety of orchestras in Australia and globally that lead to successful orchestral performances and these have been used to form the main factors of the framework. This has given a strong constructivist paradigm to the research. Recently audience development strategies have moved towards understanding audiences’ motivation and expectations but there is still a lack of research on audiences experiences while attending performances (Kolb 2000 p. 159). Consequently there is a paucity of research on participatory constructivism from the audiences’ perspective. This has enabled this particular research study to construct the framework of factors in a new environment and applying new approaches.

The research study followed primarily a qualitative methodology to interpret and understand how the audiences connect with the music performance experience in the context of orchestral performances. It has drawn on a variety of empirical devices to conduct the research and these are:

• Case studies

• Action Research

• Interviews

• Participant observation

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The case studies facilitated exposure to the wide variety of aspects necessary for a functioning, modern orchestra and this was important for the research, considering the broad topics covered by the framework elements. By using an action research approach with the main case study, the Deep Blue Orchestra, this revealed how the implementation of certain framework elements into subsequent performances helped in the development of this orchestra. The Deep Blue Orchestra, which has been developed in conjunction with the research can be described as ‘exploring orchestral futures, marrying the traditional string section of the orchestra with digital and electronics and it combines with a DJ and VJ with cameras, screens and lighting’ (Brisbane Festival program 2006).

While there is this interpretive perspective to the research, there is also a part that is more quantitative in nature. The audience survey data allowed for some quantitative analysis of audience numbers and their appetite for the inclusion of particular elements of the Orchestral Sustainability Framework in concert performances.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

By establishing that the orchestral framework factors help build audience connectivity, the research aims to show that there can be a model of orchestral sustainability in the 21st century. The research hypothesis is that: Increased audience connectivity contributes to orchestral sustainability.

The factors comprising the orchestral framework constructed for this thesis are shown in the table below. The factors in the framework can be classified under three main areas of arts marketing; product, audience development and distribution. However the categorization of the factors has been chosen to more closely reflect the key aspects of audience connectivity and the framework is therefore divided into the three main categories of social/personal, artistic and economic.

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Table 1: Orchestral Framework Factors

Social/Personal Performer/ audience interaction Style of performance Emotional/ Psychological connection Musical Learning

Artistic Poly-stylistic music genres Blend of sounds and instruments Inter-sensory perception using visuals and theatre

Economic Networking/business partnerships Strong branding and marketing Entrepreneurial management Variety of distribution channels

Using these factors to give a structure to the analysis, the following research questions have been framed to support the hypothesis:

• Are there particular artistic elements that audiences desire and relate to in a modern orchestral performance?

• What ways do audiences and performers interact to achieve a collective experience?

• What are the attributes that enable a music performance to be a powerful source of emotional and psychological expression, leading to a strong connective experience for the audience? Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

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• What are the important business strategies to strengthen audience connectivity and growth i.e. marketing, distribution and funding?

1.6 Overview of each chapter

The next chapter of this thesis, the Literature Review, discusses the investigation of other orchestral organisations and identifies some key patterns and themes for audience connectivity and sustainability.

In the third chapter, the research methodology is discussed and the reasoning behind the determination of the research hypothesis is described.

Chapter Four sets out the background to the two case studies and then follows a detailed presentation of all the data attributed to these cases.

The final chapter discusses the analysis of the data and relates the findings to the research hypothesis, with some conclusions to this research.

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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This review has been compiled from a variety of sources, including arts marketing theory, literature, websites, journal articles, concert performances and interviews. It concentrates on exploring the values of orchestral audiences and finding a new concept of the orchestral product.

2.1 Arts Marketing Historical Context

There are some unique characteristics of attracting and sustaining consumers or audiences for arts organisations. Colbert discusses how the approach of an arts organisation can fall into distinct categories (Colbert 2007 pp. 9 - 10). An organisation can take a market view and be involved in producing work for a mass audience or take a product view and produce only unique works which may or may not have wide audience appeal. Diggle in Colbert (2007 p. 11) places ‘the artist and hence the artistic product’ at the core of the marketing strategy. He describes an approach where the focus is on getting a wide exposure and appreciation of the artistic work but without necessarily satisfying any consumer or audience need i.e. the product is created first, not the consumer need identified and then developed. Colbert presents the differences between these approaches and states that with a market-centred model, there is a ‘financial rather than an artistic goal (Colbert 2007 p. 15). Some organisations display characteristics of a hybrid approach, where a product view is also combined with financial goals and satisfying the audience tastes and values.

Audience development strategies have evolved over many years. During the 1970’s, the focus was on understanding audience demographics and not on what motivated audiences or their tastes for different cultural products (Kolb 2000 p. 70; Hill et al. 1995). During the 1990’s, many arts organisations researched ways to increase audience attendance but did not focus on audience motivation and tastes. The idea of ‘audiences as customers’ (Hill et al. 1995 p. 37) took audience development strategies further with the concept that arts organisations should then be concerned with understanding people’s relationships with the arts

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 13 product. Both Kolb and Colbert comment on the lack of research on audience experiences while attending arts events, although there has been more attention on the ‘experiential facet of consumer behaviour’ over the last twenty years (Colbert 2007 p. 108). Colbert discusses the concept of how consumption of leisure goods is experiential and therefore the ‘appeal is not only to consumer’s minds but also to their emotions’ (Colbert 2007 pp. 94 - 95). He also goes on to describe how aesthetic experiences demand that consumers engage emotionally, in order to evaluate and respond to the experience. By assessing this experiential dimension of arts consumption, we can understand audience’s motivation for attending artistic performances in greater depth.

Appropriate distribution strategies for arts products are important to ‘arouse the interest of new audiences’ (Hill et al. 1995 p. 190). The arts have historically relied on public relations and printed promotional material as part of their distribution strategy (Hill et al. 1995 p. 191). This has obviously started to change with the growth of the internet and new technological opportunities such as SMS text messaging, e-flyers and interactive websites. As Hill et al. (1995 pp. 233 - 235) discuss, e-marketing has an important role in attracting and building new audiences. Relationship marketing is another concept which has strong applicability for the arts organisation and Hill et al. (1995 p. 243) state that distribution should be concerned with establishing an appropriate relationship with the maximum number of relevant customers. Supporting this point is Kolb’s (2000 p. 206) view that cultural distribution strategies need to understand the importance of psychic or emotional connection as well as physical connection for audiences.

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2.2 The Classical Music Context

Botstein (2004 p. 40) states that the 20th century has seen a gradual loss of general public appeal for classical music and the genre has ‘moved to the periphery of culture and politics’. Supporting this statement are the results from the Knight Foundation survey, conducted in 2003 in the U.S. This survey (Brown 2003) found that the typical classical music subscriber is middle-aged or older and classical concerts have difficulty in attracting younger audiences. In addition, only about 10% - 15% of Americans have a close or moderately close relationship with classical music. Another statistic from U.S. audiences in 2000 showed that classical music radio listeners accounted for only 1.5% of total listeners. Botstein attributes the reasons for this classical audience decline due to the affect of cultural, social and economic changes over the last century.

These changes in society have had an impact on classical music education, as Kolb (2000) mentions, which has declined in schools and homes, but now the younger generation is more exposed to music through the digital media such as music video (Williams 2003). The growth of rock and pop music and its popularity amongst the young has become their predominant form of musical expression. Wolf (1999) describes the intense competition that now exists for people’s entertainment dollar and time. There are now many other forms of other entertainment available to people through television, films and the internet and they have diminished the importance of a live performance, as it is no longer the only means of hearing music.

Classical music has long been associated with the elite of society and it is seen to be a form of entertainment to promote social ambition and privilege. This view has clashed with the increasing egalitarian 20th century society as it appears not to reflect societies’ current beliefs and consequently it can lose its relevance for a 20th century audience. Popular culture has become a source for high-art practices in sculpture, photography and film but this cross-fertilisation rarely materialised in new musical composition (Botstein 2004 p. 46). The classical concert has become to a large degree a way to preserve the historical traditions

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 15 of the past but does the audience see it as being culturally relevant for today? Dewey, the well-known aesthetician wrote: ‘When an art product once attains classic status, it somehow becomes isolated from the human conditions under which it was brought into being’ (Dewey 1934 p. 3) and this has become the situation for the classical music world in the 21st century.

The distribution of music has also had a significant impact on the declining popularity of the classical genre: pop and rock music is well adapted to promotion through radio, as it is much shorter than longer classical pieces. This air-time has increased the exposure of the pop and rock music at the detriment of the classical. The growing importance of multi-media has not been utilised in the distribution of classical music to a great extent, while the pop/rock world has taken advantage of it with promotion of music videos and concerts using visual elements.

The economics of staging a classical concert also need to be considered when determining the causes for the decline in this form of entertainment. The costs for staging a large scale opera with its numerous participants or the costs for touring with a full symphony orchestra are high and ticket prices would need to be much higher than they currently are to at least cover costs. The Strong Report (2005) highlights this situation and demonstrates that most classical music organisations simply cannot survive without public funding. Apart from Asia, where interest in Western classical music has increased over the last 50 years, Europe, North America and Australia all are under pressure to reduce national subsidies for the high arts.

2.3 The Orchestral Context

The problems already identified here for the classical music world can be demonstrated in more detail by considering the orchestral art form. The problems faced by orchestral music in the U.S. are highlighted in a number of studies such as the Wolf Report (Financial Condition of Symphony Orchestras 1992), which stated that the American symphony orchestra was ‘economically

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 16 fragile’ and in danger of becoming ‘both culturally and socially irrelevant’. Other reports commented that it was important to popularise the orchestral product by finding ways in which orchestras could reflect the cultural and ethnic world around them. The strongest concern faced by most American orchestras today is that of creating and maintaining a wider audience in an era of aging, shrinking constituencies for the arts in general (Campbell 1996).

Authors researched identified some examples of orchestras trying to adopt a new approach to their music performances and a good case is that of the Collaborative Orchestra (The Collaborative Orchestra, Koch Label 2005). Defying all preconceptions of orchestral performance, this orchestra has created a new way for classically trained musicians to perform a rare genre-splicing breed of music influenced by drum and bass, club, dance, jazz, funk, world and contemporary classical music. The orchestra is a 22-piece ensemble creating original orchestral-based performance developed from collaborations with artists from contemporary, club, hip-hop, electronic and world music. The orchestra aims to encourage new young audiences to experience orchestral-based performance by taking it out to non-traditional venues.

Other various American orchestras are trying to address the problem of declining audiences by including free concerts, theme concerts, mixed-media presentations, pre-concert talks, new concert lengths and starting times in their programs. The Baltimore Symphony's series of casual concerts, featuring talks, interviews, and skits is an example of the orchestras’ adaptation to the issues facing them.

Many authors refer to the importance of finding a new audience through an increase in education strategies, which is increasingly understood by many orchestras and over the past decade, there has been a virtual explosion in the quantity and variety of education and outreach projects as American orchestras search for new audiences and cultivate a new generation of listeners. Building a stronger network within the community is also seen as an important strategy to develop new audiences. Campbell (1996) presents a good example of this with

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 17 the major ‘Community Imperative’ launched by the Saint Louis Symphony which includes a merger with the local Community Music School and endeavours to build a bridge to the African-American community through area churches.

The economics of the orchestral organisation has also changed. U.S. orchestras operating revenues rose to an all-time high in 2003-2004 of 8% but the costs over the same period also rose by 7% (Orchestral Statistical Report 2005). In summary, many authors highlight the problem of the increasing costs to operate a full symphony orchestra, which means revenue must grow even faster to prevent a reduction in profits even if some strategies are working to increase audience numbers.

Brown (2003) discusses that one of the elements important to audiences is the ability to use attendance at orchestral concerts as a social event and surveys show that this aspect could be exploited more by appropriate orchestral marketing strategies. For some people, it is the social opportunity that triggers the decision to attend a concert. This same survey also highlights the demand in many consumers to want a variety of repertoire in their orchestral concerts. “Cross-over” or poly-stylistic works that reflect a wider variety of consumers’ tastes in the 21st century are still not represented widely in the orchestral concert repertoire. However, some classical artists such as Yo Yo Ma (www.yo- yoma.com) and Nigel Kennedy have used such repertoire to increase their popularity.

Brown’s American audience survey found that less formality in presentation and more interaction between the conductor/musicians and the audience would increase their enjoyment of the performance. This result refers to the fact that many consumers would like to see the style of presentation of the classical concert evolve. This desire was more evident in the younger ticket buyers and so to attract a younger audience, orchestras may need to change their style of presentation. One of the statistics that emerged was that 50% of people who love classical music are not attending live concerts with any regularity and this

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 18 may be in part due to the stylistic presentation of the concert and to the way it is marketed.

The European experience of orchestral music also has many similarities to the situation in the U.S. Europe has traditionally had a much greater contribution to funding from the state governments and together with its history and strong culture of classical music, had not experienced the same degree of audience decline as other countries. However, over the last decades the amount of funding has reduced and audiences are also declining (Radbourne 2005). There is a strong demand for contemporary music repertoire and cross-over style music, so groups such as the Ensemble InterContemporain are developing new audiences to the traditional symphony concert demographics. They have seized on the desire for audiences to be more involved in their performances and offer concerts where audiences can engage with the performers through more performer/audience interaction.

The Australian situation is similar to the U.S. but is worse in some respects due to the smaller audiences in this country and a lesser culture of private sector philanthropy. An inquiry into the major performing arts sector (Nugent 2003) was undertaken to see how some of these issues could be resolved. The report gave the opinion that Australia ‘should have a vibrant major performing arts sector that enriches Australian life and builds its image as an innovative and sophisticated nation’. One of the suggestions for the symphony orchestras to achieve this goal was to develop new works that allow a move away from providing only the traditional classical repertoire. There were suggestions of performing more popular repertoire as well as specific niche market programming, to widen the audience base.

The Nugent Report also found that audiences’ attraction to well-known “stars” such as high-profile soloists and conductors can provide a way of ensuring a concert is financially successful and the Australian orchestras were encouraged to use this way of deepening audience engagement with a performance. Another recommendation was that arts companies change their financial dynamics

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 19 through strengthened private sector support, community participation and co- operation with other artistic companies. By taking a more entrepreneurial approach, the dependency on government funding would be reduced. Part of this requirement would involve a more sophisticated packaging and marketing of their products, so as to compete with other forms of entertainment.

2.4 Social/Personal Aspects of Audience Development

2.4.1 Interactivity

Lewis and Bridger believe that the new consumer demands to be involved in an ‘experience’ and has a greater variety of entertainment opportunities available so greater focus must be placed on holding their attention (Lewis and Bridger 2001). One way to do this is to give the audience more of an opportunity to participate in a performance. The concept of audience participation in a classical musical performance is not traditionally a feature in this style of concert and participation is usually confined to the audience taking a purely listening role. This one way communication from musician to audience also does not encourage the interaction between other listeners at a concert. If we take Small’s (1998 pp. 4 - 9) concept of the word ‘musicking’ and his theory that ‘the meaning of music lies not just in musical works but in the totality of a musical performance’, there is an implication that the audience has a more active role in a performance than just listening and that other aspects than just the music contribute to the audiences’ enjoyment of the performance. One of these aspects is the social element of a performance, which is one of the reasons people want to attend a concert. Small comments on the social environment of the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens Rotunda in the mid 1700s, where music was part of the social scene and he highlights the difference with classical performances today (Small 1998 p. 28). The modern concert hall creates a barrier between the audience and the performers and the social aspects are confined to a short discussion in the intervals. This style of performance is very different to the pop or rock concerts or festivals that use the social aspect to great effect to promote their popularity, especially with the younger audiences.

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Arts in Motion is a spin-off company from the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, established in 2002 when orchestral audiences were declining. It is described as a non-profit organisation which has reinvented classical music (Arts in Motion 2007). They have successfully addressed the challenge to incorporate inter- activity in their performances. In one concert, audience members had the opportunity to use touch-screen kiosks which were located throughout the museum in which the event was held. People listened to the music and the corresponding visual images and communicated their feelings by “drawing” their version of the surrealist figure, which was a feature of the performance. This data was centrally collated and was dynamically updated to represent a morphing collage of the image, from which the musicians were able to improvise and react to the audiences’ vision (Haeker 2005). This example is a good demonstration of the possibilities that interactive music technology brings to 21st century audiences, as explained in more detail in Winkler (1998). The influence of electronic and computer generated music on the music industry in general can also bring opportunities for integration into the classical music industry and in particular, the contemporary orchestra. By using interactive computer music composition techniques such as Max, spatial sensors can be used to pick up movement by performers or audience and influence compositional process. In this way, the performance becomes truly participatory for the audience and may increase engagement. Connecting with the audiences’ feelings can also be taken to another level as it is done in Indian classical performances, where the artist may change the program depending on the audience reactions.

Houston based Orchestra X stages multimedia events in offbeat venues and through its informal, often interactive approach to music-making, the group has developed an audience predominantly of people in their late twenties and early thirties (Bambarger and Bradley 2000).

The technological influences on music are also an important element for the classical music world. Guy Dammann at the Guardian Newspaper (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk), talks about the opportunities that technology offers in providing a more interactive approach for audiences and this can be exploited

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 21 by orchestras. The example referred to is the Liverpool Philharmonic, which played a concert of Rachmaninov and Ravel for an audience of avatars on the Second Life website in September 2007.

Radbourne (2005) discusses Ensemble Intercontemporain, which is a French contemporary music ensemble with an international reputation for excellence in this repertoire. The musicians with Ensemble Intercontemporain are identified as soloists, though they play ensemble and individual works. This group demonstrates a good example of performers’ engagement with the audience as each artist is identifiable and thus allows the audience to connect more deeply with each of the group. There is often the common element of engaging personalities amongst the performers of many successful groups who are aiming for this interactivity. The audience wants to relate to the performers. Similarly, performers need to engage the audience with character, dynamism and a display of warmth. Often it will be the flamboyant main conductor’s role such as Zhubin Mehta of the New York Philharmonic (Cardinal and Lapierre 2003) or lead violinist Richard Tognetti, Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO). This characteristic is present in the popular music world but to a lesser extent in the classical music world, although there are a few exceptions such as Nigel Kennedy or Vanessa Mae. In the past there have been some widely popular classical musicians, such as the pianist Liszt, who had a huge personal following.

These examples of interactive performers and performances show the power of a collective experience, which can be greater than an isolated individual experience.

2.4.2 Style of performance

Various authors suggest that today there is a strong emphasis on searching for innovation, originality and making art and music more available to everyone through less elitist strategies. Seabrook (2001) introduced the term ‘nobrow’, which refers to the disintegration of the gap between ‘high brow’ and ‘low brow’ culture. Seabrook discusses the waning of the distinction between elite culture

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 22 and commercial culture. Today there is a strong emphasis on appealing to the commercial market and this is evident in arts marketing strategies. The New York Philharmonic with executive director Zarin Mehta, has displayed many of these successful strategies (Cardinal and Lapierre 2003), as have Kronos Quartet (Kronos Quartet 2006). These companies have not excluded the traditional classical repertoire from performances, but have encouraged the development of new works. The New York Philharmonic also gives a series of free outdoor concerts in the parks of New York every summer which opens up the mystic of the classical orchestra to an audience that may not have otherwise attended.

Lewis and Bridger (2001) believe that with the shorter attention spans of the new consumer, variety in programming is also important. If audiences can identify with a performance and there is relevance for the individual consumer, the concerts will attract an increased attendance. Dewey also talked about this concept seventy years ago, when he described the necessity for art to be given a direct human context to result in a much wider appeal. These factors can help to expand the younger audience demographic, which is often missing in traditional classical concerts. If we consider that the meaning of music is directly related to the expression of society’s views and style (Shepherd 1991), then the importance of relating a social relevance to a performance is evident.

Small (1998 p. 64) describes another barrier for many people in attending a classical concert, which is that a classical concert is conducted as a rather formal ceremony or ritual and if you are not familiar with this ritual, you may feel excluded from the group. The people that are familiar with the ritual feel comfortable by knowing what is expected and so the segregation of a classical audience is evident, with people classified into two groups, and it becomes more difficult to belong to the second group. The formal style of a classical concert prevents the audience from being more active. Passivity in the classical audiences is a reasonably recent phenomenon, with an example of a 1820’s Paris audience applauding spontaneously after striking passages in a Beethoven symphony but today this would be frowned upon. As Orchestra X’s Axelrod comments, ‘Beethoven has never gone out of style--it's the way he is presented

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 23 that's past tense’ (Bambarger and Bradley 2000). Orchestra X has also played Holst's Planets in Houston's planetarium and Mozart to scenes from Amadeus, as well as music on a Shakespearean theme to readings from the plays. Creating this context for the performance helps people to relate more to the music and contributes to breaking down the traditional ritual of a concert hall experience. To attract a new customer base, which is the goal of many successful companies, performances and the experience of the music must be fun. The importance of comfort and flexibility in the concert experience are shown to be factors that positively influence new consumers. One chamber music group, Music Room in Canada (Preece 2001), has performances in intimate home surroundings, with people sitting on the floor. Obviously for a larger audience this is not possible but taking elements from the rock/pop concert world where the audience can move about freely and socially interact, is one way of avoiding the confining structure of traditional concert-going behaviour.

If many people feel disconnected from the performance style of a classical concert, one of the reasons could be the way that the individual musicians and performers relate to each other and as a whole. In a classical orchestral performance, the conductor is the ‘medium through which the musicians relate to the listener’ and their ‘personalities are submerged into the collective of the orchestra’ as Small (1988 p. 80) describes. The players’ musical autonomy is relinquished to the conductor and this is a hierarchical relationship. Jazz and rock musicians take a more individual approach which allows the audience to connect more with each performer. The hierarchical approach is a more traditional and old-style way of working in society and this again reinforces the ties with the past that the classical concert evokes, with the younger generation of audiences finding it difficult to relate to this style. However there are some examples of orchestras working on changing the style of performance to relate more to the audience. Bramwell Tovey at the Vancouver Symphony engages the audience with pre-concert banter, as do The Queensland Orchestra in their Clocktower series.

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Caru and Cova (2005) state that marketing research shows there is a growing awareness of consumers’ preference for being immersed in a thematic setting instead of being offered a finished product. They believe that there is a strong focus on experiential marketing and consumers looking for a total immersion experience that can transform. This approach demonstrates the importance of being familiar with some part of the performance, relating personally to the artistic experience in some way and the ability to investigate new elements of the performance. Orchestras that can program with these aspects in mind may prove to be more successful in capturing the 21st century audience.

The U.K. radio station Classic FM has sought to change the elitist image of classical music and has successfully brought in a younger audience (Glover 2002), showing that breaking down the barriers caused by pre-conceived ideas about classical music should not be solely confined to the concert hall. The station format has an absence of ‘classical snobs and academics’ and aims to create an inclusive culture that opens up the classical repertoire to a new audience. They have had enormous success despite criticism that it has ‘dumbed down’, and that their play-list does not truly represent the full classical repertoire. However, it does show that some classical works can have appeal to a large audience when the presentation style is less formal and less intimidating to many people.

2.4.3 Emotional/psychological connection

There is a wide body of literature on the importance of the emotional connection that music can bring to people (Cook 1990; Davies 2004; Gabrielsson 2004; Langer 1953). The importance of the emotions that music evokes has always been one of the main elements of a successful composition, but given consumers’ focus on emotional fulfilment in the 21st century (Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard 2002 pp. 126 - 153), this point is increasingly important today.

The effect of the emotional experience that music causes is one of the main reasons that we engage with music, as Davies points out in Juslin and Sloboda

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(2004). There are many musicologists who believe that having a detailed understanding of the musical work and the context in which it was written, is important to fully appreciate and relate to the work. Cook (1990) describes this belief but also discusses the opposite view where the focusing on the complicated analytical understanding of the work can detract from the aesthetic perception and emotional engagement with the music. Over the last half century the focus on the academic understanding of classical music has been very important and so may have lessened the importance of the emotional engagement.

Classical music has developed over the last century as part of a culture valuing analytical thought as opposed to valuing its social or emotional context (Shepherd 1991 p. 58). This may have introduced the idea that emotion is not central to the music and as Gabrielsson describes in Juslin and Sloboda (2004 p. 458), ‘this has contributed enormously to the disengagement of the general population from entire genres of music’. An example of this disengagement came with Schoenberg and his concept of composition based on a mathematical system, as was employed in his twelve tone system, which did not prove to be popular and engaging with the majority of audiences. The focus for Schoenberg was the intellectual rather than the emotional. However much of the classical music repertoire does in fact utilise harmonic, melodic and rhythmic devices to convey different emotions to its listener.

Music organises our conception of feeling into an expression of life experience, wrote Langer (1953) and she describes the impact of music that draws the imagination, or that references some symbolic meaning, which often has a greater power to move the audience. There is a ‘sense of satisfaction engendered through absorption in a piece of music’ is Cook’s (1990 p. 160) point of view and similarly ‘the power of art lies in the sensory felt experience’ and ‘audiences, just like travellers do not return to places that they have not connected with’ (McLean 1999). Music which investigates themes relevant to modern society will have a greater chance of connection with the audience. The Brisbane Festival 2005 performance of Credo demonstrated this, with many

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 26 audience members being moved by the powerful political message. However Vancouver Symphony’s Tovey believes that if audiences understand the motivation and relevance of a lot of classical music for today, this will increase audience interest in performances. For example he comments that ‘Britney Spears might write a song about rebelling against authority and feeling out her sexual maturity -- well, that's exactly what Tchaikovsky did’ (MacDonald 2006).

Taking an anthropological perspective to the way listeners respond to music, Becker in Juslin and Sloboda (2004 pp. 136 - 153) discusses the concept that the situation and context of how we hear a piece of music and the listeners’ group dynamics are crucial to the emotion felt by the individual listener. Davies in Juslin and Sloboda (2004 pp. 23 - 44) also points to the effect the social dynamics of the orchestra itself may have on influencing the expression of the music and therefore on the listeners’ emotional responses. It is interesting to consider Arousal Theory in the context of the classical orchestral performance. Davies discusses this theory, which states that meaning in music is derived from what listeners feel when listening to it e.g. the importance is put onto the reaction of the audience. Often this is not seen to be of primary importance for the programming and marketing of the modern day orchestra.

Cook also believes that by using different media such as visuals and movement to accompany an orchestral performance it is possible to heighten the emotional experience for the audience. This builds on Eisenstein’s concept of montage (Cook 1990 p. 50), where different media can relate to one another through shared emotional qualities.

The concept of an ‘optimal experience’ or ‘flow’ as described by Csikszentmihalyi is described as an occasion when we feel a sense of exhilaration and deep sense of enjoyment that stays in our memories and it is believed that we need to focus and concentrate on the activity that we are doing for this experience to result (Csikszentmihalyi 1990). An example of this phenomenon is demonstrated by the band U2. A 2005 Brisbane Courier Mail interview with The Edge, one of the members of leading world rock band U2,

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 27 gives an insight into this moment of flow or optimal experience: he says ‘the band and the audience reach that spine-tingling, mind-blowing point of rapture’. This experience is something that an audience member will carry with them a long time after the concert is finished and it will leave them wanting to return for more. This experience can also be achieved in a classical orchestra but one of the aspects that helps reach this state, is the interaction between performers and audience. U2 state that ‘we invest a lot of ourselves in the performance and that carries through and has a strength that people pick up on’. The importance of performer/audience interaction is shown to be important in this example and the effect of this collective influence on the individual’s enjoyment level.

2.4.4 Musical learning

Lampel et al state that ‘consumers need familiarity to understand what they are offered, but they need novelty to enjoy it’ (Lampel, Lant and Shamsie 2000). The novelty can be addressed by programming of new works and different modes of presentation but the familiarity element must come from some form of education or musical learning. This point is supported by Kolb (2000), who believes that the importance of music education and the support for it from family and society is evident as key elements for success. The lack of research and development in the area of musical learning in childhood has been an issue in Australia (Improving the Condition of School Music Education Across Australia 2005). This has resulted in a gap in understanding and appreciation of classical music in a society where childhood music programs are under-valued. Kolb also shows that family influence is very strong in the development of music appreciation. Organisations that realise that building audiences from a young age is crucial to success are rewarded by growing audience numbers, as shown by The Queensland’s Orchestra (TQO) success with its education program.

The importance of having some previous exposure to classical music for heightening the enjoyment and connection to a classical music performance, is mentioned by a number of authors. Gombrich in his book Art and Illusion writes that ‘people have a conscious/unconscious framework of interpretation,

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 28 conventions, beliefs that are specific to a given culture’ (Cook 1990 p. 103). Classical orchestral music has its foundations in the beliefs and conventions of 17th century Europe and understanding these traditions can help modern audiences be more aware of the structure and message of the musical works and therefore allow them to develop a stronger understanding and connection with them. However as Cook (1990 p. 174) points out, an increased knowledge about music does not automatically lead to an enhanced enjoyment and sometimes listeners with less expertise can be more open in their approach. However, encouraging audience participation in the process of understanding music can also lead to shared ownership and assist with building audience loyalty.

There are numerous examples of modern orchestral groups investing in education to develop audiences for the future. The New York Philharmonic educational program is aimed at children as well as adults and includes a Young Subscribers Club for 18 – 29 yr olds, seminars related to the season’s program and private meetings with the maestro and musicians. TQO has a strong schools education program which has related music to other aspects of learning such as literature and science and allows students to watch an ‘open rehearsal’ (The Queensland Orchestra Brochure, 2006). Arts in Motion has an education program which helps ‘underserved students explore the connection between contemporary and classical music traditions and make their own musical compositions with the latest software’ (Arts in Motion 2007). The Stuttgart State Opera (Tremblay 2004), and Musica Viva Australia (Lebrecht 1996), which brings music to a quarter of a million school children a year, are among other numerous companies investing in this essential part of the musical journey, as they realise the benefits it brings. The Los Angeles Philharmonic's Composer in the Classroom program to help children create their own music and Baltimore Symphony's series of casual concerts, featuring talks, interviews, and skits both open orchestral music up to a wider and younger audience and demonstrate the success that educational programs can have in attracting and fostering new audiences (Campbell 1996).

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2.5 Artistic Aspects of the Orchestral Product

2.5.1 Poly-stylistic music genres /Blends of instruments and sounds

The fusion of different musical genres has gained an increasing mainstream focus over the last decade, as shown by numerous examples of integration such as Bollywood influenced Indian instruments and styles or the use of hip-hop rhythmic bases with traditional Western repertoire. The growing popularity of World Music festivals such as WOMAD shows that the integration of multi- cultural music is exciting and relevant to 21st century society. These elements are becoming more mainstream in popular music as it reflects the nature of our more multi-cultural global society. Compositions and performances of music which are scored for a diverse range of instruments, are the new approach to catering for multi-cultural and novelty hungry audiences.

At the 2005 Melbourne Arts Festival , the Philip Glass Ensemble together with a variety of world musicians playing instruments such as the sitar, Gambian nyanyer, Chinese pipa and didgeridoo, performed the work Orion, ‘a collaborative concert work’ (Philip Glass's Orion 2005) which has received world-wide acclaim. Similarly Fabrica’s Credo performances in Brisbane and Paris produced a global integration of musical styles and sounds with live musicians playing different cultural music genres, synchronised to video images which were then accompanied by a traditional symphony orchestra.

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has successfully developed a new performance called The Edge, which has around 40 musicians playing a more contemporary pop style program. The ASO players using microphones are joined by vocalists and a band and play a program which includes music by Radiohead and Coldplay. The performance is held in a club-style venue and has been a sell-out in 2006, attracting a largely younger audience (The Strad Newspaper Pleasers: ASO and Tonhalle 2007).

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VCO) has explored pop crossovers, teaming up with Jann Arden and Spirit of the West. VCO has also accompanied Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 30 iconic American pop composer Burt Bacharach on hits such as What the World Needs Now Is Love. Orchestra X repertoire includes a mix of old with new and classical with popular such as using the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony as an encore.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra’s (ACO) 2006 The Travellers concerts presented a program that blended the sounds of the Egyptian oud and percussion with the chamber orchestra. Due to the nature of the Maqam based music, an element of improvisation was part of the performance and the ACO mirrored the Arabic style in a counterpoint to the oud. The innovation and beauty of this program was popular with the broader audience demographic that attend the ACO performances (personal observation).

In 2005, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra commissioned its first work, Melody Waves by a Western composer, Michael Nyman. This work is scored for 70 traditional Chinese instruments ranging from the erhu (a python skin and rosewood fiddle) to a sheng — an extraordinary cross between a bassoon and a pipe organ which gives the orchestra its tuning, along with traditional Western instruments (Brown 2005).

As part of the Barbican Connect series, the Icelandic 4 piece band sigur ros composed and performed a piece with the London Sinfonietta and choir. The music blended the sounds of guitars, drum kits, electronics and a stone marimba, an instrument built from 54 natural stones (www.sigur-ros.co.uk Sigur Ros Reviews 2005).

The concerto for turn-table and the redbullartsechro is another innovative example of mixed use of instruments. The orchestra was the concept of the company Red Bull, and has successfully aimed at attracting a younger, more hip audience by integrating a modern influence into the orchestral performance. Their concerts in 2005 at Carnegie Hall had the soloist DJ Radar and the turntable as the feature instrument, bringing a hip-hop influence to the music (Sandow 2005). The Glyndebourne Opera has also taken inspiration from the world of hip-hop with a 2006 production of Cosi Fan Tutte School4Lovers, Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 31 featuring undisclosed amounts of rap-Mozart, in an effort to bring the twenty- something audiences in and create a relevance to current musical trends while still producing high-art (Sandow 2005).

2.5.2 Inter-sensory perception

To consider another aspect that can contribute to a greater level of audience connectivity with a music performance, it is important to look at the increasing use of other art forms such as visual and dance which are used in conjunction with the music. In the artistic roots of some cultures such as Brazil, music and dance were intrinsically linked and this is still the case with many of the African- influenced societies. Another example of the linking of the visual with music was demonstrated by Scriabin’s wish that the audience wear white clothing to allow the reflection of colours to ‘wash them in the emotions of sound’ with the 1915 performance of Promotheus: A Poem of Fire (Winzenried 2006). The Philadelphia Orchestra also used integration of colours and sounds in performances in 1926.

Cook talks about kinesthetic and visual representations of music reinforcing the audible and believes they can help in imagining the overall structure of the music (Cook 1990 p. 103). He describes a phenomenon where the music acquires specific meaning by virtue of its alignment and interaction with words and pictures. This phenomenon can be taken to the extreme with the concept of synaesthesia, described as ‘input in one sensory mode to excite an involuntary response in another’. Eisenstein in Cook (1990 p. 57) speaks about a hidden inner synchronisation of the music and the visuals. Music that shares patterns with visual information may contribute to greater attention and consciousness is also a concept discussed in Juslin and Sloboda (2004 p. 259). This concept is developed further by Williams (2003) in his analysis of music video. Here he describes music video’s ability to create a certain mood for the viewer and to be representative of a defined cultural style. The visuals and music are not separate things but ‘entwined in the act of expression’ (Williams 2003 p. 138).

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While modern orchestras are searching for new ways to engage audiences, a few have started to use this phenomenon to draw in a different audience demographic. Musician/critic David Lasserman asked in the Guardian newspaper: ‘Is our culture too visual now to support the traditional orchestral concert performance mode?’ (Lasserman 2002). The visual component is very important to the 21st century audience and a number of musical performances have started to recognise this very successfully. Jack McAuliffe, Chief Operating Officer of the American Symphony Orchestra League believes that visual components in an orchestral concert are ‘helping the culturally aware non- attender with a point of entry’ (Stearns 2004). The MTV generation audiences are used to seeing their music accompanied by images and the integration of video within a performance adds to the experience (Williams 2003). Can 21st century orchestras incorporate some style of VJ-ing that is a multimedia performance with music and video played live by a video jockey, in the same way that a DJ plays music? There are some adventurous examples by a number of orchestras proving popular with audiences.

Kronos Quartet’s Visual Music series with performances was described by The Times Newspaper (Visual Music: Press Quotes 2005) as ‘something new and entrancing’ and incorporated video, lighting, pre-recorded sound and musical ‘sculpture’. The Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Luminous performances, Orchestra X’s multi-media performances and Fabrica’s Credo production have also shown some possibilities for visual integration with music. Arts in Motion have taken the visual music to a new level by creating a synaesthetic 3D score visualisation technique, capturing the real-time synchronisation with live performance and are receiving a great audience response. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s pre-recorded Symphonie Fantastique with accompanying underwater images has sell-out audiences (Stearns 2004). Vancouver Symphony and the New York Philharmonic have also used live large screen images of the musicians projected to the audiences (Pogrebin 2004).

While a multi-media performance may improve the experience for many audience members, it was mentioned by many of the orchestral audience studies

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 33 that visual music is more popular with new subscribers rather than the traditional audience and so this needs to be considered when programming. The Dallas Symphony conducted research that showed its use of visuals was liked by 70% of its audience but the rest found it distracting (Stearns 2004).

Concerts can be enhanced by the use of sophisticated lighting techniques, a good example of which is demonstrated by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Trans Siberian Orchestra 2005), who successfully combine multi-media light shows with a variety of program repertoire. The ability to assist the change in mood of the music with different coloured lighting, emulates the successful use of this technique in the rock music world. On the Chinese National Orchestra’s tour of Australia in 2006, their concerts featured a strong visual element with the use of lights to create an almost rock concert style atmosphere.

It is not only visuals that can enhance the experience of an orchestral concert or performance, but movement or dance. Cook (1998 p. 78) describes the concept that music embodies movement and this allows for a natural integration of music and movement within a performance. A 2005 production of Grand by Sydney Dance Company illustrated this mixing of art forms with a pianist and dance choreography. The Lincoln Centre in New York has invested large amounts in its New Visions series which promotes cross-over of art forms as has the Barbican centre in London with its Connect series. Queensland Orchestra’s 2005 Clocktower Series used tango dancing with a Spanish repertoire program very effectively to demonstrate the concept of inter-sensory perception.

In reviewing aspects of different sensory perceptions, orchestral concerts which simply use a juxtaposition of different styles of music can also be considered. Juxtaposition of widely divergent musical styles is nothing new but in recent years have become very popular, with examples of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project or Concerto Köln's recording Dream of the Orient (Oestrich 2004). The Lincoln Centre’s 2004 Mostly Mozart Festival included a first half program by a Persian-Indian instrumental ensemble, Ghaza, followed by Mozart’s Requiem in

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 34 the second half. As Oestrich points out ‘the results can be illuminating when the styles truly speak to each other’.

2.6 Economic Aspects and Distribution Strategies

2.6.1 Networking/Business Partnerships

Darso talks about a new wave of arts and business partnerships that rely on complementary relationships, with both companies using a similar marketing message that reflects their values and market positioning. Rather than a purely financial relationship, both arts and business can learn from each and build the ‘creative economy’ of the future (Darso 2003). One successful partnership is shown in the company Red Bull’s support of the new orchestra ‘redbullartsechro’. This is not a philanthropic relationship but a profit making venture, where the vision is to create something innovative and modern as described with their project of concerto for turn table with a DJ as the soloist. Another good example of reciprocity is the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland (Ropo and Sauer 2003), where leadership tasks such as visioning, networking, resource acquisition and change management were shared among orchestra members and its partners.

Another aspect of good business partnerships demonstrated by some organisations is the important reliance on audience, community and entertainment industry support, to leverage promotional opportunities. Tafelmusik’s success shows the benefits of developing support within the local market and loyalty within this audience base (Gainer 1999). The educational benefits of this strategy are also evident. Gainer makes the point, as do many authors, that in most countries, government funding and subsidies for the arts have been dramatically cut over the last years and the reliance on the commercial model is essential to the future survival of this industry. Many successful orchestras realise the importance of connecting with the activities of their local communities and building a loyal audience base. Joint promotional strategies for community events open up the orchestra to another market that may not be targeted by traditional marketing strategies. The opera world has also

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 35 experienced a problematic elitist image, in a similar way to the orchestral world. A good example of overcoming this image is shown by the Stuttgart State Opera who have tried to undertake more ‘collaborative projects with artists in other disciplines’ (Tremblay 2004 p. 64), thus allowing the Opera to increase its reach beyond the traditional audience base. This is a strategy that has worked well for the Opera. The English Chamber Orchestra relies more on private support than public subsidy and has developed a successful model of corporate sponsorship, fundraising galas and individual donations, which emphasise the strong ties with the local community (Chong and Trappey 2001).

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, a chamber orchestra in Bremen, Germany works with local composers, music educators, and students on a variety of projects within the local school system (Campbell 1995). Also in Germany, The Berliner Symphoniker has become a successful model for a completely privately funded orchestra, in a reaction against the huge reduction in government subsidies. The Saint Louis Symphony’s Community Imperative involves a merger with the local Community Music School and building a bridge to the African-American community through area churches, which is another example of how networking can assist an orchestra (Campbell 1996). The Australian Chamber Orchestra relies on a strong network of sponsorship and fundraising to ensure 87% of its budget is met by these methods and box office receipts (ACO Posts Strong Surplus 2005).

The network provided by the entertainment/music industry can also be leveraged to great advantage. The trend towards ‘plug and play’ or virtual organisations (Bryne and Brandt 1992) within the Creative Industries enables companies to exploit fast-changing market opportunities and share costs and skills. The orchestral company should not try to exist in isolation but instead take advantage of networks for developing repertoire, finding performers, event management, distribution, marketing and production material.

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2.6.2 Strong branding and marketing

Without a strong branding and identity the modern orchestra or music performance will not be successful and this is supported by numerous examples from the research. In the technological age, electronic marketing is becoming increasingly important and a sophisticated website is an essential component of the marketing strategy.

One of the important revelations for classical arts marketing is the importance of leveraging social networks when targeting consumers as shown by the survey conducted by Saatchi & Saatchi and Costantoura (2001). Attending a concert is a social occasion for many audience members. There is a general increasing decline in the traditional subscriber base and modern audiences tend to be less loyal, so focusing on the single ticket buyers and analysis for segmented marketing and niche programming are all important themes. Rentschler describes the example of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. To try and attract the 18 – 35 yr old audience, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra launched its Classic Attitude product (Rentschler 2002 p. 56), which was a combination of music events, social outings and information. The popularity of the social events also attracted new sponsors for the orchestra and the way the program was marketed focused on relationship marketing and emphasised the experience of seeing the orchestra live. After two years, the program successfully attracted over 600 subscribers.

Arts in Motion have used viral marketing strategies to develop their audience base. Eric Haeker, the artistic director and Chief Executive Officer communicated that they are ‘interested in developing promotional strategies that capture the younger demographics, who are less likely to subscribe and will require social context before they attend’ (Haeker 2005). Viral marketing is a way of attracting this younger demographic. Leveraging a corporate business partner’s marketing strategy can be very beneficial and Arts in Motion have demonstrated this point well, with their joint promotion with Red Bull for the concerto for turntable.

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Consumers need to identify with the message of the company and marketing needs to reflect this (Kotler P. and Scheff 1997 p. 25). They make the point that the ‘essence of art is in its communication with the audience’. By implementing marketing strategies that balance the artistic decision-making process with audience needs and preferences, the orchestra is more likely to generate a positive result. Kotler and Scheff also discuss the factors that influence consumer behaviour and the implications for arts marketing. Macro- environmental trends, cultural factors, social, psychological and personal factors all contribute to consumers’ decisions in attending and enjoying an event. For example, they refer to the Atlanta Symphony’s campaign to attract Generation X audiences with a series of coffeehouse discussions that aimed to portray classical music composers’ human side and struggle for identity. Similarly, marketing to more mature audiences who are more motivated by experience than the actual product, according to Wolfe (1993), can be focused on experiential marketing strategies.

Also in today’s global society, a company needs to ensure global exposure so touring can be an important part of the strategy. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) has found that by incorporating a large touring component in their total number of concerts each year, this exposure to a wider audience has increased revenues. The LSO is very well received in Germany and the U.S. (Garbolinski 2006).

Vancouver Symphony’s Tovey comments that ‘you can simultaneously challenge your audience by programming great works and expand your base with savvy PR’ (MacDonald 2006) and this is borne out by the fact that their average ticket buyer is a half decade younger than five years ago. LSO’s Garbolinski states that it ‘is important to program a not too avant-garde mix and keep prices competitive’.

A remarkably articulate and charismatic figure, Orchestra X’s Axelrod has helped to develop the organisation’s brand, one that has adventurous programs staged in non-traditional venues (Bambarger and Bradley 2000).

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Research conducted by Kolb (2001 pp. 51-58) with the Philharmonia Orchestra in the U.K. identified that specific targeted marketing for different niche markets will attract new audiences for classical concerts. Many of the reasons that audiences want to attend a concert are due to social and family links and so orchestras should also ‘invest more heavily in family concerts and community outreach’, Kolb found.

2.6.3 Entrepreneurial Management

Many companies can show the benefits of employing an entrepreneurial approach to their business as Bhide’s research shows (Bhide 1994) and in the arts and music field this is demonstrated by being innovative, visionary and taking some risks with new ventures. New York Philharmonic’s (NYP) executive director Zarin Mehta has been called ‘an audacious manager’ (Cardinal and Lapierre 2003 pp. 64 - 73). The NYP has successfully built up a network of private donations and over half of its budget is derived from the box office; it does not rely on public subsidy. The development of these private donations has been greatly assisted by the personality and drive of Zarin Mehta. He has also encouraged the greater use of information technology to attract a greater number of subscribers. Another factor of his success is his good communication with the musicians, something he considers to be ‘an essential part of an executive director’s management of an orchestra’.

An entrepreneurial approach is supportive of the important ability to leverage networks, by collaborating with the right partners and resources in the development of new works and in the promotion of these works.

In the 21st century, there is a significant change in the structure of human resource management. Some companies are taking a more flexible approach to finding the best artists. Examples researched showed the benefits of a freelance model for employment, which can have significant financial and other advantages. The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) (Chong and Trappey 2001) and Canada’s Tafelmusik (Gainer 1999) successfully demonstrate this flexibility, as they do the importance of a leadership, a facilitator and a mentor role within

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 39 the company. The ECO recognises the importance of each of the individual players and each has their ‘unique personality’, something that is encouraged by the orchestral manager, Ballardie. Ballardie, who is also the artistic director, has been described as a dynamic and forceful leader and these characteristics have contributed to the success of the ECO. Another innovative example of orchestral management is from the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, which is successfully self-governing and players make the decisions. This has ‘kept up motivation amongst players and identification with what they are doing’ (Campbell 1995 p. 15).

The Steve Reich Ensemble is an example of a group that has employed a flexible working style. As a composer-led ensemble, this has ‘altered the traditional route by which classical composers disseminate and promote their music’ (Steve Reich Musicians 2007). The size of the ensemble fluctuates depending on the works to be performed, and in this way, produces an economically viable model. Steve Reich’s music, which uses minimalism and has influences from different cultures such as African rhythms, has been able to overcome the barrier between high art and popular music and attracts a niche market audience.

2.6.4 Distribution Channels

The extensive U.S. classical music survey already discussed (Brown 2003) showed that half of the people who most love classical music are not attending live concerts with any regularity and consumers sustain and enhance their interest through radio and recordings. Recognising the importance of recordings and radio play and increasing internet distribution channels are therefore essential strategies for the modern day orchestra.

The electronic media has become a much greater influence in people’s lives today and the survey found that increasing ownership of radio and the use of recordings is ‘strategic to the long-term vitality of the orchestra field’. The success of Classic FM in the U.K. shows the potential of marketing and making the music less elitist; there was a revenue increase of 23% over the year 2002 and the station has had success in attracting a younger audience. Classic FM

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 40 have tried to create an ‘inclusive culture around classical music’ and allow audiences to go on an emotional journey with the music, thereby developing greater connectivity with this style of music as Glover (2002) describes in his article. The New York Philharmonic utilises both the radio and television media to reach a greater number of listeners, with great effect. This brings up the question of why other orchestras don’t consider owning or operating a music radio station as a way of developing their marketing avenues.

Music accessed via the internet is the largest growing market for the music industry, as shown by figures from The Recording Industry Association of America (www.riaa.com, 2007). Websites that provide music downloads for technology such as iPods are important to the younger generation, but it isn’t only pop music that has the potential to benefit in this direction. When the BBC offered free downloads of a piece by Beethoven, it was more popular than expected (Beethoven is Download Favourite 2005). Many of the successful orchestras offer their recordings to be available as mp3 downloads via the internet, as they realise the importance of being part of this growing market and its influence on the desired younger audience demographic. This growth in the digital media also opens the door to promote more multi-media offerings to potential audiences. As iPods now display the visual as well as the aural, orchestras and classical music may need to follow this trend when considering their market and promotion strategies for future recordings.

Interesting statistics on classical album sales in the U.S. showed that while sales of albums were down 15% from 2004 to 2005, the number of digital downloads of classical music was up 93.9 % during that same year (Tsioulcas 2006 pp. 44- 45). While still not as large an increase on other digital music sales, these statistics demonstrate that classical music can find new markets and orchestras wanting to promote their brand should employ the digital arena.

Orchestra X has independently produced its first CD, a live recording of Prokofiev's Classical Symphony. Retailing for $10, the disc is available at Houston-area outlets as well as direct from the orchestra. By aiming to capture

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 41 the Generation X audience demographic, the disc was not only manufactured in a punk-looking X shape but mixed with an upfront, rock-oriented sonic model in mind. With its merchandise sales, Orchestra X also seems more like a rock band than an orchestra (Bambarger and Bradley 2000). LSO have also focused on a number of live recordings, due to the popularity of this mode of recording (Garbolinski 2006). Signings of CDs after a concert also encourages a stronger connection with the audience and develops the persona of the orchestral members with the public.

2.7 Conclusions from Literature

After identifying and analysing the key themes and attributes that are important to the 21st century audience and therefore critical for orchestral organisations, a model can be constructed that incorporates these themes and attributes. Based on an interpretation of the findings, a combination of factors has been used to construct a framework, designed to assist orchestras to achieve a sustainable product and business. Given the relative lack of research within the orchestral marketing field with regard to audience experiences, a new classification and paradigm for orchestral marketing can be developed. This classification enables the common themes and attributes to be divided into three broad categories; the social and personal, the artistic and the economic. Employing a combination of all these factors will involve some interaction between the different factors, so it is important to consider the effect of the entire framework. This framework could then be used by orchestral organisations to increase their level of audience connectivity and it may contribute to orchestral sustainability.

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Table 2: 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework

Social/Personal Artistic Economic

Performer/audience Poly-stylistic music Networking/business interaction genres partnerships Style of performance Blend of different Strong branding and instruments and sounds marketing Emotional and Inter-sensory perception Entrepreneurial psychological connection using visuals and management theatre Musical Learning Variety of distribution channels

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3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 The Research Project

The methodology was designed to investigate if the combined elements of the 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework contribute to an increased audience connection with the orchestral performance and to test if this leads to a model for orchestral sustainability. The research hypothesis is that: Increased audience connectivity contributes to orchestral sustainability.

While each framework factor is considered independently in the research, it is assumed that there is interaction and dependencies between the different factors. Further research may investigate the importance of these interactions and whether some factors are more important than others.

3.2 The Interpretative Paradigm

As there are many aspects to investigate within the hypothesis, I have chosen to take a mixed paradigm view for interpretation of the research.

At this point, I should describe my background and how I believe this will bring a particular perspective on the research. I have been involved with music from an early age, primarily learning in the Western classical tradition. A pianist, violinist and singer, I have experienced the enjoyment of playing in an orchestra as well as in choirs, chamber groups and also as a soloist. In addition, I have travelled widely and have seen how different cultures relate to and express themselves through music. I have had direct experience of the barriers constructed by participants in the classical music world and I believe that this music was composed to be enjoyed and experienced by the general public, as referred to by the term ‘musicking’ (Small 1998). The orchestral art form has the potential to be discovered by a wider range of people, if these barriers can be dismantled.

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These personal and social factors have fused together to create a desire within me to research and investigate ways for the orchestral art form to be opened up to a wider audience and to give this new audience the opportunity to participate in what can be great emotional experiences.

This background ontology is relevant as it will influence the qualitative research approach I have taken. The research is framed in an ideology where a great musical performance can be a transcendental experience; where the individual and the collective audience members connect with the music and have the ability to express themselves and their beliefs through the music. For this to occur, the music performance must incorporate elements that are relevant for the personal, social, artistic and cultural backgrounds of the 21st century audience.

An analysis of other existing orchestras and other forms of music performance has helped build the factors in the Orchestral Sustainability Framework, and therefore there is a strong constructivist paradigm to the research. As discussed in the literature review, there is still little research on audience experiential factors within orchestral performances. This has enabled this particular research study to construct the framework of factors in a new environment and applying new approaches, that is using a participatory constructivism from the audiences’ perspective. Patterns have been observed that lead to successful orchestral performances and these have been used to form the main factors of the framework. In taking this approach, the research draws on Schwandt’s concept of ‘inventing concepts, models and schemes to make sense of experience’ (Schwandt 1994 p. 197). As the various factors in the framework are dependent upon the context that they are observed, different geographies and cultural influences, the construction of the framework is contingent and contextual (Denzin and Lincoln 2000). The investigation of the elements of emotional and psychological audience connectivity is dependent upon the way these elements are measured and consequently there is some subjectivity to the analysis.

In considering how the research will fit within the various interpretative paradigms, it is important to emphasise the relevance of data interpretation to the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 45 research findings. Charmaz (2000 pp. 523-524) expresses it as: ‘Data do not provide a window on reality. Rather the discovered reality arises from the interactive process and it temporal, cultural and structural contexts. Researchers and subjects frame that interaction and confer meaning upon it.’ This is true of the research approach being taken, as the data from the various existing orchestras and the prototype Deep Blue Orchestra are dependent upon the cultural environment in which they perform, the audience demographics and time and place; all of these aspects are continuously changing and so the orchestral sustainability factors are relevant as long as these temporal, cultural and structural contexts exist. In this way, the Orchestral Sustainability Framework must be constantly re-interpreted to ensure it is relevant for a dynamically changing 21st century society. Part of the research process will be to continually reassess and refine concepts as investigations are conducted and new data is obtained.

While there is an interpretive perspective for the research, there is also a part that is more quantitative in nature. The audience survey data and box office information have been used to show the impact of the orchestral sustainability factors and their contribution to increasing profitability for the organisation. Here a more objectivist methodology was employed by analysing the data to determine the effect of the various orchestral sustainability factors. The audience responses were measured in some questions using a Likert Scale enabling the importance of the factors could be compared. Analysis of the selected case study concert performances was undertaken, to determine the percentage of the audience that liked the demonstration of the factors. For example, questions were asked to the audience to assess their enjoyment of the visual components of the performance. A high positive response on a factor could then be interpreted to contribute to audience connectivity.

There is also an element of a cultural studies paradigm, since there is certainly a dependency on different social fabrics and economic structures affecting the audiences’ decision making preferences. The way different cultures experience music and their music educational backgrounds have a large influence on

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 46 audiences’ appetite for certain styles of music performances. One of the factors being investigated, the growth of poly-stylistic genres in music, also demonstrates how the 21st century multi-cultural society is influencing the musical repertoire. The importance of distribution channels for music through the e-media has also opened up a much wider audience. The research investigates if this means a more homogeneous style of performance is demanded due to the effects of this globalization or if in fact, that niche markets are more easily promoted and provided for.

As there are many perspectives and many different ways of looking at the data within this study, the term bricolage can be used to reflect the approach. A bricolage is ‘a construction that changes and takes new forms as different tools, methods and techniques of representation and interpretation are added to the puzzle’ (Weinstein and Weinstein 1991 p. 161). Using the bricolage concept, the research study has gathered data from different perspectives to see the bigger picture, rather than analysing the audience data in isolation. It was anticipated that the Orchestral Sustainability Framework will be an evolving construct, with its factors changing as the social, artistic and economic environments themselves change over time.

It is also important to discuss the concept of crystallisation in relation to the research study. As Richardson (1994 p. 522) describes, this process allows the researcher to take a multi-dimensional approach to investigation and to see through the ‘many facets’ that can influence the study. In this research, looking at historical, sociological, psychological, economic and musical aspects will acknowledge the influence from many diverse areas on the orchestral art form.

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3.3 The Research Strategy

The methodology has followed primarily a qualitative methodology to interpret and understand how the audiences connect with the music performance experience in the context of orchestral performances. I have drawn on a variety of empirical devices to conduct the research and these are:

• Case studies

• Action Research

• Interviews

• Participant observation

The case study has been chosen as the primary method of research, because in this way patterns that have been identified as contributing to 21st century orchestral success can be investigated more deeply and in the context of a current and practical situation. Stake (2000 p. 448) expresses the use of case studies as being of ‘value for refining theory and suggesting complexities for further investigation, as well as helping to establish the limits of generalisability’. The patterns identified in the literature review can be refined through the particular case studies chosen and also it can be determined if the factors can be applied in general, or if they are specific to a certain situation.

The diversity of data that results from a case study has helped to provide a thorough understanding of the importance of the various Orchestral Sustainability Framework factors and how a particular factor contributes to the overall success of the organisation. Following the concept of crystallisation, the opportunity that a case study provides to view the data in a multi-faceted way, can bring a deeper understanding of the interaction of all the data. This has been relevant to understand the interaction of the framework factors in each case study.

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In the case studies, data was gathered from face-to-face in-depth interviews, audience focus groups and surveys, literature analysis and performance observations. For the interviews, which included the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or the Artistic Director of the chosen case study orchestra, questions were asked relating to the social and personal, artistic and economic elements, as described in the Orchestral Sustainability Framework. It is natural that some bias will exist from the interviewees when discussing their organisations, so the audience data is important to complement the internal data. For the audience focus groups and surveys, these were implemented for a few chosen performances, where the context reflected the integration of the framework factors. One of these examples was TQO staging of its Sci-Fi extravaganza in August 2006, which brought together visuals, new repertoire, theatrical elements and promotion to a wider audience demographic. The choice of the participants in the focus groups represents different demographics such as non-arts attendees, traditional classical symphony attendees and a broad range of age groups. Focus group discussions enable researchers to tie together clusters of behaviour that relate to a given consumer decision or action (Debus 1996). Also, group interaction can stimulate richer responses and new ideas can be generated from this type of research. It is important not to just look at the box office attendance figures but the aspects that encouraged the audience to attend the performance. These post performance focus groups have not been widely used in Australia but the method of audience reception studies as discussed in Sauter (1986) is growing in popularity. The audience surveys have provided an element of quantitative data and this has supported the qualitative responses. In the surveys, a Likert scale was used to measure the audience engagement and connectivity with some of the Orchestral Framework factors. I have generalised some of the assumptions from the research found in one case study where possible. From these generalisations, the relevance of the Orchestral Sustainability Framework factors is assessed, in the context of the research hypothesis.

This research has also contributed to an Australia Research Council (ARC) funded project. The partners contributing to the project are QUT, TQO, Creative

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Media Warehouse and The Brisbane Festival. As the research assistant on the project, one of the advantages was that I could contribute to the development of a prototype orchestral model and use it to test the factors in my Orchestral Sustainability Framework. This prototype is the Deep Blue Orchestra, which ‘explores orchestral futures, marrying the traditional string section of the orchestra with the 5th section digital and electronics and it combines with a DJ and VJ with cameras, screens and lighting’ (Brisbane Festival program 2006). As part of this project, the research and in particular the audience focus groups and surveys were used to influence the choices of repertoire and presentation style for the Deep Blue Orchestra. As a participant observer, I was able to be very involved in all aspects of the research and get a strong understanding of the Deep Blue Orchestra’s objectives and the other people involved. Participant observation can involve a ‘range of research methods such as informal interviews, direct observation, participation in the life of the group, collective discussions, analyses of personal documents produced within the group, self- analysis, and life-histories’ (Wikipedia 2007). This involvement provided a deeper understanding of the Deep Blue Orchestra performances.

The selection of the case studies is integral to the research and here Stake (2000 p. 435 - 449) is referred to for a distinction between an intrinsic and an instrumental case study. He defines a case study as being intrinsic if ‘the researcher wants to gain a better understanding of the particular case’. This case does not necessarily represent other orchestras but because of its uniqueness is interesting to research. The Deep Blue Orchestra case study has this role in the research. Stake also defines an instrumental case study, which ‘is examined mainly to provide insight into an issue or to redraw a generalisation’. The particular case studies have been chosen for the study because each of them appears to display characteristics of at least some of the framework factors and so should be representative of other orchestral groups demonstrating the same characteristics. As the Deep Blue Orchestra was evolving over the research period, it was possible to assess the impact of all the elements in the framework with this orchestra and then generalise to other orchestras, where appropriate.

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The Queensland Orchestra, being an established orchestra with a more defined product and audience development strategies, was able to provide a different perspective for the research study. Not all the framework factors were observable in TQO case study and this brings out an important point about the relationship between both case studies. Some of the framework factors could be tested with the Deep Blue Orchestra and then TQO could determine the suitability of these elements for its own product. However when there are atypical features in a case study as Stake points out, it is not necessary to generalise all the aspects of a particular situation. For example, the Deep Blue Orchestra was used as part of the ARC research project and so many of the initial artistic and development decisions may change over time, as the needs of a commercial product outweigh the research objectives. Another aspect to consider in the case selection is the opportunity to gain access to information, which again refers to one of Stake’s criteria for selection. For this reason, TQO is an important case, as due to proximity and partnership in the project, they can provide access to depth of data gathered over a long period of time. This last point refers to the importance of longitudinal research which allows for establishing patterns of change over a period of time (Menard 1991). It also highlights the advantage of using this case, where access to information not available to an outsider can assist with the research analysis. Due to the time frame over which the research has been conducted, it hasn’t been possible to consider a longitudinal approach. This provides the opportunity to do further research in the future that would consider the change in audience connectivity before and after an orchestral framework factor was implemented.

One disadvantage of the case study approach can be observer bias and the fact that the researcher must decide on the actual questions to ask. Part of this is deciding on what data is relevant to investigate the particular research questions. For this study, it must be acknowledged that the Orchestral Sustainability Framework factors bring a certain focus to the analysis of the data. Therefore some other aspects that influence the sustainability may not be investigated here. While an in-depth negative case analysis may not be part of this thesis, the

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Literature Review has drawn on some negative case examples to show situations where the opposite effect occurs e.g. when audience connectivity is reduced.

The research study employed some elements of an Action Research approach within the Deep Blue Orchestra case. Action Research can be described as a ‘spiral of self-reflective cycles’ which involves planning a change, implementing this change, reflecting on the change and then re-planning etc (Kemmis and McTaggart 2000 p. 595). The development of a prototype orchestra offers the opportunity to test some of the Orchestral Sustainability Framework factors and then refine them, depending on the reaction of the audiences. Action Research is ‘best undertaken collaboratively’, which allows for a ‘social process of learning’ as described by Kemmis and McTaggart. As there are a number of partners involved with the Deep Blue Orchestra development, each can contribute, based on their respective skills and knowledge. These contributions include input from freelance musicians about performance styles, marketing strategies and branding from Creative Media Warehouse, repertoire development and overall production from QUT and audience reactions from the market research studies, which should all be integrated to shape the evolution of this new orchestra. Using an Action Research approach, which demonstrates the changing ways interaction occurs within a musical organisation, perhaps could then be used as a model for orchestral development itself, to help break-away from the hierarchical operations of a traditional symphony orchestra.

In addition to the case studies and Action Research, some performance observation experiences have been included in the analysis. Some examples of these performances are:

• TQO Clocktower Series, which often demonstrates use of inter-sensory perception with a combination of music and theatre

• The Chinese National Orchestra, which demonstrates the blend of instruments and musical styles and performer/audience interaction

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• The Australian Chamber Orchestra’s The Travellers concerts, which demonstrates poly-stylistic repertoire, entrepreneurship and for me, emotional connectivity

One innovative method employed in the collection of data in the Deep Blue Orchestra case study was the use of SMS data to determine audience reactions to the concert performances. Use of an SMS data survey to elicit feedback from a concert audience is a relatively new concept but the Deep Blue Orchestra research project aimed to try out new approaches in research methodology as well as in artistic areas. SMS surveys are increasingly being used in advertising for research (Balabanis and Mitchell 2007 pp. 369 - 385) but have not been widely used in the performing arts as yet. Prior to the performance, the audience were given information on how to SMS their response to the performance. They were not given any specific questions to respond to but simply asked to SMS any thoughts, feelings or observations that they had, at anytime during the performance. When the SMS data was collated and analysed, it was possible to associate an individual SMS with the time it was received and so comments could be associated with a particular moment in the performance. This method of analysing case study data brought a degree of flexibility and allowed for an immediacy of response. It is important to consider whether the audience was influenced by responding in this manner. By being asked to reflect on the performance, it may have given them a different experience of the performance than it would have done otherwise. The interactivity of the SMS method was also in keeping with the aim of interactivity with the Deep Blue performance and so in a way, this research methodology contributed to the theme and style of the orchestra. It is important to consider some of the weaknesses of the SMS data method. As SMS responses are usually quite succinct, the limited number of words means that each word used can be very powerful and full of meaning. However this also means that a misinterpretation of a particular word can affect the data analysis and so there is a requirement for precision in interpretation and therefore the possibility of researcher error. As the demographic for SMS use is often higher in the younger male age group as Balabanis and Mitchell

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 53 discovered, this may bias the data, as the responses will not be coming from the entire audience. In addition to the SMS data, another innovative method of collating data was used. Audience members were encouraged to write their thoughts on the tablecloths, as they sat and listened to the Deep Blue performance. This also provided a free-form and anonymous way of assessing people’s reactions to the performance.

In presenting the research findings, the issue of confidentiality needs to be considered. For all interviews, focus groups and surveys, participants were asked if they wished to contribute to the study and consent forms were signed. However, if the results and analysis of the research show that a case-studied orchestral organisation is not employing the best methods and strategies for sustainability, this can possibly lead to some tension with the reporting of the research findings.

Working as part of the ARC project has raised some issues about the different objectives of the different participating partners in the research. After the Strong Report and faced with concerns from government about funding requirements to sustain the TQO, the management of the TQO were interested to understand how their audience demographics could be extended to reach a wider range of people. Creative Media Warehouse ultimately had a vision for the Deep Blue Orchestra to become a successful commercial entity and believed that there were certain elements required in the orchestra’s style and presentation to attract the targeted audience demographic. QUT were also interested to see if there was a model that could sustain orchestral musicians while promoting new technologies and repertoires. The ARC project certainly did influence the choice of performances and orchestras used as case studies for the research. However, it is important to point out that the thesis research has focused on the particular area of interest to me i.e. what aspects of performances enhance audience connectivity.

In conclusion then, this research study employs various paradigms and strategies to endeavour to develop a new approach to the 21st century orchestra, with the goal to contribute to a sustainable and revitalized art form.

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4 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction to the Case Studies

As discussed in the methodology chapter, the research has followed primarily a qualitative approach and the main vehicle for the analysis has been the case study of the chosen orchestral organisations. As part of each case study, interviews with the key artistic and organisational people were conducted, audience and musicians focus groups and surveys were undertaken and my personal observations of select performances have also supplemented the research.

The Deep Blue Orchestra

The formation of the Deep Blue Orchestra was part of an ARC funded project aimed at developing new and sustainable models appropriate for the 21st century audience. The project aimed to look at new ways of audience engagement, new repertoire to include digital and electronic components, new ways of orchestral performance styles incorporating visual and movement and new ways of orchestral business structure such as freelancing.

The Deep Blue Orchestra has been described by its creators as

a quest to develop an orchestral form that is sustainable in the 21st century. It has no permanent players or traditional infrastructure but is a dynamic community of writers, arrangers, sound visual and spatial designers, researchers and other creative’s playing to enthusiastic audiences – a 3D model – conceptual, human and technological that has seized the initiative to question all parameters and forge a new entity – a quantum leap for musicians but a logical next step for audience (Deep Blue 2005).

Robert Davidson, one of the main composers of repertoire for the Brisbane Festival performances described the project as ‘questioning and challenging the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 55 existing character of an orchestra and throwing the theatrical side into the foreground’ (Wills 2006).

Some other key concepts about the Deep Blue Orchestra project are described by the CEO of Creative Media Warehouse, one of the main creators of the orchestra:

‘It is as much about audience development as it is about artistic development.’

‘The Deep Blue Orchestra is an immersive and orchestral mix of electric and acoustic textures.’

‘There is a merging of the traditional and the innovative, young and old with the essential ingredients of emerging technology and contemporary culture.’

‘It is a new artistic business model for orchestras in the 21st century’

The Queensland Orchestra (TQO)

TQO was used for one of the case studies in the research due to a number of factors such as location, accessibility and it being representative of an Australian State symphony orchestra. Formed in 2001, from the merger of two previous existing Queensland orchestras, TQO is still in a phase of formulating the appropriate strategic approach to become a sustainable entity and meeting its vision of ‘to touch the hearts and minds of Queenslanders’ (Annual Report 2004). Over the period of research study, TQO saw its box office revenue increase by 19.9 % and this was helped by a number of initiatives such as:

• Building an interactive presence through new technologies

• Greater community advocacy and engagement through public awareness and media

• Expanding its program to include a more diverse range of music and performers such as Jazz meets the Symphony with James Morrison and Lalo Schifrin

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• Expanding the education program such as open rehearsals for schools and concert audience discussions

• Building partnerships with a greater number of corporate and community organisations

TQO has different styles of programs targeted to different audiences and for the case study, I chose to compare the Maestro series, the Clocktower series and another one-off event, Winners, a production for the 2006 Brisbane Festival. The Maestro Series is aimed at the more traditional classical audience and performs the main works of the symphony repertoire, the Clocktower Series is aimed at a younger and less traditional audience with works including film music and lighter classics. Winners was a multi-media production involving Japanese drumming group TaikOz, TQO and Italy’s Fabrica Musica artistic director Andrea Molino. The event integrated video footage about the effects of death, war and ethnic conflicts with the orchestra providing an accompaniment to the images and was one of the showcases of the festival.

Overview of Case Study Questions

The interviews with the CEO or artistic directors of both TQO and the Deep Blue Orchestra were focused on investigating the concepts of new product, new audience development strategies and new distribution and business models using the three main components of the Orchestral Sustainability Framework; the social, artistic and economic aspects influencing audience connection with the performance. The questions were framed to gauge the impact of a new idea or strategy by identifying the before and after situation. The audience surveys and focus groups added another perspective to enrich the answers to these questions by gathering some quantitative and qualitative data from the audience themselves.

A number of key questions were used as the basis for the interviews and also considered when assessing the survey data, focus group data and in the context of the performance observations. The purpose of these questions was to

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 57 investigate and understand in the case studies the relevance of the research questions. The questions covered the following areas:

Social

• Do the organisation’s performances aim for interaction between audience and performers and how? Investigate examples of o performers speaking to the audience

o improvisation during performance according to audience direction

o level of audience social interaction before, during and after performance

• Does the organisation aim to connect emotionally and psychologically with the audience? Investigate aspects such as o Is a certain mood or imagined concept evoked

o Is there a mix of familiarity and new

o Is there a message, theme, social context for the performance

o How important are key musicians/conductor

o Does the performance result in a transformative experience for the audience and how

• What are some innovative modes of performance used by the organisation? Investigate if less formality, venue choices and humour were a factor in the performances.

Artistic

• Does the choice of performance repertoire include poly-stylistic genres and a blend of different sounds? What was the effect on the audience due to these choices?

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• Is inter-sensory perception important to the performances (e.g. visuals and dance together with music) and what is the audience response?

Economic

• What networks/business relationships does the organisation rely upon and how have these been created? Refer to both non-philanthropic and philanthropic.

• How should classical music be marketed in the 21st century?

• Analyse successful strategies looking at costs and returns

• Understand target market segments, branding strategy, recordings and distributions

• What is the management structure of the organisation? Investigate examples of an entrepreneurial approach

• Analyse the organisation’s financials for the relevant performances

General

• What do the CEO and/or Artistic Director believe are the successful characteristics for the 21st century orchestra?

• How does the organisation define itself? What makes it unique?

• Who is the target audience? This may be different for different concerts

• What is the background of the organisation and its evolution?

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4.2 Data Presentation – The Deep Blue Orchestra

The data for the Deep Blue Orchestra case study comprises the following:

1) Audience survey results from December 2005

2) Audience focus group responses from December 2005

3) Musicians focus group responses from December 2005

4) Audience survey results from July 2006

5) SMS data from July 2006

6) Interviews with key contributors during 2005 and 2006

7) Financial data for July 2006 and projections

4.2.1 Audience Survey Results - December 2005

This performance or showing was the culmination of a week of rehearsals, where the first staging of the Deep Blue Orchestra initiative was “workshopped”. During this week, the main objective was filming the production of a promotional DVD and testing some of the project’s creative ideas musically, visually, theatrically and process-wise. For this stage, greater emphasis was put on the visual, rather than the sound production.

An eclectic selection of works was chosen according to criteria such as their dramatic possibilities, their communicativeness, their practicality for staging and suitability for the target demographic. The aim was to have the emotional narrative of the music represented in the whole event. The works for the audience performance were Elegy composed by Robert Davidson, Raising up Water and Hong Kong Western composed by Phill Wilson, Chill composed by Yanto Browning and Mars from The Planets by Holst, arranged by Robert Davidson. The Deep Blue Orchestra team was comprised of string players and electronic musicians and was accompanied by visual projections.

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In total, about forty people attended the half hour showing of the four works. The audience consisted of a number of different demographic and psychographic groups; members of The Queensland Orchestra Guild, Creative Industries students, traditionally non-classical concert attendees, music teachers and musicians, friends and families. Although there was a slightly higher ratio of females to males, compared to a typical classical music audience, the proportion of male attendees was higher than usual.

This initial survey was designed as a pilot, which was then refined and implemented on a larger scale with the Brisbane Festival performances. For the initial survey, twenty-six audience members were involved in responding to the questions. Nine people were from the 18 – 25 years age group, seven from the 26 – 35 years age group and ten people from the 56 years plus age group. Occupations ranged from professional (eleven people), students (seven people) and retired (six people). There were no responders in the 36 – 56 years age group.

Survey Responses

The full survey and responses are detailed in the Appendix One. Following is a summary of the responses to the December 2005 survey.

The first two demographic questions showed that nearly all of the responders liked to hear music in their car and at home predominantly and that their preferred style of music was classical music but also included a number of other styles such as funk, blues, folk and electronica.

The next questions about what people liked best and least about the performance and showed that the highest response was that the musicians/performers were the best part of the performance, with ten people giving this answer. The least liked element of the performance was the style of music.

When people were asked to describe the performance, there were some very enthusiastic responses such as ‘modern, interesting, innovative, experimental, exciting, and fun’. One responder said that it was ‘an amazing collaboration of

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 61 drama, lighting, costume and sound’. Apart from one response, everyone agreed that they would come again to such a performance; however the greater proportion of people said that they would not buy a recording of the performance.

When asked to describe anything they would change about the performance, many people responded about the style of music and the balance between the instruments. A few responses referred to the need for a greater musical variety and less emphasis on the repetitive percussion and bass. It should be noted that these comments were taken constructively by the Deep Blue Orchestra and future performances improved on these aspects.

The survey asked people to describe the role of the audience in a musical performance and gave a variety of options for response. There was a very high response for the choice ‘emotional listener’, which was also reflected in the next question, about a musical performance evoking an emotional response.

The survey then asked some questions about style of performance and the interaction of the audience with the performers. Responses showed that people agreed or strongly agreed that interaction results in audience enjoyment and the ambience and behaviour of the audience also contributes.

The last questions were relevant to the way a performance is marketed and responses showed that the most popular ways to find out about music performances are either by newspaper or through friends. The importance of the social aspect of a performance was also highlighted by the response that the most popular way to attend music performances is with friends.

4.2.2 Audience Focus Group Responses – December 2005

Focus Group Methodology and Questions

In addition to the audience survey, where all audience members were asked to give their impressions about the event, an informal focus group was planned, so a greater depth of responses about the event could be elicited. Focus group

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 62 research uses a qualitative approach, which allows for a greater understanding than can be acquired through quantitative techniques alone. Focus group discussions enable the researchers to tie together clusters of behaviour that relate to a given consumer decision or action. Also, group interaction can stimulate richer responses and new ideas can be generated from this type of research (Debus 1996 p. 3).

As this was the first showing of the Deep Blue Orchestra concept to an audience, it was very important that the creative and commercial team understood the audience reaction. The responses from both the survey and focus groups research could then contribute to the next phase of development and iteration in the Deep Blue Orchestra project. Although this first focus group discussion was quite short, being about 20 minutes in duration, the future focus group discussions would be longer with a greater variety of questions.

Due to the time constraint, only a few questions were asked. These questions were:

• What style of music do you normally prefer?

• What was your response to this performance?

• Would you come again to a performance like this?

The eight participants in the focus group were taken from the different audience group members, as mentioned previously. There were two males and six females. The two males were both musicians and in the age range 20 – 35 years. Two of the females were mothers of Deep Blue Orchestra string musicians. Two females were members of the Queensland Orchestra Guild and ranged in age between 40 – 60 years. Another female was an ex-concert pianist and another female was in the age range 20 – 35 years and was not a traditional classical concert attendee.

As the focus group was conducted after the performance and in the same venue, there was considerable noise from the other audience members and the Deep

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Blue Orchestra team. The researchers learned from this experience and the future focus groups would be arranged to provide a more private setting with less outside influences.

Analysis of responses

All of the participants in the group said that they had quite a broad taste in preferred style of music. One of the respondents said he had an ‘eclectic’ taste, while one of the females mentioned that she did not like heavy metal music and another that she did not like strong jazz and country music. Another said he liked jazz and folk, as well as classical.

One participant said that he found the performance ‘intriguing’ and that there was ‘a lot of energy’ in it. He liked the idea of not performing with the score and the physical staging aspect.

Another participant was less enthusiastic, as he had heard this style of music before and it was not new. He commented on other orchestral music that incorporates an overlay of electronic instruments and uses rhythmic beats influenced by rock, Latin or jungle style music. He wanted to hear new music, written specifically for this group and not arrangements of existing works, such as the Holst piece.

One of the participants said that she had ‘enjoyed’ the performance because there was ‘interaction’ between the performers and the audience and there were no barriers such as music stands or a conductor, so you could see everyone.

Another participant said that that the music was ‘really good, contemporary and interesting’. She also had heard similar music, referring to ‘dance music’, but only on radio and not live. She liked the experience of seeing it live and the ‘physical movement’ by the performers.

One of the participants said she knew the Holst work very well but to hear it with the integration of electronic elements and rhythmic beats brought ‘an energy, an

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 64 excitement’ to it. She also commented on the lack of barriers in this performance and the enthusiasm from the performers.

There was a comment that ‘I loved the way the music engaged you’. This participant felt it was more of an ‘all around performance’, referring to all of the elements which combined to make up the whole experience.

One participant however was more hesitant. She said that it was ‘interesting’ and liked the music but questioned how it could be extended for a larger orchestral group. She felt that the visuals detracted from the music.

Another of the participants said that she often found traditional orchestral concerts ‘boring’ and there was a need to be more challenged. She felt that life and music were changing and so this should also be represented in the orchestral music realm. She described the musicians as ‘almost being in a trance’, and she was very engaged by this fact. She was not convinced about the absence of a conductor. She felt that the conductor ‘joins everyone together’ and is not distracting to the experience. She wanted to see more variety in the works performed.

There was a very emphatic yes from most of the participants when asked if they had a desire to come again to such a performance. Some qualifications to this response were that original compositions were important, the idea of audience communication could be developed further, other instruments could be included and that it should be promoted as a large ensemble, not an orchestra.

Conclusions

Many of the group commented on the amount of energy generated by the performance and how there was an animation from the musicians. This interaction between the musicians and the audience was one of the elements being tested in the Deep Blue Orchestra model, so it was important to see this aspect picked up by the audience.

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The physical staging of the performance and the more informal approach of presentation was another theme in the Deep Blue Orchestra approach that brought positive comments from the audience and contributed to their appreciation of the event.

There was a mixed response from the focus group to the style of works performed. While some people commented that the integration of electronic elements with acoustic instruments added to the enjoyment of the music, others wanted to see more variety and something newer in style. This reflected some similar comments from the audience survey data.

The positive response from the focus group about returning to see future performances provided the Deep Blue Orchestra team with a strong basis from which to further develop the 21st century orchestra model.

4.2.3 Musicians Focus Group Responses – December 2005

The Deep Blue Orchestra team was comprised of string players and electronic musicians and was accompanied by visual projections. The musicians had not played together before and had only been given the music a few days prior. One of the selection criteria for the musicians was their ability to experiment with different musical styles and be willing to engage in the physical performance of the works.

Eight of the musicians from the December Deep Blue Orchestra participated in this focus group. They included string players, percussion, electronic musicians and composers.

As this was the first time the Deep Blue Orchestra concept was put into practice, it was very important that the creative and commercial team understood the musicians’ response to their involvement in the process and their reaction to the Deep Blue Orchestra concept. One of the aims of the Deep Blue Orchestra model is to make the ‘musicking’ (using Small’s terminology) process less hierarchical and so contributions from the musicians and their feedback were important to the overall development of the model.

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The specific questions asked of the group were:

• Where does the audience “fit” in the musicians’ view of a performance? Musicians could refer to both the Deep Blue Orchestra and their other performance experience. • Describe the role of the classical musician working with digital, electronic effects. How is it different? • What did you like best about this Deep Blue Orchestra experience? What did you like least? • What will be the kind of orchestra that will sustain audiences of the future? • What is the role of the audience in a musical performance?

Analysis of responses

All the musicians believed in some way in the importance of audience/performer interaction. One participant said that ‘everyone who chooses to be a performer must consider the audience. Being a performer is about sharing what you are doing and thinking musically’. Performances are about entertaining the audience the musicians felt, and they liked the Deep Blue Orchestra project for trying to explore this aspect. One participant mentioned that he preferred a more interactive audience: ‘if the audience is going berserk, then the musicians can react even more, play harder – ‘a reactive loop’ happens. These are the best performances’. Audiences respond better when the musicians are enjoying themselves. Another musician said that ‘some of my performances involve the audience clapping their hands and the dancers and audience surround the musicians. The length of the performance is adjusted according to what people want. It is much more enjoyable’. Another participant mentioned the visual aspect of the Deep Blue Orchestra performance, which makes it more of an experience for the audience. However one participant was of the view that the most important part of performing was ‘making music ultimately for yourself’.

Participants talked about the increased ability that the Deep Blue Orchestra was giving them to extend beyond the traditional orchestra repertoire and

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 67 instruments. They felt that there was the opportunity for experimentation and artistic freedom with this orchestra. One musician said that ‘with many classical performances, I get bored because there is a set way to do it and I am looking for a different way that challenges the traditional. With Deep Blue, there is more to satisfy the audience’s senses such as visuals’. However one participant was more negative because he felt that the Deep Blue Orchestra performances did not put so much emphasis on the music. He said that there was a greater separation between electronic and traditional instruments with the Deep Blue Orchestra than in other pop groups and ‘the sounds are too separate’.

Participants liked the chance to play with different types of instruments, as they may not normally have the opportunity to do this. For example, the drummer enjoyed the opportunity to play with string instruments and the strings liked to combine with the electronic instruments. One of the other things people commented about was that there was a ‘relaxed feel’ to the rehearsals that was enjoyable, with one comment being ‘there is an open vibe and people are involved’.

Some of the musicians did comment that they would have liked to contribute more to the artistic input and wanted to take more of a workshop approach, where different ways of playing and performing could be developed. This would not normally happen in a traditional orchestra but as the Deep Blue Orchestra was aiming to be more innovative and inclusive in their approach, the participant felt that this should be further explored.

When asked about the orchestra of the future, there was a common theme to allow the Deep Blue Orchestra to be even more interactive. The musicians felt in general that the Deep Blue Orchestra is an interesting concept and should continue. There were some comments about the combination of visuals and music being more integrated and also that a wider variety of musical styles could be explored with more coherence in musical styles. There was also discussion about the importance of marketing correctly for it to become successful.

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There were differing responses to the question about the role of the audience in a performance. One of the musicians felt that sometimes the audience wants to be involved and at others, they just want to understand and experience the performance. Another commented that it is a very individual and personal experience for the audience, and so it is different for everyone. One participant thought that the audience could have a ‘cohesive experience’.

There were different perspectives on their Deep Blue Orchestra involvement from the musicians, as shown by the focus group responses. However, one common element that was obvious from observing the week of rehearsals and performances and the attitude of the musicians, was their enjoyment in their participation. Comments from the focus group reflected this interest to experiment with something different from a traditional classical orchestra. Another theme that emerges from these responses is the importance of interactivity for the musicians and their view of the audiences.

There were also a number of requests to further develop the concept by integrating different musical styles and instruments, which would bring a more cohesive and distinctive style to the Deep Blue Orchestra image.

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4.2.4 Audience Survey Results – July 2006

Description of Performance

The performances during the last week in July 2006 were part of the Brisbane Festival program. The Deep Blue Orchestra had been advertised in the Festival program and tickets were available to purchase at $15 each. The program was advertised as

a marrying of the traditional string section of the orchestra with a 5th section; digital and electronics. Combined with a DJ and VJ with cameras, screens and lighting the result is an environment of immense emotional power and great potential.

The program consisted of the following music:

Perpetuum Mobile, from The Penguin Café Orchestra

Raising Up Water, by Phill Wilson and composed specifically for the Deep Blue Orchestra

Elegy, by Robert Davidson

Vienna by Ultravox

Theme from American Beauty, by Thomas Montgomery Newman

String Quartet in F, by Maurice Ravel

Popcorn, by Gershon Kingsley

Excerpt from Symphony No. 5, 4th Movement, by Gustav Mahler

Misirlou, from a Greek song arranged by Dick Dale

Red Room Revolution, by Phill Wilson and composed specifically for Deep Blue

Flying Dream, by Ian Grandage

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In a Summer Place, by Max Steiner

Tomorrow Never Knows, by the Beatles

Off the Planet, arrangement of Holst’s Planet suite – Mars.

The performance had a strong theatrical element to it, as each piece was expressed by not only the music but included visuals and the performers’ actions. The program was designed to take the audience on an emotional journey, with the program covering a variety of pieces, from the traditional classical and modern classical to popular film themes and popular songs. There were poignant elements such as the scene using American Beauty that depicted homeless people in the snow, sheltering under the Brooklyn Bridge and humorous elements such as Misirlou, where the musicians all wore dark sunglasses and two violinists gave the impression of surfing a wave by playing each other’s violins. The musicians and electronic performers adopted different personas for the different pieces of music, such as wearing wide-brimmed Western hats and high boots for Popcorn.

The performance took place in The Block venue in the Creative Industries Precinct at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane and lasted just over an hour, without an interval. The audience were seated at tables, as in the style of a club and there was even a bar where people could buy drinks, on one side of the room. The performers used both the front of the room and the back of the room for stages and in fact, walked through the audience space at one point. The performers aimed to engage the audience with these interactive components and as will be shown by the survey comments and results, this goal was achieved in many respects.

Audience Description

The audience had a proportion of people that were invited by the performers and organizers and were therefore non-paying. The first performance on the Tuesday evening was a preview and all tickets were free. Most evenings the venue was full, so the audience consisted of approximately 150 people.

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The audience consisted of a number of different demographic and psychographic groups; the age groups were quite evenly dispersed but there was a greater concentration of students and professionals in terms of occupation. Due to the invited audience component, the audience also included members of The Queensland Orchestra Guild, Creative Industries students, traditionally non- classical concert attendees, music teachers and musicians, friends and families. 220 audience members completed the survey over the week of performances and the detailed data is recorded in Appendix Two.

Analysis of Survey Questions

The first demographic question showed that the most popular place that responders liked to hear music is firstly in their own place, in their car, followed by the concert hall.

The second question’s results showed that the greatest number of people in the audience preferred classical music but this was closely followed by rock and jazz. This result is not surprising considering that the Deep Blue Orchestra program was advertised during the Brisbane Festival, where audiences are often experienced in classical music. Furthermore, it would be expected that the style of program for the Deep Blue Orchestra performances would probably attract people that didn’t only like classical e.g. rock and jazz.

As with the previous December performance, the highest response was that the musicians/performers were the best part of the performance, with 47% of those surveyed selecting this answer. This result shows that the audience found that the way that the musicians interacted with them contributed to their enjoyment of the performance. By the musicians/performers taking on a character and individuality, audience engagement was high.

When asked about the worst thing about the performance, there was a mixed response, as reflected by ‘other’ receiving the highest response with 51%. There were a few common themes, with people saying that the performance was ‘too short’ and many not being happy with the comfort of the venue. However many

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 72 people responded with saying ‘nothing’. The next highest response was that the visuals were the element that the responders liked least, with 17% of people giving this answer. As visuals are not a traditional component of an orchestral performance, some people may have found this detracting from the music. The visuals were not designed in conjunction with the music composition, but done after the fact. This may have contributed to people feeling that the visuals did not enhance the performance. This conclusion is perhaps more realistic, as the responses to a further question revealed. 72% of people selected either the ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ response to the question that ‘integration of visual images and sound facilitates a greater enjoyment of music’.

The question about how people would describe the performance elicited a number of very positive responses from people. Many people described the performance as innovative, emotionally evocative and exciting. The comments support the belief that the audience was emotionally engaged and that the innovative nature of the performance was a highlight that people enjoyed.

There was a more positive response about whether people would buy a recording of the performance than from the December survey results. 58% of responders answered that they would buy a CD/DVD this time. As this is not a very high proportion, it does indicate that the audience felt that one of the important elements of the performance was the live and interactive component, and this cannot be reproduced by watching or listening to a CD/DVD. It also is an important indicator when considering the different distribution channels to promote the Deep Blue Orchestra.

There was a very high response of 96% of responders saying that they would come again to such a performance. This shows that despite some components of the Deep Blue Orchestral model not appealing to the audience, the combination of all the elements of the performance working together gave the audience cause to return to similar future performances.

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 73 audience and expectations about the performance. One common theme with the comments was that the performance should have been longer and that the venue should have been more comfortable. There were also a number of negative comments with respect to the visuals, saying that they did not complement the music. While in the December performance, there were many comments about the style of the music and the mix of electronic and traditional, this also was true of the July performances but to a lesser extent. These comments usually reflected an audience member’s personal taste. This data implies that the changes and improvement that were made to the instrument mix and the increased variety of musical compositions for the July performances received a positive reaction from people.

As with the December performances, there was also a high response for the ‘emotional listener’ choice about the audience role in a performance, with 64% giving this answer. This correlates with the responses for the following question, which shows that people strongly believe that musical performances evoke emotional responses. People could select more than one choice in this question, so there were differing points of view about the role of the audience with 31% of responders believing that the audience has a ‘spectator’ role, but 25% believing that the audience is ‘an active participant’. The Deep Blue Orchestra performances aimed to provide the audience with more of a participant role than a spectator, so this result may suggest that audiences do not need the participant role to engage and enjoy the performance. The following table shows the different survey responses to the audience role in a performance.

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Figure 2: Deep Blue Orchestra Audience Role

Role of the audience in a performance

70 60 s e

e 50 d n

o 40

p Role of the audience s

e 30 r

f

o 20

% 10 0 Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience is is is passive is co- is active has spectator emotional listener producer participant another listener role

N=220 The encouraging point about much of the data from the survey, in regard to assessing the validity of the 21st Century Orchestral Framework factors, is that nearly all of the responses supported the key elements in the framework. The performer/audience interaction element scored strongly as did the importance of an emotional connection. The importance of education or musical background was also supported as being an essential element for the audience’s improved enjoyment.

For the last two questions, responses showed that the most popular ways to find out about music performances are firstly by friends (42%), followed by newspapers (22%). This response shows the importance of the social network in attending concert performances. Additionally, responses showed that the most popular way to attend music performances is with friends (75%).

Some observations on correlation of survey data

The preferred style of music (question 2) was cross-tabulated with the best and worst thing about the performance (question 3 and 4). This analysis was done particularly to see if there was any bias from the audience members that were classical music listeners. The interesting result here was that the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 75 musicians/performers were always rated the best thing about the performance, irrespective of the style of music preferred by the survey responders. This data supports the view that the Deep Blue Orchestra performance can appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes and differing opinions about what constitutes a good performance experience. It certainly highlights the importance of the musicians’ engagement with the audience.

The style of music preferred was also cross-tabulated with the role of the audience (question 9). These results further support the importance of emotional engagement, with the ‘emotional listener’ achieving the highest response, irrespective of the style of music preferred. The role of the audience was then cross-tabulated with age group (question 13) and again the emotional listener was always the highest response. These results are positive when looking at the 21st Century Orchestral Framework and show the importance of the emotional engagement element, irrespective of age, musical tastes and audience perception of a performance.

It was believed by the creative team of the Deep Blue Orchestra that certain aspects of the performance would appeal to the younger age group 18 – 25 years in particular. One of these aspects was the visual element and so cross- tabulation analysis was done to determine the level of this appeal. The data showed that there is really only a significant difference in the older 56+ years age group; an average 80% of responders in the other age groups, selected an agree or strongly agree to the question ‘integration of visual and sound facilitates the enjoyment of music’.

There was one area where there was a differentiation in age groups and that was in relation to how people get information about the performance (question 11). The data showed that the 18 – 25 year olds have the highest proportion of information from friends (59%) but that email is also an important source across all age groups.

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4.2.5 SMS Data – July 2006

While this was a different method to elicit feedback from the audience, it provided a way for people to give their opinions quickly and anonymously and proved a good reinforcement of the data received in the more traditional formats of surveys and audience focus groups. The audience was told at the beginning of the evening that they could text their opinions about the performance at any time throughout the performance. This style of feedback reflected the more innovative and technologically focused approach of the performance and would appeal to the younger audience members. Over 100 text messages were received over the five evenings.

A lot of people simply texted a single word such as ‘hot’, ‘beautiful’ , ‘wicked’ or ‘awesome’. In some cases, there was a particular pattern to the timings of the texts, so it was possible to identify which opinions referred to a particular moment in the performance. For example, the audience was very responsive to Danielle’s ‘cello solo and the string quartet section also elicited many comments.

The texts gave people the opportunity to specifically praise or criticize an aspect of the performance, and this they did. For example, a text of ‘drums on the wall - fantastic’ referred to the part in the performance where the drummer was playing to the beat of the music on a projected visual image of a drum on the back wall of the venue. Or in another example, a text of ‘the bass is grouse – I want to sit on the speakers’, which was opposite to comments from the surveys about the percussion beats not blending well with the overall soundscape.

There were some common themes from the SMS data. There were good comments from a number of people about the song Popcorn and about the quartet of musicians ‘rocking out’ and undressing and about their wearing hats. This showed that the audience was also considering the theatrical aspect of the show.

Quite a few texts referred to the sexiness of the musicians. Examples of this were ‘funky girl up back’, ‘very sexy’, ‘Dannii and Sally are hot’. One of the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 77 aims of the performance was for the audience to connect with the musicians so it seems they were certainly doing this!

Overall the SMS data produced some very positive feedback. There were some passionate comments which showed people were moved by the performance, which was the aim. As the SMS format encourages people to be succinct and comment with only a few words, the responses are often very emotive and instinctive. This form of survey was appropriate then to the style of the Deep Blue Orchestra performances, which aimed to engage the audience’s emotions.

4.2.6 Interviews

During the rehearsal period for December and the following July performances, I spoke to a number of the key collaborators in the Deep Blue Orchestra project to gain an insight into the development of the orchestra. The following interviews reflect the findings and how they relate to the 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework.

Theatrical Director interview

The theatrical director was asked by the two Deep Blue Orchestra creators, to work with the musicians to develop their performance style and choreograph the performance for the initial pilot in December 2005 and then for the Brisbane Festival performance in July 2006.

As the plan was to have no conductor and no music stands, the musicians would be given a greater role to interact with the audience. The theatrical director felt that the main goal for the performance was ‘to engage the audience’. He believed that as this was an evolving project and there would be surveyed audience responses, this presented an opportunity to trial a number of different approaches. This was the aim of an action research methodology. He wanted to ‘question traditions, be flexible and have an open approach’.

He treated the orchestra as a ‘theatrical space’ and wanted to bring across not just the aural aspect but the visual components. In fact for the December pilot,

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 78 the aim was to produce a promotional DVD of the Deep Blue Orchestra. For this reason there was more of a focus on the visual than the aural side. He looked at the dramatic possibilities and the practicality for staging when choreographing the performance.

The theatrical director’s view was that ‘the musicians are there to create the emotion in the audience’ and emotions can come ‘from the architecture of the space’. By creating the different stagings for each different piece of music, the dynamics of the performance space are changed. Together with the audience, who can also change the performance space dynamics, the concept ‘allows for different layers of images and the creation of different emotions’.

The theatrical director’s approach demonstrates well the importance of the emotional connection element in the Orchestral Sustainability Framework. In his words, he was ‘trying to find the human connection with the performance’. Each piece of music was staged to demonstrate a particular story and took the audience on ‘an emotional journey’, with the story linking the different musical works in the performance. The intention here was to guide people to have a similar emotional journey. He also believed in the ability of an audience to have a ‘collective emotional experience’. As discussed in the literature review, this is something normally more attributed to rock concerts than classical concerts. It was an ambitious goal to try and achieve this for the Deep Blue Orchestra.

Composer interview

There were a number of works by this composer for the December Deep Blue Orchestra performance, such as Raising up Water and Hong Kong Revolution.

In the interview, the composer expressed his point of view about the need for the musicians to ‘put in a lot of energy’ into the performance, in order to create a strong electricity between them. He talked about the importance of connection between the musicians and this contributing to a greater connection with the audience. He believed it was important to rehearse in this manner, with good visual connection between musicians and facial and body expressions displayed.

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The Deep Blue Orchestra was aiming to allow the musicians to ‘show their personality through their instruments’ in a way more akin to jazz and rock musicians.

In composing the music, he drew on the idea of the Deep Blue Orchestra being associated with water and hence led to the work Raising up Water. For Hong Kong Revolution he drew on his knowledge of Canto pop and composed a work designed to represent a fusion of these cultures. When he was composing these works, he thought about the target audience for the Deep Blue Orchestra as being predominantly in the 18 – 35 year age group. Another consideration for him was how the works should aim to inspire the audience.

The Deep Blue Orchestra musician interview

One of the musicians in the Deep Blue Orchestra, the lead cellist, talked about the requirement for the musicians to develop trust and respect for each other. She believed that a rehearsal environment which encourages experimentation and that is democratic not hierarchical, allows the musicians to contribute new ideas and feel valued.

She also said that a performance should be about how the musicians are connecting with the audience; the musicians need to understand what the audience wants in order to develop this connection.

Director, Creative Media Warehouse interview

One of the co-creators of the Deep Blue Orchestra, the Director has a strong background as a music entrepreneur and he brought many of these aspects to the project. He wanted to bring some of the successful characteristics of the pop/rock music model to the orchestral form. He talked about the fact that business skills and entrepreneurship are not so usual in the classical music world but these skills are important to promote and sustain a commercially successful music organisation.

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There were a few main elements that the Director wanted to ensure were part of the Deep Blue Orchestra: creativity and a democratic model to allow ideas to develop. He felt that in existing models of the traditional classical orchestra, creativity was often stifled. The Deep Blue Orchestra would probably combine many elements that exist already in other music performances such as the staging, costumes and video, but it would be the combination of all these elements in this democratic model that would allow creativity to flourish.

He also wanted to use the concept of social marketing to promote the Deep Blue Orchestra. He realised that to target the younger and more “hip” audience demographic, marketing must include a strong emphasis on the social aspect of a performance.

Composer and arranger interview

One of the main arrangers and composers for the initial Deep Blue Orchestra performance stated that the music chosen for the orchestra ultimately had to have ‘an emotional connection with the audience’. He felt that some of the criteria required to achieve this were the work’s:

• ability to be communicative and stylistically distinctive;

• practicality for staging;

• dramatic possibilities, and

• suitability for the target audience demographic.

He also felt that assessing how all the works in a performance relate to each other would contribute to creating that audience connection.

Musical director and producer interview

In this interview, the Musical Director and Producer discussed his vision of the Deep Blue Orchestra performance. He wanted the audience to be transported through a range of emotions. To do this, he felt it was important to start the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 81 performance with the more traditional and familiar works and then progress to more challenging works for the audience to hear. For example, a more traditional piece for orchestra such as the Mars suite from Holst’s The Planets would start the program and then the ‘emotional dynamic’ would change as the program progressed. It is interesting to note that although this was the original intention, in fact the order of the program for the July performances was different.

The Producer wanted the repertoire to consist of quite well-known pieces but played in a way that would not represent a traditional orchestra. This blend of sounds would include electronic components and percussion together with the strings. The program would include a variety of genres and some fusion. He felt it was also important for the performers to be highlighted, rather than just the music. In this way a solo or virtuoso element could be utilised to connect the audience with the performers. All of these aspects were demonstrated in the actual performances in July.

He felt that the program should be aimed at an audience demographic representing the baby boomers. However, earlier discussions had also focused on a separate younger target demographic of 18 – 35 year olds.

A strong theatrical element was also important for the performance, the producer felt. The performances were designed to take place in a café- style setting, with people sitting around tables, a bar and people free to move around like in a club or pop concert.

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4.2.7 Reflections on Financial Data - 2006

As the Deep Blue Orchestra performances were part of the Brisbane Festival and funded by the Australian Research Council and the Queensland University of Technology, there was a considerable amount of sponsorship funding for the performances. In addition there were a number of tickets to the performances which were given as complementary. For these reasons, it is not possible to analyse the profitability of these concerts in terms of purely box office revenue and the appeal to a mass or niche market consumer demographic.

However, projections for the Deep Blue Orchestra have been compiled to determine the commercial profitability for future concerts and touring. While this data is yet to prove its viability, the forecasts show that it is possible to achieve a healthy profit from the Deep Blue Orchestra box office. However this is dependent on achieving full houses with a high audience capacity and so the development of the commercialisation phase can be quite high risk. These projections calculate both revenue and costs. The costs include distribution costs, venue hire, employment costs for musicians, composers, technical staff and directors, business development costs of advertising, promotion and travel costs, and other overheads. Revenue has been calculated on a differing ticket costs basis for corporate performances and public performances at venues of up to 1500 capacity.

The assumption is that the Deep Blue Orchestra will function as a commercial entity and rely on box office income as opposed to a sponsorship funding model. It is an advocate for a profitable, consumer focused model, with an appeal to a particular target market.

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The table below shows the projected profit and break-even analysis as prepared by Dmand.

Table 3: Deep Blue Orchestra Financial Projections

Breakeven Income Level Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Total Income 848,880 3,616,880 6,644,532 Variable Costs 376,956 1,606,680 3,141,408 Contribution 471,924 2,010,200 3,503,124 Contribution Margin % 56% 56% 53%

Fixed Costs Employment Expenses 93,575 410,400 768,900 Business Development 16,900 50,700 76,050 Overheads 152,362 457,086 675,629 Total Fixed Costs 262,837 918,186 1,520,579

Breakeven Income Required 472,782 1,652,059 2,884,151

Percentage of Forecast Income 56% 46% 43%

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4.3 Data Presentation - The Queensland Orchestra

The data for The Queensland Orchestra (TQO) case study comprises the following:

1) Audience survey results from Maestro Concert

2) Audience focus group from Maestro Concert

3) Audience survey results from Sci-Fi Concert

4) Audience focus group from Sci-Fi Concert

5) Audience Focus Group Winners Concert

6) TQO Musicians focus group responses 2006

7) Interview with CEO

8) Reflections on selected financial data

4.3.1 Audience Survey Results - October 2006

Description of Performance - Maestro Concert, The Pines of Rome – October 27th 2006

This performance was part of the TQO Maestro Series. This series of concerts aims to provide the most traditional orchestral works to their audiences and is particularly targeted towards audiences who prefer this style of music. The Maestro audience includes the greatest number of subscription patrons out of all the styles of TQO concerts.

This evening’s concert program was the Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Ligeti’s Concert Romanesc and Respighi’s Pines of Rome symphonic poem.

The concert was held in the Concert Hall at QPAC, and the venue was almost full. The audience included only a very small percentage of younger people, which demonstrates the bias for Maestro concerts appeal towards the older age

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 85 group; out of a total of 45 people who completed the survey, 73% were in the 56+ years age group and 13% in the 46-55 years age group. The occupation of this audience sample was also mostly professional or retired.

The audience seemed to enjoy the concert, demonstrated by the enthusiastic applause at the end. From a personal standpoint, I particularly enjoyed the intensity of emotion showed by the Japanese soloist Kyoko Takezawa, in her playing of the Brahms. For the Pines of Rome, there was an extended orchestra and the full symphonic sound was impressive, with the trumpeters playing in an elevated position and in- the- round.

The orchestra was very traditionally dressed, that is in formal black and white, and did not really acknowledge the audience, being completely focused on their music stands. However, the conductor did recognise the applause of some audience members who “incorrectly” applauded during movements.

Analysis of Survey questions

As with the Deep Blue Orchestra concert, the first question showed that most people liked to hear music in their own place, but the concert hall and the car were also highly scored. However, unlike the Deep Blue Orchestra audience, the results showed that 95% of people surveyed preferred classical music, which was an expected result, considering that this is a Maestro audience. About 50% of people also indicated that jazz was also a preferred style.

The best thing about the performance was the musicians/performers, which rated a very high response with 70.7%, indicating that Maestro audiences do want to connect with the performers and that the other elements of a performance are of lesser importance. This rating was in fact higher than the Deep Blue Orchestra audiences, which is an interesting result.

Many people did not select an answer for what they felt was the worst thing about the performance. It was also interesting to note that a number of people were not happy at other people coughing and talking in the audience; they felt a Maestro concert must be listened to in silence. This is a very different

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 86 expectation to the Deep Blue Orchestra concerts and the Sci-Fi concert, where noise was welcomed.

There were many enthusiastic comments about the performance such as ‘wonderful’, ‘spectacular’, ‘exciting’, ‘moving’ and ‘amazing’. The violinist was mentioned a few times as being a ‘great soloist’. This is also supported by other responses that showed that the concert performance was correctly targeted to the audience, with an overwhelmingly positive response of 97.7% saying that they would come again to a performance like this.

67.5% of people responded that they would not buy a CD/DVD, maybe indicating the value of a live performance for the Maestro audience. This could also point to the audience enjoying the whole experience of attending a live concert, which cannot be replaced by a recording.

Most people surveyed said that they would change ‘nothing’ about the performance. One person said ‘leave out the Brahms’, while one person thought the ‘ear piercing percussion’ too loud. These last two comments show that Maestro audiences do have different tastes, although both of these people said they would come again.

The questions about the role of the audience produced some interesting data. The highest response was for the ‘emotional listener’ choice with 73.8% responders giving this answer. This was also supported by the subsequent question, where people strongly agreed that musical performances evoke emotional responses. The importance of the emotional connection was rated more highly in the Maestro concert than in the Deep Blue Orchestra concert, showing that this is in fact a very important element for the more traditional audience. The survey responses for this question are shown in the following diagram.

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Figure 3: The Queensland Orchestra Maestro Audience Role

Role of the audience in a performance

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f 30 o 20 % 10 0 Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience is is is passive is co- is active has spectator emotional listener producer participant another listener role

N=45 Responses on the visual question indicated that the Maestro audience is not strongly in favour of supplementing the concert experience with visuals.

Interestingly, this survey data supported the interaction between audience and performer, not something that is traditionally associated with the formal Maestro concert style.

Newspapers and friends were both the most popular way of finding out about performances, each with a score of 48.8%. The importance of the social network in attendance at performances is reflected in this result. As the Maestro audience is of an older age group, this lessens the impact of email and internet forms of media distribution. Responses showed that the most popular way to attend music performances is with friends (77.7%).

Maestro concerts appear to be attended by people that also like to attend other TQO concerts, with 85% of people responding that they do attend other concerts. The greater proportion of these concerts however is within the Maestro series, so they are of a similar style.

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As shown by the above results, the audience for the Maestro concert did not contain a great range of age groups or musical tastes. As the demographics are very narrow, this prevented any further conclusions being drawn when analysing the correlation between answers to different questions.

4.3.2 Audience Focus Group – October 2006

This evening the focus group consisted of a selected eight people from the audience who attended the Pines of Rome concert. These participants had been chosen to give a representation of people with different concert attending habits and the group also included a variety of different age groups. Some participants had not attended a Maestro concert before, whereas others were regular subscribers.

Firstly people were asked about their preferred style of music and most responded that they liked light classical or classical music with popular composers such as Mozart, Bach and Beethoven being mentioned. One younger male participant replied that he liked modern music such as pop and rock. This preference for classical music would be expected as this fits the demographic for the Maestro audience.

There were a few common themes in the responses about what people liked best about the performance. The concert program was thought to contain a good variety of works and the ‘diversity of the program’ was seen to be a highlight. The Brahms violin concerto and the violinist was the most popular answer, with people saying that the ‘soloist was superb’ and that violinists ‘really get to me’. This was demonstrated by the soloist Kyoko Takezawa, who was very expressive and emotional with her playing. This point emphasises the importance of performer/audience interaction and the need for the audience to connect with the performers. Many people discussed this emotional connection with the performance, with comments that The Pines of Rome ‘brought tears to my eyes’, ‘it carried me to another world’ and that ‘I felt good and very involved with the music’. The tempo and volume of The Pines of Rome builds to an

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 89 intense crescendo towards the end of the piece and this stirred some of the participants.

There were very few negative comments about the performance, demonstrating that this audience found the style and program of the concert to match their expectations.

People then discussed their views on the role of the audience in a performance. One aspect that was felt to be important was that a concert gives the audience the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy themselves. This can develop into a deeper experience with the performance when people are ‘transported somewhere else through the music’. Another aspect mentioned was the ability of the performers to communicate to the audience and vice versa when they feel the audience reaction to their performance. One person said that she benefited from the collective experience of attending a concert as she felt other people’s responses and she enjoyed that. This point was also supported by another comment: as a member of an audience, you were able to be part of a number of people enjoying the performance and that the orchestra was not just performing for the individual. One participant said that the audience ‘creates the atmosphere at a concert and even in their silence, they are communicating that they are enjoying it’. There is a difference between the response of a pop audience where shouting and clapping are accepted as the way for the audience to show its appreciation and the respectful silence which characterises classical concerts. There were comments from participants that although this may make some people feel more constrained in a classical environment, it nevertheless was a form of appreciation.

Everyone responded that they would come again to such a performance and this also reflects the strong audience survey data on this important question.

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4.3.3 Audience Survey Results – August 2006

Description of Performance

Sci-Fi Concert, Clocktower Series – August 25th 2006

The performance was advertised to evoke an atmosphere and experience of the Sci-Fi world; ‘Escape to a musical galaxy far, far away in a concert spectacular that boldly goes where no concert has gone before! Watch aerial artists fall from the sky as TQO presents legendary music from your favourite Sci-Fi classics’.

The pre-concert foyer provided a fun environment, with many people dressed as characters from famous Sci-Fi films, such as Darth Vader, Jedi knights and Storm Troopers and food and drink available. There were a large number of children in the audience and City Hall, where the concert was held, was almost full. The audience demographics showed that out of 24 people surveyed, 33% were in the 56+ years age group, with the rest evenly dispersed across the age groups. Over half of the audience described themselves as professional, with the rest specifying their occupation as management or home duties.

The program started with 2001, a Space Odyssey. As the hall darkened, stars were projected onto the auditorium ceiling and a recorded voice set the theme by an introduction from ‘aliens speaking to earthlings’.

While some of the music was played by the orchestra, some of whom were also dressed in the Sci-Fi theme, acrobats performed in time with the music.

In between some of the musical items, there was a compère speaking in the style of the narrator from Star Trek and a re-enactment of some scenes from other Sci- Fi movies. This created interaction with the audience and there was also a costume competition for the best dressed Sci-Fi character.

Other non-traditional classical orchestral instruments were also integrated into the performance such as a bass guitarist, electronics and sticks waved to create different harmonics.

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Although this performance was trying to create a more interactive experience for the audience, there was an obvious disconnect with many of the orchestral players, who simply looked embarrassed or bored and the comedic aspects of the performance were not timed well. While some very popular pieces of music were played, such as the Superman’s theme, ET theme and Star Trek theme, not all the pieces were suited to a full orchestral scoring.

Despite some of these negative points, the concert was attended by an audience that appreciated the whole experience. Overall there was a very positive response as described in the audience surveys conducted and the discussion with focus group.

Analysis of Survey Questions

In this concert, the audience preference for how they liked to listen to music was firstly in the concert hall (95%), closely followed by in the car and in their own place (both 91%).

Classical music was still the most preferred style of music with 95% of respondents. Although the Sci-Fi concert was part of the Clocktower series of concerts, this data shows that the audience is still predominantly influenced by the classical genre.

As with all the other concerts analysed, the musicians/performers rated the highest, with 65% choosing this response.

This concert was designed to use theatrical elements to enhance the musical enjoyment of the performance, and so the audience surveyed obviously did not feel that this goal was achieved, with 33.3% of people saying that this was the worst thing about the performance. This response is supported by comments that the dialogue was too long and boring, demonstrating that Clocktower audiences do want other elements to a performance, but that they want it to be integrated well and it must be of a high standard.

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The responses were very positive to this concert, with many people describing the performance as ‘fun, a great night out, exciting, different, entertaining, spectacular’. A few people commented that the dialogue elements were too long and distracted from the music. However, the audience had a very positive view of this performance, with 91% of people responding that they would come again. This indicates that the concert was targeted to the correct demographic.

While only 47% of respondents said that they would buy a CD/DVD, this could reflect the fact that a great part of the enjoyment of performance is that it is live and the other visual elements would not be captured to the same extent with a CD/DVD.

The Clocktower concerts are designed to be more participatory for the audience, so it is interesting to see that the role of the audience was still seen as ‘emotional listener’ receiving the highest score with 77% and following the same pattern as the other concerts surveyed. The ‘passive listener’ and ‘co-producer’ choices did not score highly.

As could be expected from an audience attending this style of concert, the importance of interactivity with the performers rated highly and it was also interesting to find that the context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) contributed strongly to the meaning of a music performance for the audience. The Clocktower series are designed to be a holistic experience and so it confirms that the audience wants these aspects, rather than the music being the only priority.

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Figure 4: The Queensland Orchestra Clocktower Audience Role

Role of the audience in a performance

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f 30 o 20 % 10 0 Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience is is is passive is co- is active has spectator emotional listener producer participant another listener role

N=24

As with the other concerts surveyed, information about performances is most likely sourced from friends and again, attending concerts ‘with friends’ scored the highest with 54%, reflecting the importance of the concerts as a social occasion.

The Sci-Fi audience was more open to attending other styles of orchestral concerts than the Maestro audience with 68% of people responding that they did attend other TQO concerts and the most popular were firstly Proms, followed by Maestro.

The surveyed number for this concert was low, so it is difficult to draw any accurate conclusions from correlated data. However, as with the other concerts, there were two outstanding points from this analysis: people regarded themselves highly as ‘emotional listeners’, irrespective of age and style of music preferred and the musicians/performers were rated the best thing about the performance, which was also irrespective of age and style of music preferred. The importance of relating to the musicians/performers is demonstrated in the diagram below, which shows the comparative results from all three audience surveys.

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Figure 5: Audience Preferences: A Comparison by Concert

Comparison of Best Thing about Performance

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c e l r ts n i c e e rs io s a e h n t u l f t e e c m p u O rm m u f e o o le od o h y rf e r e T e e l p yl d /p ua d t a s s n S m n i u t ia V o i c S w si o u H m e h T

4.3.4 Audience Focus Group – August 2006

The focus group was held in the foyer of City Hall after the concert and TQO staff had organized a select group of 10 people to participate. The group comprised of a wide range of age groups from teenagers to retired people and included some family groups and couples. A few people had not attended an orchestral concert before so this was a new experience for them and including these people helped make this analysis more objective.

As could be expected from an audience of a Clocktower series concert, there was a broad range of tastes in their preferred style of music and classical music was not always the first preference, as was the case with the Maestro series audience. Preferred styles of music included electronic, rock, opera, soundtracks, 80’s music, country, Latin jazz, techno, classical and ‘anything but heavy metal’.

Comments about the performance reflected some themes from the 21st Century Orchestral Framework. Some of these points were again highlighted when people discussed their opinion of the best and worst things about the performance.

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Participants talked about the good audience participation and interaction with the performance and that the MC had facilitated this aspect. This was mentioned as one of the best things about the performance, described by one participant as ‘the interplay between the orchestra and the conductor and the audience’.

The concert was ‘fun’ and to be able to laugh and enjoy the performance was important. There was less formality in the way the orchestra played and they were more relaxed than in a traditional classical performance. This was seen as a positive, given that this was an after work concert on a Friday. A few people talked about the costume competition being great and adding to the atmosphere. Some orchestra members also dressed in costume and people saw this as a good thing and that it showed they were having fun. The ‘character of the conductor’ was also highlighted as one of the best elements of the performance and it was good to see that taking a less conservative approach helped some people engage more.

As many of the musical works were familiar to people, this contributed to their enjoyment of the evening and it was a unique opportunity to hear this type of music performed live (it is usually heard on CD or film soundtrack). In this way the music was ‘related to other areas of people’s lives’ and consequently they felt a stronger connection with it. If people had an interest in film or Sci-Fi for example, then they would be more likely to enjoy the concert. Participants felt that this style of concert was a way of bringing the orchestra to a wider group of people and to people who normally may not believe that they would like to attend an orchestral concert.

There were critical comments about the dialogue element of the performance and it was felt that this part was ‘too drawn out’ and ‘had a cringe factor’. People liked the idea but felt it needed to be done in a tighter and more integrated fashion.

The aerial artists choreography was ‘beautiful’ and the interplay of the movement with the music contributed to the impact and meaning of the music. Many of the boys in the focus group said that the attractive aerial performers Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 96 were the best thing about the performance, although one person mentioned that they distracted her attention from the music.

A greater use of non-traditional instruments was mentioned as an element of the concert that created interest. The electronic instruments that were needed in the orchestration to emphasis the Sci-Fi style, the harp solo that ‘really stood out’ and the use of the organ at the opening all contributed to a variety of instrumentation and interest for the audience.

While participants encouraged the use of all the theatrical elements, it was felt that much more could have been done to enhance the concert experience. The opening that used lighting effects to project stars onto the ceiling of the auditorium was good but people felt that the lighting effects could have been more professional and followed more of a rock concert standard.

The role of the audience in a concert performance was discussed and some differences were identified between this style of concert and a more traditional Maestro concert. The musical background of the audience was felt to be important to their expectations. In the case of the Sci-Fi concert where it was not a ‘serious classical concert’ and the target audience included children and non- orchestral attendees, one participant felt it was essential that the theatrical elements and interactive style assist the audience to deepen their engagement with the performance.

The importance of marketing orchestral performances to the appropriate audience was also mentioned as a success factor for a concert. It was suggested that not all orchestral concerts will appeal to everyone and that the audience that attended the Sci-Fi concert, may not be interested in a Maestro concert. As the Sci-Fi concert encourages younger audiences to attend, then the method of marketing should utilise the electronic media to a greater extent. If potential audiences are more aware of what the orchestra offers, then their expectations of concerts will change and it should encourage them to attend more concerts.

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Overall, the participants in the focus group enjoyed the concert and all said that they would come again to such a performance. They would not necessarily buy a CD/DVD of the performance because much of the attraction of the concert was in experiencing it live and participating in the event.

In conclusion, this focus group highlighted a number of important themes for success in an orchestral concert and this was also supported by the audience surveys for this concert.

4.3.5 Audience Focus Group – July 2006

Description of the performance - Winners Concert - July 2006

The Winners Concert was part of the Brisbane Festival 2006 and was a collaboration between the Italian organisation Fabrica, TQO and TaikOz. It was designed to be a one night event only and one of the main feature works of the festival. The promotion for the concert gives an overview of what the audience could expect:

Winners is a multimedia music action created by Fabrica and Brisbane Festival 2006. For one night only in QPAC’s concert hall the world comes to Brisbane for this world premiere event.

Through music and interactive media, singers, musicians and performers in different location around the globe….. – will be part of an event that unites the global community.

Andrea Molino’s vibrant score framed by extraordinary images, sounds, text, lighting…..

As with the media build up to the performance, the opening kept expectations high with dramatic drumming and showmanship from TaikOz. Then video screens showing excerpts of interviews with people from around the world talking about their experiences of trauma were projected, while the orchestra provided a musical accompaniment. Also included in the work but via video link-up were different musicians playing instruments such as the tabla (from Shari Lindblom Master of Arts (Research), 2009

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Bangladesh) the saxophone (from U.S.) and xylophone and drums (from South Africa). Two saxophone players on stage played in a way that created different sounds that emulated speech.

The performance’s main focus was not the music and in fact the orchestra musicians were hidden behind a mesh screen. The music was more of an accompaniment to the spoken word and in my opinion became quite repetitive as the performance continued. The heavy subject matter created a subdued and depressed atmosphere amongst the audience and despite the auditorium being almost full, there was little applause at the end of the performance.

Although not surveyed, from my observations I found the audience to consist of a broad range of age groups and a variety of different socio-economic groups.

Focus Group Responses

There were eight participants in the focus group and the group consisted of students, professionals and retired people. All of the people in the group were invited to the performance, so the responses may be different to a paying audience focus group. Two people that were originally invited to be part of the focus group left during the performance as they were ‘bored’ and said they didn’t like the performance, so did not attend the focus group meeting.

When asked about their preferred style of music, classical music was selected most frequently but some people also selected electronic, jazz, eclectic, chill-out, top 40 and minimalism.

Many of the participants commented about the thrilling opening with the TaikOz drums and that had created ‘a lot of energy’. The concept was thought to be ‘bold’, ‘different’ and ‘exciting’ but again a few participants felt that it had not really worked. People felt that the concert had started strongly and then ‘fell away’. Some commented that the momentum was lost during the second half due to the repetition of the trauma theme and lack of variety in the music. A positive note was the integration of the different textures such as the interplay of the visuals with the sound.

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Everyone felt that the drumming was the best thing about the performance. The visuals were also a highlight for a few people despite the despondent subject matter. One participant commented that ‘many symphony concerts are one dimensional, but this concert built up many dimensions and affected the emotions.’ This supports the importance of the emotional connection and the benefits of using multi-media for this effect.

There were some negative comments about the sound quality and that it would have worked better with surround sound and more amplification. Comments that the orchestra was ‘lost’ and ‘sounded tired’ may have resulted because the orchestra only had a minor role to play in the whole event. Its role was to accompany the visuals and other feature instruments: ‘the music was simply there to fill in the void’. As the orchestra was behind a screen, people felt ‘disconnected’ from the music.

Some participants said that they didn’t enjoy the evening very much and that they felt the theme was a ‘bit preachy and formulaic’. This shows the implications of dwelling on a sensitive theme such as death, which can cause strong emotions in people.

One participant felt that the concept could have worked better as a cinema event. In this way, the integration of visuals and sound could work in a more intimate environment and without the large cost of this evening’s performance.

The orchestra did not take a bow at the end of the performance and this may have contributed to the lack of applause at the end of the concert. One participant said that they felt they didn’t have the opportunity to applaud. This highlights the importance of people wanting to engage with the performers and in Winners it was left to TaikOz to be the performers to take on this role.

There was a mixed response from participants when asked if they would come again to such a performance, reflecting some of the reservations people expressed about the Winners concert.

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Winners was an ambitious project and tried to extend the boundaries of what an orchestral concert could be. It did demonstrate many of the elements being reviewed in the 21st Century Orchestral Framework but based on the comments of the focus group, there are questions about whether it succeeded. Using the model of a one-off spectacular event within a festival, a broader audience can be attracted to attend. However this audience needs to connect with the performance and the orchestra’s involvement should be given a greater role if people want to relate their experience of the event with the orchestra’s capabilities. After the Brisbane Festival performance, Winners was again performed in the Pompidou Centre in Paris as a one-off event.

4.3.6 TQO Musicians Focus Group

A week after the Winners concert performance, I attended the TQO artistic committee meeting, which was attended by 6 people that day. A number of the section leaders of the orchestra were part of this group, including the concertmaster. Similar questions were asked to the ones that had been discussed previously with the Deep Blue Orchestra musicians.

Firstly, they were asked specifically about the Winners concert and what they as musicians liked best and least about the performance and the process they had experienced. Most of the musicians commented that they had enjoyed the performance, but the elements that contributed to their enjoyment had been working with the skilful artistic director Andrea Molino, and that their parts were ‘challenging’, so they were not bored. However they didn’t really ‘like the music’ although they felt it was ‘effective’. They felt once a year was fine for this type of a performance, as it was an ‘exciting event’.

Many commented that they liked playing with the drumming group TaikOz. This had been a novelty for the orchestra and added a different element to their traditional instruments.

The musicians were asked for their opinions on the role of the audience in traditional concerts versus less traditional concerts. Comments included that the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 101 audience ‘is necessarily passive’ in a traditional concert and efforts in less traditional concerts for interactivity often come across as ‘forced’ or ‘fake’. They did mention an exception to this in Nigel Kennedy, the popular violinist, who inspires audience interaction. Also there was a comment that different styles of concerts mean audiences will be engaged with the music in a different way.

A question was posed that referred to the audience reaction and if it changes the way that the musicians play e.g. do they feed off the audience response? All the musicians replied that they are so engaged in their playing and that they only recognise the audience at the end when they applaud. One commented that the ‘last thing you think about is how the audience is reacting’. The emphasis was on their own performance and skill and if they play badly, a good audience response will not make them feel better.

They believed that the role of a musician in a traditional classical concert versus a multi-media concert did differ. They ‘liked the variety’ and the ‘intricacies involved in a multi-media event’. They understood that the latter was not purely an orchestral concert and felt it was important the audience understood this also.

The question about what type of orchestra would sustain audiences for the future provoked a good discussion. It obviously was something they were concerned about. They said that while there will still be a few traditional tastes, many people are being influenced by the media and pop culture. In this way, they are more likely to enjoy something they know or have heard before and if the orchestra plays this type of music, it will increase their popularity. Another comment was about the recognition that attending a concert has a social importance and orchestras needed to emphasise this aspect.

There was a concern amongst the musicians that the ‘cross-over genre is becoming the staple of the orchestral repertoire’ and that this could damage the quality of the orchestra. There was a comment that orchestras need to keep their ‘core product of a high quality’. Again, the feeling amongst the group was that

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 102 orchestras need to remember what their core product is, despite having concerts which target different audience tastes.

Some of the attitudes displayed by the musicians in this interview demonstrate the difficulty in changing the culture of the traditional classical orchestral institution. These issues will be discussed in more detail in the conclusion section and what this means for the implications to the research hypothesis.

4.3.7 Interview with CEO, The Queensland Orchestra – April 2006

A meeting was arranged with the CEO, to elicit her opinions on the social, artistic and economic questions outlined in the data summary section. Her opinions could then be considered together with the focus group and audience survey responses to see how closely they aligned or not.

To begin, she discussed what she believed the successful characteristics are for the 21st century orchestra. She replied that an orchestra needed to be ‘multi- faceted’ but the first objective should be a commitment to quality playing. She put this requirement first, before the audience desires. She also mentioned the necessity to have a strong importance on marketing.

Her description of what makes the TQO unique however showed that the organisation is focused on trying to build different audiences and cater for the different community groups in Brisbane. She referred to the Clocktower Series of concerts which aimed to be more informal and draw in audiences that may not usually go to a classical concert and also a concert at the Greek Club, which developed a strong community engagement. This focus on providing a different product for different audience demographics was very important and TQO research and program their concerts accordingly. She stated that TQO ‘tries to sell the experience to the audience’. Again she mentioned that the musicians need to have a balance of work satisfaction, highlighting that they preferred doing the more serious and traditional works.

The TQO relies on government funding to a large extent and is trying to increase its private and corporate sponsorship. The CEO mentioned that over the last year

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 103 there had been a 55% increase in private and corporate funding. She stressed the importance of the corporate sponsor having an alignment in objectives with TQO and that ‘purely philanthropic relationships don’t exist’.

We talked about the use of experiential marketing in the TQO strategy and how marketing material should aim to ‘create an emotional experience’, rather than simply list the specifics of the program. The marketers and the programmers work together from the start to find the right way to communicate to the targeted audience demographic. TQO use radio and e-marketing strategies. On average they require 25% of the budget to be allocated to marketing but for popular artists such as Nigel Kennedy, the marketing spend will be much less.

The CEO also felt that a more entrepreneurial style of management was essential for a successful orchestra and that the image of the TQO as depicted in the Strong Report (2005) was not correct. She said that there was a commercial focus within management and that there was a workable ‘flat team structure’. For example, some musicians were represented on the artistic committee, which makes decisions about programming and marketing.

Concerts that have an interactive component were mentioned and she said that the traditional Maestro audience did not want this but that it worked well for the more informal concerts. She agreed that the social interaction was an important element and that TQO could invest more in this aspect to build audiences.

TQO have programmed more poly-stylistic concerts and are finding that many pop and rock artists want to work with the orchestra. They have integrated dance and visual mediums into their concerts. A good example of the cross-over with different sounds was William Barton’s didgeridoo playing with the orchestra.

The ultimate aim for audiences, according to the CEO, was that they ‘have a transformative experience’ and that they enjoy it, but she did not really explain how this would be achieved.

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4.3.8 Financial Reflections on Selected Concerts

Data was available for the two concerts in the case study, The Pines of Rome and the Sounds of Sci-Fi and to enhance the research, data was also requested for another special concert, Jazz meets the Symphony, to provide a comparison.

The box office revenue for the latter concert was $99,000, which was much higher than the Maestro concert which generated $69,000, and the Clocktower concert which only generated $27,000. This data reflects the popularity of the Jazz meets the Symphony concert, which involved the high profile jazz trumpeter James Morrison and was completely sold out. The Maestro concert relied heavily on subscription tickets and although not completely at capacity, was able to generate a reasonable income. The Sounds of Sci-Fi was held in a different venue with a more limited capacity and the tickets costs were much lower, so these factors contributed to the lower revenue for this concert.

While artist costs, direct marketing and venue costs were higher for Jazz meets the Symphony, the concert was still profitable. Similarly the Maestro concert also resulted in a small profit. The Clocktower concert realised a loss, due to proportionally higher marketing costs and production costs for the extra technology required.

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5 CONCLUSION

The purpose of this chapter is to consider the findings from the research in relation to the 21st Century Orchestral Framework developed from the literature and demonstrate how the research case study data supported the validity of the elements in this framework.

The research study has explored a new arts marketing paradigm where the audience is at the centre of the orchestral model and investigated whether essential aspects of an orchestral performance increase audience connectivity and thereby lead to a strengthened and broadened audience base. The hypothesis is that this should result in a more sustainable future for the contemporary orchestra.

5.1 Key findings from the research data

5.1.1 Interactivity

In all concerts, the primary research showed that when the audience was asked to identify the best thing about the performance, the majority’s response was the musicians/performers. This indicates that irrespective of the different audience demographics and concert styles, it is important for people to connect and engage with the performing artists. In fact, the TQO concerts had a higher percentage response than the Deep Blue Orchestra concert. This shows that traditional classical audiences do need to relate to the performers and concert enjoyment is linked to the performers and not just the repertoire. This data supports the attraction of attending a live event over listening to a recording.

The result is very positive when assessing the objective of the Deep Blue Orchestra and audience development strategies for the organisation. Audience engagement was one of the priorities for this production and this result shows that the audience felt that the way the musicians interacted with them contributed to their enjoyment of the performance. By the musicians/performers taking on a character and individuality, audience engagement was high. The Deep Blue

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Orchestra results showed that for an audience to engage and enjoy a performance the audience role does not need to be one of an active participant. Ultimately it is the emotional engagement that is the strongest component. It also demonstrates that if classical musicians were able to demonstrate a greater connection with their audience, rather than just sitting behind their music stands, this could help to raise audience numbers. The fact is that the traditional concert environment presents a barrier between audience and performers, therefore it does not allow these audiences to fully exploit their desire to interact more with the performers.

There was a good response in the case study data from all concerts concerning performer and audience interaction and this supports one of the hypotheses questions formed in the 21st Century Orchestral Framework. In fact, the Maestro audience scored highest for this point, indicating that interaction could be developed more for a traditional audience, as well as for the Deep Blue Orchestra style concert. The band U2’s description of the benefits of the collective audience/performer experience are interesting to compare to the comments from the Maestro audience focus group. In this focus group, participants also discussed the importance of being part of the collective audience experience and how it enhanced their enjoyment. The Clocktower concert data showed that with this style of concert, audience interactivity is very important. While the Maestro audience wants to include elements of audience interaction in a more subtle way than a Clocktower audience, the research demonstrated that it is still an important aspect to them.

The importance of performer or audience interactivity was also revealed in the literature review. The popularity of well-known musicians/soloists and their ability to attract an audience and the identification of a particular style and personality is one of the elements being employed successfully by some orchestras, such as the ACO and the New York Philharmonic.

One of the issues with increasing audience/performer interactivity is the differing attitudes of the classical musicians. In the Deep Blue Orchestra, the musicians

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 107 revealed that responding to the audience reaction was very important and it helped them to develop their mutual connection with the audience. However, in the TQO musician focus group, they did not believe the audience response was the main emphasis, but instead it was their own level of skill and ability to perform the works. Overcoming this attitude in the traditional classical music world may further develop the level of audience engagement and connectivity with the orchestra.

5.1.2 Style of performance

The importance of context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) on the meaning of a performance was high for all the concerts. It is this element, therefore, that needs to be considered when planning orchestral performances and determining what constitutes specific orchestral products for individual organisations. People attend concerts not only for just the music. It is the holistic experience that is important. This is true for the more traditional style of concert audience, such as the Maestro series, where the importance of keeping all the ritualistic and formal elements of the performance style was demonstrated from the research. However, while the style of performance was very different to a concert by the Deep Blue Orchestra, it was also shown to contribute to the audience enjoyment and connection. In this case, the more informal style of performance, venue and social occasion were important to make the audience feel involved, so the audience’s values contribute to their level of involvement in a performance. In particular, the physical staging of the performance brought an added dimension to the experience for the audience and as the Deep Blue Orchestra Theatrical Director said, it allowed ‘the dynamics of the performance space to change’ and hence created ‘layers of different emotions’ within the audience. Overall, the data demonstrated that the particular style of a concert is related to the particular audience it is aiming to attract and the concert style does play a big part in the overall audience experience.

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5.1.3 Emotional connection

One of the highest rating positive responses was the role of the audience. Most people indicated that they were ‘emotional listeners’. Although all the concerts were quite different, an emotional connection was established with the audience, irrespective of the style of music and performance. The Deep Blue Orchestra concerts were designed to take the audience on an emotional journey by integrating a theme and story-line to the collection of musical works, which brought out a variety of emotions such as sadness, excitement and fun. From the research data, this aim was shown to be successful. The Clocktower concert also used a theme and story-line with the music and was able to draw on people’s interest with the Sci-Fi theme to develop the emotional connection with the performance. The Maestro concert audience rated the importance of an emotional response the highest of all the surveys and the focus group comments also showed how strong the emotional connection was with the performance. This concert included The Pines of Rome, which was a particularly emotive work, and people discussed how the ‘crescendo of emotions’ was built up in this music. Emotions can have the opposite effect of distancing people from a performance if it becomes too overwhelming, as was the case with the Winners concert and its audience response to the theme of death, loss and tragedy.

While the research data showed that an emotional connection was one of the main reasons that people attend an orchestral concert, this connection was formed via different ways for different audiences. This finding supports Colbert’s view that audiences have different subjective experiences at a performance that is related to personal meaning (Colbert 2007 p. 112). This is an important point to understand in relation to the research hypothesis and Orchestral Sustainability Framework. If this ability to derive an emotional connection in a traditional classical orchestral concert was shown to a wider audience than currently, it could help with the perception and the attraction of this style of concert and assist in audience development strategies. As many authors commented on in the literature, classical composers also display great social and personal messages and depth of emotion in their works and opening

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 109 up these orchestral works to a different audience could bring about an increased popularity for these performances.

5.1.4 Poly-stylistic genres

There was an important difference between the TQO concert audiences and the Deep Blue audience in regard to their preferred style of music. While the Deep Blue audience still had classical music as the highest selection, there was also a high number of people preferring jazz and rock music, whilst the TQO audiences predominantly preferred classical music. This shows that a choice of poly- stylistic music repertoire would be more of a success in a Deep Blue Orchestra concert than in a TQO concert, given their different target audiences. The differentiation in orchestral product is an important factor for audience connectivity.

The Deep Blue Orchestra concert data research highlighted the interest in the blend of different sounds and the importance of using modern instruments in an orchestral performance. The use of the electronic and the percussion together with the more traditional sounding strings, attracted a broader audience and in particular provided a sense of the familiar to the younger age group, who are used to hearing these sounds in the other genres of music listened to today.

While the research data showed that the Maestro audiences want to hear their preferred standard repertoire of works, other orchestral concert audiences want to hear a broader repertoire that includes pop, rock, jazz and world music integrated with the classical style. The success of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with The Edge and the ACO program repertoire demonstrates that there is a new audience for this type of music and it provides a way for orchestras to expand their traditional audience demographic.

5.1.5 Distribution

The research study brought up an interesting issue about the importance of recordings versus the attraction of live performances. Much of the literature showed that people with an interest in classical and orchestral music sustained

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 110 this interest by listening to radio and more recently, by downloading the increasing number of recordings available on the internet. This point emphasizes the importance of distribution strategies to the success of an orchestral organisation. The younger generation accessing the internet recordings for classical music, which provides the opportunity for building their own individual play-lists is an encouraging sign and provides another avenue for orchestras to promote their work and develop a wider audience.

However, the question in the research study about buying a CD/DVD of the performance showed that for all the concerts, this was not a very high priority for the audience. This could demonstrate that people do actually prefer to attend a live performance if they have the choice. It highlights the importance of attending a live performance to people, as the live performance can provide more of an “experience” and the relevance of other factors such as the social occasion and connection with the performers.

Despite the low response in the surveys on the interest in the recordings, this method of distribution and promotion for an orchestra could provide another way to bring their work to a different market. The younger internet generation is one that could be targeted with a variety of cross-marketing methods. Internet sites could suggest these orchestral recordings to people when they have an interest in other similar musical styles or tastes, and this is a way to introduce a new audience for the orchestra. As Kolb (2000 p. 208) discusses, technological developments and possibilities for audience decisions on how the art product will be consumed, is important for the development of arts organisations.

5.1.6 Inter-sensory perception

Williams (2003) has discussed the strong focus on the visual and the influence on the music world, in particular the impact on the ‘MTV generation’. This importance on the visual is also highlighted by a number of other authors. Some orchestras have tried to explore this phenomenon and it is interesting to see the different audience responses to performances which include visual and sometimes theatrical elements. The literature review showed that multi-media

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 111 performances may increase the attraction for some audiences but for the more traditional concerts, it was not popular. This pattern was supported by the research case studies. Again this supports the argument that the orchestral product needs to be specific for different audience tastes. The importance of including visual or theatrical elements in a performance was a question that showed some different results for each of the concerts. As the Maestro audience was a more traditional classical music audience, it is not surprising that they scored lower than the Sci-Fi and Deep Blue Orchestra audiences. While there were some negative comments about visuals and theatrics from these latter two concerts, it was more about the quality and integration with the music rather than an objection to their inclusion in the performance. These latter audiences appreciated that they were experiencing a different and more innovative style of presentation to the traditional concert and so were generally encouraging of the attempt.

5.1.7 Marketing and Promotion

Many of the orchestras using a successful marketing strategy to reach their target audiences were aware of the importance of promoting themselves in a unique way. Developing the unique style and brand of the orchestra is a way to attract and retain the niche targeted audience, as demonstrated well by Houston’s Orchestra X. The pop music world has shown the benefits that can come from marketing strategies aimed at an audience with a target set of common values, such as the Spice Girls and their promotion of ‘girl power’ (Harris 2004), which was aimed at a young, female demographic. One of the objectives of the marketing strategy of the Deep Blue Orchestra was to promote the group as being ‘hip’ and innovative and to ‘reinvent the traditional orchestra’ (Deep Blue promotional video, 2006). In this way, the marketing strategy was aimed at audiences who liked this style and could identify and relate to these objectives.

Supporting the findings from the research data that showed audiences identified with charismatic and well-known performers, were the results of some of the TQO marketing campaigns. In the case of the Jazz meets the Symphony concert

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 112 and the promotion of well-known musician James Morrison, the marketing spend required to attract a sell-out audience for this concert was smaller than for other less popular artists and repertoire. This fact highlights the importance of promoting the individuality and personality of orchestral performers to provide an opportunity for improved audience connectivity.

In understanding the importance of the emotional connection for an audience, many orchestras are using experiential marketing strategies to attract people. TQO demonstrated this point with campaigns that focused on how people would feel if they attended a concert, drawing on its vision to ‘touch the hearts and minds of Queenslanders’ (The Queensland Orchestra 2007).

The research study showed how the social aspect can be important in the marketing of an orchestral performance. The influence of the social network was demonstrated by the way people find out about a concert and also in the way they attend a concert. Attending the concert with friends was the most popular way for all three concert audiences. This information could be used to better identify ways of encouraging people to attend future concerts. The most popular way to find out about music performances was from friends and this shows the importance of the social network in attending concert performances. The secondary research; the 2001 Saatchi and Saatchi Report, Australians and the Arts and the Classical Music Consumer Segmentation Study from the Knight Foundation in 2002, all supported this finding. Many people will attend a concert because they are asked by friends and not primarily because they are interested or aware of this concert performance. Understanding the social networking aspects can assist orchestras in their marketing strategies, by focusing on the social benefits of attendance when they are looking to attract future audiences.

5.1.8 Business Partnerships

The TQO aimed to increase its private and corporate sponsorship, and over the 2005-2006 year found an increase in funding of 55% due to these relationships. The Deep Blue Orchestra relied on funding from a variety of partners for its

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 113 launch at the Brisbane Festival. The Deep Blue Orchestra, as a smaller ensemble which would travel frequently, has different cost requirements to a large city orchestra such as TQO and consequently the requirements for the financial support of both orchestras is different. TQO will continue to require more funding to survive, whereas the Deep Blue Orchestra aims to become financially sustainable from primarily box office income. These specific funding requirements are demonstrated more generically by other examples in the literature review. The large symphony orchestras all require some element of funding from either private or government sources but more flexible, smaller orchestral ensembles such as Steve Reich Ensemble and Kronos Quartet are able to be commercially self-sufficient.

5.2 Conclusions

Overall, all the case study concerts were a success in that most of the audiences responded that they would come again to such a performance. These concerts were able to demonstrate a level of audience connectivity, by illustrating the audience’s ability and interest to relate to and be involved with the music performance and the orchestra. This also indicates that all the concerts were correctly targeted to their respective audiences. A conclusion that can be drawn from this data is given the different audience demographics, it is important to cater for a variety of different niche markets. In this context, the definition of “niche” is a group of people who have a continuing loyalty to a particular style or orchestra and which defines a specific target audience for concerts.

The example can be demonstrated by the Maestro concert audience, who were very specific in their orchestral tastes and did not attend other styles of concerts. Niche markets are discussed as growing in importance in the 21st century by Anderson with his concept of ‘The Long Tail’ (Anderson 2004). This point of view says that ‘popularity no longer has a lock on profitability’ and that organisations should embrace niche markets. Anderson talks about how the digital world can provide a much greater opportunity for exposure to different musical styles and groups.

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If this concept is extended to the orchestral world, it means that there is a demand for different orchestral products each with different styles and repertoires and a broader audience can be captured by catering for these various niche markets. Audience connectivity can therefore be achieved in a variety of ways, as long as the performance is appropriate for its individual niche market audience characteristics. This research study found that in fact many orchestras are providing different concert programs and styles for their different niche audiences. These orchestras are targeting a consumer market model but a niche market, not a mass market. The business model for the orchestra is still box office driven but each style of concert is targeted differently for a different niche. While this business model may demonstrate strong audience connectivity, there is still a question about whether this leads to orchestral sustainability. Not all of these niche market concerts can realise a profit due entirely to box office receipts. This was shown in the research by the TQO’s Clocktower series concerts. There may be a requirement for other funding such as private and corporate sponsorship, to sustain all the niche market projects of an orchestra. However, an orchestra that attempts to attract these various niche markets is connecting with a much broader audience than if it only provided a single style of program.

In the context of niche markets, the Winners concert performance was designed as a one-off multi-media event as part of a festival. Using this business model of a one-off spectacular event within a festival, a broader audience can be attracted to attend, one that may not usually attend orchestral performances. However, while the factors to ensure audience connectivity can be present, this model is different to the box office driven niche consumer market. The commercial realities of this type of concert are based on receiving funding from festival and other partners, so the financial profitability of such a performance should be analysed on a different basis to the other TQO and the Deep Blue Orchestra concerts. A sustainable model for this type of event may be possible if private and or public funding is always part of the model.

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The research also demonstrated that connectivity exists with a variety of audiences but it often is not identified and promoted to achieve the best effect for both the audience and the performers. The numerous emotional listener results showed that emotion is a very important reason why audiences choose to attend a concert. Emotional connection plays a big part in audience connectivity. Audience connectivity through emotion does exist for the more traditional concerts as well as for the more innovative style concerts, as the research concluded and this presents an opportunity for orchestral groups to firstly understand this in greater depth and utilise the information in a beneficial way. Using strategic repertoire selections, presentation styles and audience development and marketing strategies, orchestral management can exploit this knowledge more and draw in new audiences for classical orchestras. Using experiential marketing strategies is a good example of accessing people’s desire for the emotional and how they will feel if they attend an orchestral performance.

There is still a strong desire from people to attend live orchestral performances. Many examples of this point came through the focus group discussions, such as drawing on the collective audience experience and the opportunity of relating to the performers. Despite the growing influence of technology, the importance of live events is still evident. While it is useful for orchestras to utilise the digital media for distribution and exposure to a wider audience, it was shown that audience connectivity can be enhanced by attendance at a live concert.

Orchestras need to respond to changing markets to remain competitive. The change in musical genres, the fast pace of technological change and demographic changes has made it imperative that orchestras are cognoscente of these changes. Orchestral organisations and their product need to change along side these societal changes and not stand still, or they face the danger of remaining stuck in the past. A good example of this is the use of the digital distribution channels to develop a new audience. Successful business models are focused on innovation and as Pink (2005) suggests, the difference between successful enterprises and failing ones is the extent of their creativity and their ability to come up with new ideas. While there may still be much experimentation on how to present the

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 116 most engaging concert to draw in audiences, it is important that orchestras try different strategies to remain competitive and to stay in touch with the demands of new audiences. One thing that new audiences want is innovation, as demonstrated by the Deep Blue Orchestra research.

The research conclusions in this chapter show the relevance of the various elements in the 21st Century Orchestral Framework in relation to the research hypothesis in this study. The aim of the research was to analyse the various elements of the Orchestral Sustainability Framework and determine if these contribute to increased audience connectivity with the orchestral performance. It has been shown that some of the elements in the framework strongly result in increased audience connectivity. In particular, the elements of performer/audience interactivity, emotional connection, performance style and strong branding/marketing all helped build audience connectivity. The research data also showed there were other elements such as education, poly-stylistic genres and distribution channels which also contribute to audience connectivity but in these cases, it was more closely dependent on the target audience demographic and concert style. For example, when the effect of musical learning on building audience connectivity was analysed, the research showed that this was dependent on the specific audience type. In the case of the Maestro audiences, musical learning was a factor that helped them understand and enjoy the performance, whereas with the Deep Blue Orchestra concerts, many of the non-arts attendees did not require this educational background to connect with the performance. As the framework has evolved over the course of this study, the original framework factor of ‘entrepreneurial management’ has now been included under ‘business partnerships’, and the ‘blends of instruments and sounds’ is incorporated under ‘poly-stylistic genres’.

The following diagram shows the attributes of audience connectivity as revealed by the research. The attributes which are relevant for all types of concerts and orchestras are differentiated from the ones relevant for specific niche markets, which are in italics.

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Figure 6: Attributes of Connectivity

Attributes of Connectivity

Performance Emotional Marketing Style Engagement

Interactivity Audience Business Connectivity Partnerships Musical Learning Distribution Channels Poly-stylistic Inter-sensory Genres Perception

The 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework can now be revisited, to determine how the results from the research have impacted on it. The conclusion that orchestras need to cater for a variety of different niche markets is important when assessing the relevance of the various factors in the framework. As discussed, some of the factors are relevant for all audiences, while others are specific to a particular concert style. Repertoire using poly-stylistic music genres and inter-sensory perception are more applicable for audience niches similar to the Deep Blue Orchestra audience and musical learning is more applicable for traditional orchestral audiences. Consequently, the framework now incorporates a classification for traditional orchestral performances and for contemporary orchestral performances, such as the Deep Blue Orchestra. The emphasis of the research on audience connectivity has lead to a revision of the framework and to the construction of an ‘Audience Connectivity Model for Orchestras’, as shown here:

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Figure 7: Audience Connectivity Model for 21st Century Orchestras

REQUIRED AUDIENCE ELEMENT NICHE Contemporary All niches Traditional Performer/audience ● ● ● interaction Performance style ● ● ● Emotional ● ● ● engagement Musical Learning ● Poly-stylistic music ● genres Inter-sensory ● perception using visuals and theatre Business ● ● ● partnerships Strong branding ● ● ● and marketing Variety of ● ● ● distribution channels

The figure illustrates that different audience connectivity factors are relevant for different audience niches. This has implications on the choices orchestras make about their product, their audience development strategies and their distribution models. The research has shown that audience connectivity has an impact on all these choices and that putting the audience at the centre of the orchestral model brings a different perspective to their approach and business model. Despite the different audience niches, there is still a need for audience connectivity across all

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Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 119 types of performances. The first part of the research hypothesis that the orchestral sustainability elements help build audience connectivity, has therefore been supported in this study.

The research hypothesis assumed increased audience connectivity contributes to orchestral sustainability, as it has specifically been defined in this study. The contribution of audience connectivity towards orchestral sustainability is yet to be supported . It is logical to deduce that the more connectivity offered and presented, the more audiences increase their participation and attendance. This can lead to sustainability for the orchestra. Sustainability was defined as the situation when an orchestra produces an artistic product to satisfy its audience, which results in a combination of box office income and sponsorship funding. The research study has shown that orchestras can produce an artistic product to satisfy a variety of niche markets. Since the case study was undertaken, the Deep Blue Orchestra has built a niche market and a defined audience connection during the initial stages of its commercialisation. Although this study was not able to investigate fully the contribution of this audience connectivity on the box office income, a logical deduction is that this will contribute to box office revenue generation. For true sustainability however, there is a requirement for the organisation to be financially viable. This financial viability may come from a number of sources such as box office revenue and private and public funding. The relationship between box office revenue, sponsorship requirements and their dependency on audience connectivity can then be explored further. The research hypothesis in this thesis then leads to a suggestion of orchestral sustainability.

Not all of the factors in the Orchestral Sustainability Framework were able to be fully investigated in this research study and therefore there is still opportunity to understand this framework more deeply and the relevance to audience connectivity and orchestral sustainability. From the research, it has appeared that there are many interactions and dependencies between all the framework factors and that some factors may have greater impact than others. This could be further explored in future research, allowing for a refinement of the Attributes of Connectivity, and the 21st Century Orchestral Sustainability Framework.

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Finally, by putting the research findings in the context of the current state of the orchestral industry, it is useful to consider an article in the Weekend Australian (Wynhausen 2007). This article discusses some of the issues, already presented in this research study, that the Australian orchestras have faced and comments that over the last few years there has been a small, but inspiring rejuvenation in their audience numbers. By employing some of the strategies discussed in this study, orchestras are growing their audiences ‘incrementally but steadily’. This article talks about one of the main reasons for this situation and according to some leading orchestral industry people, it is because ‘orchestras are bringing in fresh audiences with well thought out niche programming’. These comments are very encouraging in the light of the research findings. In many ways, the lessons learnt from new contemporary orchestras such as the Deep Blue Orchestra can be applied to the more established ones to realize greater audience diversity and assist with audience development strategies.

This research study has provided a very strong basis from which to view the future of the orchestral art form. The next decade will provide an interesting opportunity to observe how orchestras continue to face the challenges and rewards of a dynamically changing industry and audiences.

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APPENDIX ONE

DEEP BLUE ORCHESTRA AUDIENCE SURVEY – December 2005

Q1. Do you like to hear music

in the car □ You may tick more than one

a concert hall □ a pub □ your own place □ some other □ specify place

9 24 in the car a concert hall 24 a pub your own place some other place

21 12

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Q2. Which style of music do you prefer

classical □ You may tick more than one

rock □ jazz □ country □ other □ specify

13 19 classical 1 rock jazz country other 15 13

Q3. What did you like best about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians/performers the style of music □ □

the visual elements the conductor □ □

the sound production how it made you □ □ feel

The highest response was that the musicians/performers were the best part of the performance, with 10 people giving this answer, followed by the sound production, with 7 responses.

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Q4. What did you like least about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians the style of music □ □

the visual elements the conductor □ □

the sound production how it made you □ □ feel

The highest response was that the style of music was the element that the responders liked least, with 8 people giving this answer.

Q5. How will you describe the performance to people at work tomorrow or the next time you meet.

This question elicited a number of varied responses such as

‘experimental and innovative’

‘awesome production and great musicianship’

‘fun and new look’

‘an orchestra with costumes and choreography’

‘exciting and moving, new’

‘contemporary orchestra’

‘music that would be good in a movie’

‘modern, interesting, innovative’

‘contemporary and encapsulating’

‘different to what use to but enjoyable’

‘amazing collaboration of drama, lighting, costume, sound production. Loved every piece’

‘mood well created with sound and lighting’

‘interesting’

‘break away from traditional ways of experiencing a performance’

‘refreshing, innovative, explorative but boundaries can still be extended’

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Q6. Would you buy a CD of this performance.

The greater proportion of people said that they would not buy a CD, with 17 responders giving this answer.

Q7. Would you come again to a performance like this.

The very positive response to this question was that everyone would come again, with the exception of only one responder.

Q8. If you could change anything about this performance, what would it be

Many of the responses here were concerning the style of music presented and the balance between the instruments. Responses included ‘try and make the electronic and percussion components a bit more subtle’, ‘the beats were a little 80’s sounding’, ‘lame techno sounds’, ‘less electronics’, ‘keep recorded music quieter’, ‘a little more of a break away from classical required, integrate a variety of other styles’, ‘greater musical variety, wider range of instruments’, ‘more variety, less repetition’, ‘more sense of journey’, ‘music didn’t really push what could be done in terms of style’.

Other comments were about ‘better speaker presentations’, ‘let the musicians move around more’ and ‘an area for audience to move to the music’.

Many people did respond with ‘nothing’.

Q9. How would you describe the role of the audience in a musical performance.

spectator co-producer □ □

emotional listener active participant □ □ passive listener □ other (specify) There was a high response for the ‘emotional listener’ choice, with 19 responders giving this answer.

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Q10. Rate the level you agree with the following statements. Where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree.

Integration of visual images and sound facilitates a deeper 1 2 3 4 5 understanding of music.

A person’s musical background and experience influences their 1 2 3 4 5 expectations of a musical performance.

A musical performance evokes an emotional response in the 1 2 3 4 5 audience.

Pre-performance information is important to enjoyment of a 1 2 3 4 5 musical performance.

The context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) 1 2 3 4 5 contributes to the meaning of a music performance.

Interaction between the audience and performers results in 1 2 3 4 5 audience enjoyment.

Responses on the visual question indicated that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with 27% of responders strongly agreeing.

Reponses on the influences on expectations question also showed that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with 38% of responders strongly agreeing.

The emotional response question got the highest response with 77% of responders either agreeing or strongly agreeing.

The pre-performance information question elicited a more mixed response and had the highest number of people (30%) disagree with the statement.

Both the context and the interaction questions had a positive response, with 66% of people in either agreement or strong agreement.

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Q11. How do you usually find out about music performances.

newspaper Television □ □

email Friends □ □

Internet search personal □ □ invitation

14%

33% newspaper email Internet search television 32% friends personal invitation 8% 5% 8%

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Q12. Do you like to attend music performances.

solo with family □ □

with friends never □ □

0% 17% 22%

solo with friends with family never

61%

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APPENDIX TWO

DEEP BLUE ORCHESTRA AUDIENCE SURVEY – July 2006

Q1. Do you like to hear music

in the car □ You may tick more than one

a concert hall □ a pub □ your own place □ some other □ specify place

Preferred place to hear music

100 s

e 90 e

d 80 n 70 o p

s 60

e Preferred place to hear

r 50

l music

a 40 t o

t 30

f 20 o 10 % 0 Like to Like to Like to Like to Like to hear music hear music hear music hear music hear music in car in concert in pub in own in some hall place other place

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Q2. Which style of music do you prefer

classical □ You may tick more than one

rock □ jazz □ country □ other □ specify

The results showed that the greatest number of people in the audience preferred classical music but this was closely followed by rock and jazz.

Q3. What did you like best about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians/performers the style of □ □ music

the visual elements how it made you □ □ feel

the sound production Other □ □

Best thing about performance

50 s

e 45 e 40 d

n 35

o 30 Best thing about p 25 s

e 20 performance r

f 15

o 10 5 % 0

s s e l r r t n ic c e e e n tio s a e h e c u l f t rm m u m p u O o e d f e o rf l o o h y e l e r T e p a p le d s/ d y a su n t n i S m ia V u it ic o s S w u o m H e h T

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Q4. What did you like least about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians the style of music □ □

the visual elements how it made you □ □ feel

the sound production Other □ □

There were a variety of responses in this question, as reflected by ‘other’ receiving the highest response with 51%. There were a few common themes from these responses, with people saying that the performance was ‘too short’ and many not being happy with the comfort of the venue. However many people responded with saying ‘nothing’.

Q5. How will you describe the performance to people at work tomorrow or the next time you meet.

Some of the highlights are reported below: ‘Fabulous innovative exciting fresh’ ‘Mesmerizing, involving the audience the whole time’ ‘Emotional. Uplifting and diverse.’ ‘A mixture of contemporary music and visual theatre. Astounding’ ‘Exciting, engaging, great to listen to and see.’ ‘New era in classical music.’

Q6. Would you buy a CD/DVD of this performance.

There was a more positive response to this question than from the December performance survey results. 58% of responders answered that they would buy a CD/DVD this time.

Q7. Would you come again to a performance like this.

The very high positive response to this question resulted in 96% of responders saying ‘yes’

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Q8. If you could change anything about this performance, what would it be

Q9. How would you describe the role of the audience in a musical performance.

spectator co-producer □ □

emotional listener active participant □ □ passive listener □ other (specify)

As with the December performances, there was also a high response for the ‘emotional listener’ choice, with 64% responders giving this answer. This correlates with the responses for Q10, which show musical performances evoking emotional responses.

Q10. Rate the level you agree with the following statements. Where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree.

Integration of visual images and sound facilitates a deeper 1 2 3 4 5 understanding of music.

A person’s musical background and experience influences their 1 2 3 4 5 expectations of a musical performance.

A musical performance evokes an emotional response in the 1 2 3 4 5 audience.

Pre-performance information is important to enjoyment of a 1 2 3 4 5 musical performance.

The context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) 1 2 3 4 5 contributes to the meaning of a music performance.

Interaction between the audience and performers results in 1 2 3 4 5 audience enjoyment.

Responses on the visual question indicated that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with an average response of 3.75.

Reponses on the influences on expectations question also showed that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with an average response of 3.69.

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The emotional response question got the highest response with an average response of 4.05 and this was also the highest scorer in the December survey.

The pre-performance information question elicited a more mixed response and scored an average of 2.69

The importance of context question scored an average of 3.95.

The interaction between audience and performer question also had a positive response, with an average of 3.57.

Histograms showing the frequency of responses from strongly disagree to strongly agree are shown below.

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Q11. How do you usually find out about music performances.

newspaper Television □ □

email Friends □ □

Internet search personal □ □ invitation

Responses show that the most popular ways to find out about music performances are firstly by friends (42%) followed by newspapers (22%).

Source of Performance Information

45 s

e 40 e 35 d

n 30 o 25 Where information is p

s 20

e sourced r

15 f

o 10 5 % 0

r il t n s n e a e o d o p rn i n ti a m e is e a p E t v ri it s In le F v w e in e T l N a n o rs e P

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Q12. Do you like to attend music performances.

solo with family □ □

with friends never □ □

Responses show that the most popular way to attend music performances is with friends(75%) and this response corresponds to the previous question, when people showed the importance of finding out about performances from friends.

Performance attendance

80 70 s e

e 60 d n

o 50 p

s Performance attendance e

r 40

l a t 30 o t

f

o 20

% 10 0 Solo With FriendsWith Family

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Cross-Tabulation of Survey Results Age group * Integration of visual and sound for enjoyment of music Cross tabulation

Integration of visual and sound for enjoyment of music Total

0 1 2 3 4 5

Age group 1 Count 2 4 3 1 17 24 51

% of Total 1.0% 2.0% 1.5% .5% 8.5% 11.9% 25.4%

2 Count 1 3 1 2 10 20 37

% of Total .5% 1.5% .5% 1.0% 5.0% 10.0% 18.4%

3 Count 2 3 0 5 13 20 43

% of Total 1.0% 1.5% .0% 2.5% 6.5% 10.0% 21.4%

4 Count 1 1 0 6 15 14 37

% of Total .5% .5% .0% 3.0% 7.5% 7.0% 18.4%

5 Count 2 2 2 7 10 10 33

% of Total 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 3.5% 5.0% 5.0% 16.4%

Total Count 8 13 6 21 65 88 201

% of Total 4.0% 6.5% 3.0% 10.4% 32.3% 43.8% 100.0%

Information about performance * Age group Cross tabulation

Age group Total

1 2 3 4 5

Information about 1 Count 6 12 10 11 11 50 performance % of Total 3.0% 6.0% 5.0% 5.5% 5.5% 25.1%

2 Count 5 2 5 1 1 14

% of Total 2.5% 1.0% 2.5% .5% .5% 7.0%

3 Count 3 7 4 2 1 17

% of Total 1.5% 3.5% 2.0% 1.0% .5% 8.5%

4 Count 2 1 2 0 1 6

% of Total 1.0% .5% 1.0% .0% .5% 3.0%

5 Count 30 12 18 16 10 86

% of Total 15.1% 6.0% 9.0% 8.0% 5.0% 43.2%

6 Count 5 3 3 7 8 26

% of Total 2.5% 1.5% 1.5% 3.5% 4.0% 13.1%

Total Count 51 37 42 37 32 199

% of Total 25.6% 18.6% 21.1% 18.6% 16.1% 100.0%

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APPENDIX THREE

Queensland Orchestra – Maestro Concert Audience Survey

Q1. Do you like to hear music

in the car □ You may tick more than one

a concert hall □ a pub □ your own □ place some other □ specify place

Preferred place to hear music

s 120 e e

d 100 n

o 80 p

s Preferred place to hear e 60 r

l music a

t 40 o t

f 20 o 0 % Like to Like to Like to Like to Like to hear hear hear hear hear music in music in music in music in music in car concert own place pub some hall other place

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Q2. Which style of music do you prefer

classical □ You may tick more than one

rock □ jazz □ country □ other □ specify

Preferred style of music

120 s e

e 100 d n

o 80 p s

e 60 r

l Preferred style of music a

t 40 o t

f 20 o

% 0 Prefer Prefer Prefer Prefer Prefer classical rock style jazz style country other style style of of music of music style of of music music music

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Q3. What did you like best about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians/performers how it made you feel □ □

the sound production The place □ □

the style of music Other □ □

Best thing about performance

80

s 70 e e 60 d

n 50 o

p 40 Best thing about performance s

e 30 r

f 20 o 10 % 0

c l rs n i ce e e tio us a fe m c pl r u f m ou fo d o he y r ro T e pe p le d s/ d ty a n un S m ia o it ic S w us o m H he T

Q4. What did you like least about this performance/showing. Select only one box. Choices as in Q3

Many people did not select an answer for this question.

Q5. How will you describe the performance to people at work tomorrow or the next time you meet.

Q6. Would you buy a CD/DVD of this performance.

67.5% of people responded that they would not buy a CD/DVD, maybe indicating the value of a live performance for the Maestro audience.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 148

Q7. Would you come again to a performance like this.

The concert performance was correctly targeted to the audience, with an overwhelmingly positive response of 97.7% saying that they would come again to a performance like this.

Q8. If you could change anything about this performance, what would it be

Most people surveyed said that they would change ‘nothing’ about the performance

Q9. How would you describe the role of the audience in a musical performance.

spectator co-producer □ □

emotional listener active participant □ □ passive listener □ other (specify)

The highest response was for the ‘emotional listener’ choice with 73.8% responders giving this answer. This correlates with the responses for Q10, which shows musical performances evoking emotional responses.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 149

Q10. Rate the level you agree with the following statements. Where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree.

Integration of visual images and sound facilitates a deeper 1 2 3 4 5 understanding of music.

A person’s musical background and experience influences their 1 2 3 4 5 expectations of a musical performance.

A musical performance evokes an emotional response in the 1 2 3 4 5 audience.

Pre-performance information is important to enjoyment of a 1 2 3 4 5 musical performance.

The context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) contributes 1 2 3 4 5 to the meaning of a music performance.

Interaction between the audience and performers results in 1 2 3 4 5 audience enjoyment.

Responses on the visual question indicated that the audience was neutral about this statement, with an average response of 2.93, indicating that the Maestro audience is not strongly in favour of supplementing the concert experience with visuals.

Reponses on the influences on expectations question also showed that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with an average response of 3.82. Maestro audiences tend to have a greater musical knowledge than other TQO concerts.

The emotional response question got the highest response with an average response of 4.49.

The pre-performance information question elicited a more mixed response and scored an average of 2.95.

The importance of context question scored an average of 4.27, demonstrating that this is important to the Maestro audience and supports the fact that these audiences do like the holistic concert experience.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 150

The interaction between audience and performer question also had a positive response, with an average of 3.93. This data supports the responses to question 3, where the importance of the musicians/performers was identified.

Q11. How do you usually find out about music performances.

newspaper Television □ □

email Friends □ □

Internet search personal invitation □ □

Sources of Performance Information

60

50 s e e

d 40 n

o Where information is p 30 s

e sourced r

f 20 o

% 10 0 NewspaperEmail InternetTelevisionFriendsPersonal invitation

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 151

Q12. Do you like to attend music performances.

solo with family □ □

with friends never □ □

Performance attendance

90 80 s e

e 70 d

n 60 o p

s 50 Performance e r

l 40 attendance a t

o 30 t

f

o 20

% 10 0 Solo With friends With family

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 152

Q13. Do you attend other Queensland Orchestra concerts

And if so, which ones

Maestro □ Tea and Symphony □

Music on Sundays □ Intimate Classics □

Proms □

Maestro concerts appear to be attended by people that also like to attend other TQO concerts, with 85% of people responding that they do attend other concerts.

The greater proportion of these concerts however is within the Maestro series, with 94.7% attending these. The Intimate Classics and Music on Sundays are also attended.

Other TQO Concert Attendance

100 90 80 s

e 70 e d

n 60 o

p 50 TQO Concerts s e r

40 f o

30 % 20 10 0 Attend Attend Attend Attend Tea Attend Maestro Music on Proms and Intimate Sundays Symphony Classics

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 153

APPENDIX FOUR

The Queensland Orchestra – Sci-Fi Concert Audience Survey

Q1. Do you like to hear music

in the car □ You may tick more than one

a concert hall □ a pub □ your own □ place some other □ specify place

Preferred place to hear music

s 120 e

e 100 d

n 80 o Preferred place to hear p 60 s music e 40 r

f 20 o

% 0 Like to Like to Like to Like to Like to hear hear hear hear hear music in music in music in music in music in car pub own concert some place hall other place

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 154

Q2. Which style of music do you prefer

classical □ You may tick more than one

rock □ jazz □ country □ other □ specify

Preferred style of music

120 100 80 60 Preferred style of music 40 20 0 Prefer Prefer rock Prefer jazz Prefer Prefer other classical style of style of country style of style of music music style of music music music

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 155

Q3. What did you like best about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians/performers the style of □ □ music

the visual elements the place □ □

the sound production how it made you □ □ feel

Best thing about performance

70 60 50 40 Best thing about 30 performance 20 10 0 l rs ts n ic e e e n tio s ac fe m e c u pl u r em du f m o rfo l o o he y e l e pr e T e /p a yl d s su nd t a an vi u S t m ci e so i si h w u T he o m T H e Th

Q4. What did you like least about this performance/showing. Select only one box.

the musicians the style of music □ □

the theatrical the place □ □ elements

the sound production how it made you □ □ feel

This concert was designed to use theatrical elements to enhance the musical enjoyment of the performance, and so the audience surveyed obviously did not feel that this goal was achieved, with 33.3% of people saying that this was the worst thing.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 156

Q5. How will you describe the performance to people at work tomorrow or the next time you meet.

Q6. Would you buy a CD/DVD of this performance.

While only 47% of respondents said that they would buy a CD/DVD, this could reflect the fact that a great part of the enjoyment of performance is that is live and the other visual elements would not be captured to the same extent.

Q7. Would you come again to a performance like this.

The audience had a very positive view of this performance, with 91% of people responding in the affirmative. This indicates that the concert was targeted to the correct demographic.

Q8. If you could change anything about this performance, what would it be

Not everyone responded to this question but of those that did, many commented that the dialogue between the music was too long, boring or distracting. A couple of responders indicted that they would like the prices of the concert to be cheaper.

Q9. How would you describe the role of the audience in a musical performance.

spectator co-producer □ □

emotional listener active participant □ □ passive listener □ other (specify)

As with all the other concerts surveyed, ‘emotional listener’ received the highest score with 77%.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 157

Q10. Rate the level you agree with the following statements. Where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree.

Integration of visual images and sound facilitates a deeper 1 2 3 4 5 understanding of music.

A person’s musical background and experience influences their 1 2 3 4 5 expectations of a musical performance.

A musical performance evokes an emotional response in the 1 2 3 4 5 audience.

Pre-performance information is important to enjoyment of a 1 2 3 4 5 musical performance.

The context (venue, ambience, behaviour of audience) 1 2 3 4 5 contributes to the meaning of a music performance.

Interaction between the audience and performers results in 1 2 3 4 5 audience enjoyment.

Responses on the visual question indicated that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with an average response of 3.96.

Reponses on the influences on expectations question also showed that the audience mostly agreed with this statement, with an average response of 3.625.

The emotional response question got the highest response with an average response of 4.41.

The pre-performance information question elicited a more mixed response and scored an average of 2.96.

The importance of context question scored a high average of 4.125.

The interaction between audience and performer question also had a positive response, with an average of 4.04.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 158

Q11. How do you usually find out about music performances.

newspaper Television □ □

email Friends □ □

Internet search personal □ □ invitation

Where information is sourced

35 s

e 30 e

d 25 n

o 20 Where information is p

s 15 sourced e r

f 10 o 5 % 0

r il t e e n s n p a n io d io a m r is n t p E te v rie ita s n le v w I e F n e T l i N a n o rs e P

As with the other concerts surveyed, information about performances is most likely sourced from friends.

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 159

Q12. Do you like to attend music performances.

solo with family □ □

with friends never □ □

Again ‘with friends’ is scored the highest with 54%, reflecting the importance of the concerts as a social occasion.

Performance attendance

60

50 s e e 40 d n o

p 30 Performance attendance s e r

f

o 20

% 10

0 Solo With friends With family

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 160

Q13. Do you attend other Queensland Orchestra concerts

And if so, which ones

Maestro □ Tea and Symphony □

Music on Sundays □ Intimate Classics □

Proms □

68% of people responded that they did attend other TQO concerts and the most popular were firstly Proms, followed by Maestro.

Other TQO concert attendance

s 60 e

e 50 d

n 40 o Other TQO concert p 30 s attendance e

r 20

f

o 10

% 0 s y ro y s n cs st a m o si e nd ro ph s a u P la M S d ym C d n n S te n o tte d a tte ic A n m A s a ti u a In M Te d nd d en te n tt t tte A A A

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009

Audience connectivity in orchestral performances Page 161

APPENDIX FIVE

Deep Blue Orchestra Video

Go to link: www.deepblueorchestra.com/media.html

Shari Lindblom Masters of Arts (Research), 2009