In Memoriam- David Greenlee (1938-2009)

David was one of the CSO’s biggest fans and supporters. He believed in the validity of every individual musician in the orchestra, and he was a boon to us all during the difficult times last year. During my numerous discussions with him about the CSO crisis, his frank and direct tone never failed to also be supportive. He will be missed.

Sad Day for Me

It is a very sad day for me as a musician.  Not only have I accepted a draconian cut in salary and benefits and work possibilities in Columbus, but now my beloved Music Director, Junichi Hirokami, has been dismissed.  Yes, dismissed.  Control of the press doesn't mean control of everyone's thoughts.  A few people can have free thought, if not very free speech.

Here is the post I wrote in Feb., 2006, called Dreaming Big, heralding a new age for the Columbus Symphony.  It's the best way I can state my feelings now, by looking back at what was possible.  

I will silence this blog soon.  Reasonable criticism and discussion have been silenced. History will be rewritten in Columbus, as it already is, to make the powerful glow, and the rest of us quietly obedient.

Best Wishes to Columbus,

David Thomas

CU Ideas for improving the Symphony

Listed here, in no particular order, are what I could glean as constructive ideas and suggestions from several discussions about the CSO at Columbus Underground, a local news and information site where 30 somethings gather to discuss current issues and hang out online. It's obvious that the musicians need to reach out to these up and coming folks, who, despite their feisty attitudes, are eager to support an orchestra which is streamlined and flexible and willing to cater to the tastes of particular crowds.

The original posts and discussions are:
Can the Columbus Symphony be Cool?
Columbus Symphony on the Brink
Columbus Symphony: Could it really die?
Symphony shuts down for summer, future in doubt and one I started
Columbus Needs a Symphony.

Symphonic music more integrated with the community - not a fixed, archaic and overly-costly venue - is the first step.

-Dynamic programming created by linkage with other arts groups instead of isolation as "The Symphony."

-And on the same vein, thinking in new ways like programming in themes or events instead of the staid format where things are isolated. Eg - have a theme like Valentine's Day (to be cheesey) and make an event which combines the Pops elements w/ the classical and more.

More generally, I guess I envision something like a musician-owned-operated symphony having a vested interest in promoting itself, engaging the community and having a real stake in its future instead of leaving in the hands of tiered-off management.

- Fewer shows, always high quality
- Plays shows in venues it can sell out (and afford)
- Good, interactive marketing tactics with online utilization (see Whodunit? from last season)
- Open and clean branding (CSO has had three logos in three years)
- Know their budget and capabilities (lay offs when the ballet is off season; Sleeping Beauty gets 2 shows, Nutcracker gets 23)
- Good mix of modern, popular, and classic styles (appeals to all without alienating anyone)
- The fun/passion they have is palpable - and it's passed on to the audience. That's an intangible generated by the company, and it's something the symphony has clearly lost. In this town, I think people come just BECAUSE it's the ballet. You can't say that about the CSO.

Columbus is an event city. The shows have to be bigger to sell a house like the Ohio. Columbus doesn't have a mid-sized theatre at 1,500 seats in the downtown area, and that hurts a lot of these arts organizations. I mean, the Ohio is 700 seats larger than the Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall. Anything less than 1,500 in attendance looks positively barren.

Maybe they can play in Newport or Skully's? I would be more likely to go then. CSO sounds pretty arrogant like a motorist demanding that he risk my well-being so he will not be inconvenienced.

From my perspective though, it would be much more entertaining (and much lower overhead) to have say, a 35-piece crack ensemble capable of doing much more avant-garde works by original composers. Obviously the draw would be less broad€¦but I think the people that were attracted to this concept would be more loyal and passionate. Or at least I certainly would. I love music, but the CSO to me is like seeing a cover band that plays all the hits and is background music, versus being a creative, innovative force that demands your attention.

Seriously, if a small orchestral group with some creative instrumentation got together and did some of say, Frank Zappa's scores (Yellow Shark anyone?), I'm sure they'd be able to draw well even at the LC. They could mix in some Boulez or Stravinsky and some more "out there" stuff and hopefully re-connect with a younger potential audience.

First step is to kill the venue. Not only are facility costs way out of bounds, but the place itself just screams 'dead white males!' Cramped and uncomfortable seating that creaks when you move.

Hold concerts on multiple nights instead of a one-time shot. Integrate them with other cultural activities or events. Promote dinner and symphony with either an early start time or a late one.

Recognize that your audience is both sophisticated in term of the variety of things they are exposed to, but many of them are also totally naive about classical music.

Re-think the whole classical concert. This is an entertainment that hasn't changed in hundreds of years. The whole passivity thing is just stifling and doubly so to audience members (Boomers too) who weaned on concerts. The whole atmosphere is a fossilized remnant of a dead past.

Break down the walls. Have the musicians interact with the audience during a break or after. Like above - stop make the music this passive, impersonal and lifeless experience where the music will carry. Face it - the talent pool of musicians capable of carrying the audience on the sheer power of the music is diminishing small and those with that talent go to big orchestras.

Along the same lines, CDs are killing the concert for lesser groups. Why should I pay top dollar to hear a non-top performance when I can buy the CD and hear the best? Part of this is a lack of education to understand how much variability there is in performance styles. (There is a brilliant film focusing on how Tilson-Thomas prepares for a piece which should be required watching.) But symphonies don't seem to appreciate that their audience can be educated. Provide meta-information w/ the booklet, a web link or just a little chat from the conductor.

I also think the challenge is wrapping the symphony around a larger affair. So instead of just doing the Symphony, it might be cool to have a nice dinner, maybe some pre-party mingling with some of the musicians, or something similar.

But, I think everyone can agree that getting actors/musicians/singers/dancers out into the community a little bit more for some one-on-one exposure, whether they are performing or simply doing a Q&A, is vital. Let John Q. Public know that these performers are everyday people with extraordinary talents and they should be proud to have them living and performing in this city. They're proud of their buckeyes and their bluejackets, they should be proud of these artists, too.

That's another great point I don't think a lot of people realize... "wouldn't it be great if they could just play/perform at this park, or this location, etc." That's MUCH easier said than done. Union rules stipulate the kinds of areas where musicians can play and performers can perform. They have to have a certain time allocated for warming up, proper stage size and sometimes proper flooring, it has to be the right temperature, the list goes on and on. Not to mention the production worker's union - the lighting designers, carpenters and other technicians responsible for setting up the proper environment.

That puts classical music at a distinct competitive disadvantage and has to change. If the unions are playing such a major role in preventing the orchestra from growing, innovating and changing, then they shouldn't complain when it all tanks.

Instead of a single performance of something like Beethoven's Ninth on one night in Columbus, have it travel. Be creative and run concurrent seasons in several cities or spin off a couple of chamber pieces or Pops.

Do the program notes ever have a piece by the conductor as to why he chose the piece, the tempo, the emphasis? Or something by the concertmaster about what it means for her to rally the orchestra around the piece or a particularly problematic section? No. There is no attempt to reach the audience and educate the audience. Arrogance of an elitist arts establishment.

The CSO should create the 43215 Outreach. Work with the developers and give 2 symphony tickets to everyone who buys/rents the new residential properties in the inner downtown. Promote that fact you can walk to it. "Stroll to Strauss." "Lope to Lizst." "Shuffle to Schoenberg." "Mosey to Mozart."

1. We are an entire generation that has had FAR more options with our entertainment as we've grown up than ever before. The Symphony never got nearly the marketing that pop culture did. So step one is just getting people to experience the Symphony. If you never go, there is no way you're going to pay $20 - $30 to try it out. This first step is no small problem.

2. At some point, assuming you do like the Symphony (which of course you may hate it) then you'll at least be in a better position to judge the value of it. My guess is that the Symphony will be more of a destination event - the type of thing you do after a nice dinner celebrating an important occasion. As part of that experience I would think you could justify the $30 p/ticket.

... I also think our generation "consumes" entertainment differently. We often wrap the event into a larger evening filled with dinners, pre-parties, and such.

1) Organize an event through local restaurants. You could have them assemble prix fixe menus and set up smaller ensembles to play during dinner. It could work really nicely at places like Barcelona, Due Amici, etc... Do it at 5 different restaurants on the same night with each getting a different ensemble and offering their own signature menu. You could even do it on Valentine's Day.

2) Have a Symphony Hop. I know the whole "Hop" thing is starting to get played out. Integrate smaller groups into each art gallery, bar, and restaurant and let people mill around as they please.

3) Do a show at North Bank Park. Set it up with the city to integrate this with Waterfire on the Mile (if they are ever going to do it again). The park could probably be cordoned off so that tickets could be sold. The gazebo can be open for hors d'oeuvers and drinks. I think I like this idea the best.

Columbus Symphony Akin to Indianapolis

Note Tony Beadle's comparison of the Columbus Symphony to the Indianapolis Symphony, an orchestra with a very healthy budget and very fair compensation for it's musicians. Let's continue this kind of thinking. You are on track. Let's hope any future negotiations reflect this reasonable standard toward cultivating the Symphony Columbus deserves.

Contract clash puts fate of Ohio symphony in doubt

7/26/2008, 1:12 p.m. ET By JULIE CARR SMYTH The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sentiment these days surrounding the 57-year-old Columbus Symphony Orchestra is not so much Beethoven's "Pastoral" as the "1812 Overture."

The orchestra's board of trustees suspended operations on June 1 and canceled the popular summer pops series and at least 10 fall classical concert performances, citing a projected $3 million budget shortfall. Managers and musicians have clashed over the next union contract and what direction to take the organization in the future.

If there is a future.

"It's sort of like we've been at the brink," said executive director Tony Beadle. "And now we have to go together hand in hand and illuminate what an orchestra does and what it means to a community at large."

Fellow musicians have weighed in with their view.

"One of the great American cultural accomplishments of the 20th century was to bring access to top-quality performing arts to cities across the country," the musicians of the Cincinnati Symphony and world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra wrote in a letter of support for Columbus players. "The loss of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra would represent a setback for the 21st century."

A recent study by the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium found that arts and culture in greater Columbus is a powerful economic engine, generating $22 for every dollar spent in central Ohio compared with the $7 national average.

The analysis estimated that $330 million is spent each year in the region by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences, with the Columbus Symphony being in the top tier of the city's cultural food chain.

"Many people look to the arts as an indicator of the quality of life in this community. This does not help that mission," Beadle said.

"But, over and above that, is that the Columbus Symphony as a musical ensemble is fantastic. It's just one of those lucky circumstances that all the right components were put together on stage to produce fantastic music."

Musicians credit better salaries with attracting the quality players that have built the orchestra's critical acclaim over the years. The lowest paid Columbus Symphony musician makes $55,200 a year, compared with $75,400 for the Indianapolis Symphony, $91,900 for the Cincinnati Symphony, $101,452 for the Pittsburgh Symphony and $110,760 for Cleveland, according to data from the American Federation of Musicians.

"I think it's taken decades to build the Columbus Symphony into the high-quality organization it is," said Douglas Fisher, president of the Central Ohio Federation of Musicians, which represents 53 symphony musicians. "Forcing us to accept the Draconian cuts proposed by the board basically would destroy everything we've built."

Board president Robert Trafford has said reaching a new agreement with the musicians' union is the only way to rescue the symphony.

The board's initial proposal sought to reduce the symphony's annual expense budget from $12 million to $9.5 million, or 12.5 percent, and the number of full-time orchestra musicians from 53 to 31. Paid weeks per year would fall from 46 to 34, cutting the playing season by a quarter.

"The orchestra has had a history of a structural deficit, which means, all other things being equal and without outside gifts, you're outspending what you're taking in," said Beadle, who spent seven years managing the Boston Pops.

Beadle said Columbus musicians need to look to peer orchestras — such as Indianapolis — when determining whether their salaries are fair, not to the likes of the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the "Big Five" orchestras in America.

"I maintain everybody here would like to pay them as much as we possibly can, because we honor the profession and honor what they do, but start benchmarking yourself to your collegial orchestras," he said.

Fisher said the orchestra's structural deficit cannot be blamed on how much musicians are paid. After musicians agreed to an 11 percent pay cut in 2005, the Columbus Symphony's budget for artistic expenses has remained on or under budget every year, according to a financial analysis commissioned by the union. Last year, ticket sales were up 24 percent.

"We agreed to $1.3 million in cuts in exchange for the promise of a new director, a new executive director and other changes," he said. "They didn't do the things they promised. It's really a problem of governance, and that will continue until the right people are given the keys to the organization."

Last year, the symphony joined with other area arts organizations — including Columbus' ballet, opera, art museums and adult and children's theater companies — in a joint fundraising effort aimed largely at making the best use of big donors' dollars in a shared funding arrangement.

But the effort may have come too late for the symphony. Without a contract by Aug. 31, the 2008-2009 season will be canceled and, Fisher fears, reviving the orchestra could be impossible.

In hopes of retaining community interest and keeping musicians from relocating for other jobs, symphony musicians have put together self-funded summer concerts under the name Musicians of the Columbus Symphony.

Beadle is optimistic a compromise will be struck.

"We need to find it within ourselves to find the commonality of wanting to have a symphony orchestra, provide a lively community for musicians and serve the city of Columbus," he said.

Raisin Brahms

Got this at Adaptistration. A fun way to allay fears of the "aristocracy" of the classical arts.

Go Symphony in Columbus!

Joseph Louis Nastasi is the owner of Apogee Development (apogeedevelop.com), a software development company. A lover of all types of music, especially classical and progressive rock, Mr. Nastasi is also an amateur composer and keyboardist, and an avid ice hockey fan.

I moved here from NJ over a year ago. Other than career issues, my requirements for a new home to live were a strong classical music scene and a hockey team. NJ gets mocked a lot and exists within the shadows of two major cities, but still we have a very, very strong state orchestra that sells out crowds and has received critical acclaim. In my hometown of Wayne, we had our own chamber orchestra that sold out four concerts per year and had soloists from the NY Philharmonic play with them regularly.

Imagine my shock when I read of the failings of the CSO's finances and the board's cowardly decision. I have had the opportunity to see the orchestra a few times and also the Marble Cliff Players several times and I was very happy with the quality of what I heard.

I'm too new here to comment on the idiotic politics that seem hell bent on the destruction of such a wonderful institution. (oops, I guess I just did, didn't I?) I chose Columbus as my home because I believe it is one of the coolest, smartest cities in the country. I will be damned if I am going to give up on either the new entitled "Symphony Columbus" or my other great love, the Blue Jackets.

The way to beat city hall (in this case, the board) is to do just what you're doing: skate around them like they don't even exist. It will not be easy. It will test the people of Columbus: will they have the desire to have a strong classical music community? So far, two sold-out, self-produced concerts are a strong statement to the affirmative.

I love underdogs. And I have the patience to see them succeed. When I hear people complain about the Jacket's not getting into the playoffs after seven years, I have to laugh. The NJ Devils took thirteen! Now they own three Stanley Cup spots, within a decade. (I know I have to be losing some of you with this hockey analogy. For me, ice hockey has rhythm and poise, too. Sort of a violent ballet...) Well, it would seem that the musicians of the former CSO are underdogs, too. Fighting, not only for the orchestral music heritage of this city, but for their own family's existence! I know they will make this work. We will make it work.

I will cast my vote by going to as may concerts as possible. I was at the Dublin concert (I love Copland, thanks for Hoedown!) and already have my ticket to the Vets performance on the 26th.

I'm betting this seemingly dark period is actually the beginning of a Halcyon era. That transformation will be remembered as one of Columbus' greatest moments.

Go get 'em, Symphony Columbus!

BTW, that is a real cool name, keep it!

Best of luck,
Joseph Louis Nastasi

Visionary Plans for City Center for Arts

(From an email sent to me on Columbus Underground)

I don't know if you (or anyone at CSO for that matter) saw last November's Columbus Monthly article, "Big Ideas for City Center." Our architecture firm was asked to develop a conceptual proposal for the redevelopment of the City Center site, and we saw it then as a way to make commentary on the state of the arts in the city.

Here was our premise: If Nationwide's Arena District is becoming the city's "category killer" venue for sports entertainment, why not re-imagine City Center as a category killer for the arts?

Essentially we said that the most valuable part of the existing structure was the parking, and that the proximity of the site to major downtown theaters could make the site viable for hotel space (desparately needed) and reclaimed park space and re-connection to the urban grid by reopening Town Street.

The centerpiece as we saw it (and our cultural "shot in the arm" for Columbus) was a new, acoustically superior and state-of-the-art Symphony Hall, with indoor/outdoor staging. The new park space would act as an amphitheater for a relocated Picnic with the Pops. We also proposed (in a very tongue in cheek way) reserving a sixth of the overall developed space for an urban Target Store, whose logo would make the nation's largest Ferris Wheel and offset the cost of developing the new Symphony Hall.

I won't bore you with the rest, but you can see the proposal as it appeared in Columbus Monthly by going here:

http://www.onlinefilefolder.co...d8fe0593ed

The last I heard any murmurings about the City Center site, Nationwide Realy was looking at planning strategies. I just thought I should email you this to say there are many in Columbus who have not given up hope for CSO, we support you, and if there is anything you feel that we can do to help, please feel free to email or call.

Best,
Bart Overly
Blostein/Overly Architects
+1 614 507-0291
www.blostein-overly.com

Letter to Mayor Coleman

Mayor Michael Coleman
City Hall
90 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43062

Dear Mayor Coleman:

I sincerely hope you are getting more and more letters such as this one about the plight of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. I am dismayed at the prospect of this city losing such an esteemed organization, and I am even more appalled that government officials have merely voiced mild concern over this issue. I do not think that the musicians, Board of Directors, or anyone else expects you or another government official to directly mediate this situation, but the fact that more has not been done to help alleviate this crisis could put this city on the edge of decline.

In the, Dispatch, other newspapers, and on local television news, I have heard a great deal about your desire to improve and revitalize the downtown area. I think this is a wonderful and admirable idea, but I think that your idea of streetcars connecting suburbs and the OSU campus to downtown does not help with the revitalization at all. The key to bringing downtown Columbus back to life is actually giving people a reason to go downtown. The only time I have ventured downtown since I have lived here (about a year, so far) has been for the symphony’s concerts. When I have gone on a Sunday for a matinee, NOTHING was open. Any businesses that have survived can only afford to be open during the week. There are very few shops, the theaters have occasional shows, and restaurants are barely open. How does spending millions of dollars on a streetcar system make it anymore appealing to go downtown?

This city must work to save its symphony. It is a first and crucial step to keeping the arts scene in Columbus vibrant, and it will give people more of a reason to come downtown on a weekend or evening. I am speaking as a concerned citizen of this city, but I also happen to be the wife of a symphony musician. Since I have been able to hear most of the details of this whole debacle, I know that the musicians are not just grumbling about the money. Yes, we all have families to support and money is important in that, but these musicians have a passion about what they do. They want to give back to the community, become more involved, and use their talents to make Columbus a better city.

The fact of the matter is the Board has placed almost all the burden of relieving the symphony of its debt on the musicians’ salaries and benefits. What about the 17 administrative employees I counted, those listed in a concert program, which the Symphony pays? What about the Executive Director who does not even have legal residence in Columbus? I know the Dispatch has shed some light on the fact that the Music Director Junichi Hirokami also does not reside in Columbus, but in this day and age a conductor must live and travel internationally to have any real acclaim and experience in the music world. Columbus should count itself lucky to have such a passionate and talented man leading their Symphony and supporting these musicians. I can't imagine that Board officially forbids supporting the musicians as part of Hirokami’s contract. I do not understand why that should have been made such an inflammatory issue. Hirokami has made himself available whenever he has traveled to the US to help fundraise. It is known that he even has attempted to raise funds from Japanese companies in America (Hirokami is somewhat of a celebrity in his native Japan). Those companies did not want to give their money to the current Board and management because of issues with previous donations and certain members of the current administration.

What this Symphony needs is fresh leadership from people who want this organization to prosper. In better hands, the current debt could be eliminated, a much-needed endowment could be started to insure the future of the Columbus Symphony, and perhaps a new performing arts center could be built in the coming years to house the Symphony as well as other Columbus arts organizations who would benefit from better acoustics, cheaper rent, and state-of-the-art technology.

By taking steps to help this Symphony, Columbus could be one step closer to becoming the jewel of Ohio and the Midwest. I challenge you and your constituents to become more involved in helping save one of the main attractions in downtown Columbus. Every voice counts. If the Symphony does not survive, you will be losing a great many intelligent, talented individuals to other cities, businesses will not be attracted to a town that cannot support an arts community, and Columbus will not be able to continue to grow and prosper.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Columbus Citizen

Letter from Jan Ryan

Mayor Michael Coleman
City Hall
90 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43062

Dear Mayor Coleman:

A contribution of $100,000 is listed in Bravo attributed to the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

The income for this amount was derived from taxes on hotels and motels in this city.
While you have expressed not interfering in the negotiation process of the Board and musicians, I find it intolerable that you have not made a public statement about the Board’s latest faux pas requesting the musicians support to have Junichi Hirokami resign.

Some of the money donated by GCAC surely helped pay this man’s salary, plus he is under contract for another year.

The city is receiving some very negative coverage in national newspapers around the country.

You keep harping about the revitalization of downtown Columbus. Certainly having the symphony is a vital source of attracting people downtown.

At the rate we are going by the time the bicentennial of 2012 arrives, we will be known as the city of losses—Lazarus, City Center, Skybus, and now the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Yours truly,
Jan Ryan�

Letter from Dave Gefler

I write this in response to the article “ Musicians Reject Offer, Dismissal of Hirokami” in the Dispatch Tuesday, July 15, 2008. While it is true that Music Director, Junichi Hirokami, did not move his family to Columbus when he was hired by the board of the Columbus Symphony, it was known to all concerned that he would not be moving his family here. The board hired him anyway after several years of a search process for a new conductor (that took far too long).

I find it interesting that the executive director of the Columbus Symphony, Tony Beadle, who was quoted in the article saying “Hirokami has failed to perform key duties of a music director for a major orchestra, partly because he hasn’t put down roots in central Ohio” has permanent residence in Boston, Massachusetts, with his family. He also has not “put down roots” in central Ohio.

My suggestion for acquiring the $300,000 dollars the board needs would be to eliminate Mr. Beadle’s position which would cover $175,000 of it, and $125,000 which could be saved by elimination of the Artistic Operation’s general manager position. While the musicians are locked out, not being paid, and now have no health insurance, these two positions are bleeding the balance of the symphony funds. Also, the musicians and conductor have been doing their jobs through performances that have been top notch; the two people in these positions have failed miserably in their role of financial management and promotional guidance. If anyone should be cut, the two in these positions should be highest on the list!

For the most part, the Columbus symphony has been under poor stewardship for many years through management and the Board. There has been only one board member who has really put money ahead of mouth to keep the orchestra going. Perhaps it’s time for a new board that definitely has a mission to see to it that the CSO survives. There is a song from a Walt Disney movie of long ago… a lesson taught by the wise old owl. The song is called Stick To It-ivity, and it begins with the words “Where there is a will, there is a way to do it, but you’ll never get there if you don’t stick to it. These might be good words for a symphony board to remember as they go about their mission.