Innovative concert ideas: beyond the music.(Forum Focus: Collaborative Arts)

Performing artists often are looking for ways to capture an audience's attention and attract new audience members. Concerts that introduce other art forms or disciplines can be an innovative way to inspire both audiences and musicians. Collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines, such as art, history, dance, literature and foreign languages, provides a wealth of ideas for original programming and an opportunity to expand your own appreciation of our art form.

Why is This Important?

It is our job to show audiences that live classical music offers something unique and memorable. As collaborative performers, we often become so engrossed in rehearsing and performing our repertoire that we do not allow time to deeply investigate how history, culture or other art forms influenced the composer. By exploring the relationship between music and other disciplines and sharing these discoveries with audiences, we help audiences make connections between music and other facets of their lives.

What Are the Benefits?

You and your collaborative partners will gain insight into the pieces you perform and teach as a result of exploring other fields of study.

By working with colleagues from other disciplines, there is a mutual sharing of information, expertise and imagination that is truly inspiring. As collaborative performers, we already appreciate the benefits of partnership--this is a marvelous expansion of that cooperation.

You will engage your students on a deeper level with this distinctive type of collaboration. By involving your students in the process of selecting music and learning about other disciplines, they also become invested in the idea that music can reach beyond its typical boundaries.