The wealthy, elderly folk are unavoidable at classical music concerts. Opening candy wrappers to your left, spilling into your seat on the right, opening bottles of Perrier from behind, they’re like cockroaches! Not to attack our senior citizens, but honestly. Is there an unwritten rule that you have to be over 75 years old to see an opera?
In 2005 the National Endowment for the Arts released statistics on audience demographics for American opera companies:
In comparison with other arts-goers, opera attendees are wealthier, the most highly educated, and tend to reside in the suburbs. Opera tends to attract more women (58%) than men. In 2002, 6.1% of the opera audience was Hispanic, 3.8% was African American, and 3.6% was Asian American and Native American.
..."Tend to reside in the suburbs?” HA. I suppose that’s the PC way to say, “the people who go to operas are khaki-wearing, conservative, Caucasian retirees.” Personally, I find the latter definition much more accurate.
It’s disappointing, really, that classical music audiences are not more eclectic.
If a greater number of racial minorities attended concerts, for example, perhaps companies would begin to explore composers outside of the 18th century canon. Would a predominately Hispanic crowd not encourage the addition of composers like Robert Rodriquez to programs? Would Japanese concertgoers not want to hear music by Toru Takemitsu included in the performance?
If nothing else, our concert halls need the gumption of youth. It’s exasperating when I go to see Wagner’s Die Meistersinger and the elderly woman next to me is nodding off. If that woman was a ten-year-old boy I guarantee his eyes would have been glued to the stage, wide with horror at the sight of the valkyries’ flaming horses. Didn't you know it’s important for younger generations to attend classical music concerts. It makes them cultured. Less stupid.
So, why are audience demographics so narrow? Why can’t classical music organizations attract bigger audiences?
I recently interviewed for an internship with the Los Angeles Opera. Unfortunately for them I was overly qualified and was not offered the job. Anyway, the position was with the Education and Community Programs department, which organizes programs and learning opportunities for children, adults and educators in LA County.
They hold free “Opera Talks” in low-income neighborhoods, put on miniature performances of Madame Butterfly for elementary schools, offer discounted opera tickets for college students, and post downloadable opera lesson plans for teachers. It’s quite a charitable department (and considering the LA Opera’s $54 million budget, it’s to be expected).
The LA Opera assumed that by reaching out to their community and sharing opera with the public that they would attract some attention. Students would take an interest. Teachers would begin to organize field trips. More people would come to the opera. Still, despite all their philanthropy, they have yet to see a definitive change in opera attendance. Where are all of the 1st graders from Norwood Elementary who reenacted The Marriage of Figaro? Where are the LAUSD teachers who attended the Opera 101 training seminar? Sitting at home listening to Miley Cyrus, I guess.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has made similar efforts. Firstly, they hold a summer series of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Not only are these concerts community friendly and sometimes accompanied with fireworks, but they even have $1 tickets! Gasp! The LA Phil also runs the Young Musicians Initiative program, which encourages LA students to participate in Youth Orchestras and offers them opportunities to perform aside LA Phil members. And they, too, hold neighborhood concerts through their Community Partnership Program.
But, once again, despite their best efforts, the LA Phil has failed to attract a larger audience. Classical music concert attendance is still dropping, classical music organizations are still going out of business, and community members still don’t care.
Take another look at Molly Sheridan’s post. It’s miserable!
I say enough with the advertising. Enough with promoting silly concerts that pair Handel and hot chocolate. If people don’t like or understand the music that is being played, it won’t matter how many times we candy coat the concert, they won’t come.
We don’t need any more cheap concerts or kid friendly ads. What we need is sex appeal. Some tall red heads in bikinis… a few male underwear models… name your favorite celebrity. If traditional advertising methods won’t work, then by God we’ll make classical music untraditional!
So, step aside Mozart and Schubert, your tunes have been played one too many times. We’re in a new era of classical music now, the kind with rock bands and electronic music and experimental techniques and indeterminacy. Classical concerts should no longer be boring afternoon outings for Red Hat Society ladies. The new era of concerts need to be hot. Spicy. Wild!
Now, where did we put those handcuffs?
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