The great disconnect.(Visions)

Why are people of all ages studying music in record numbers, but not equally attending live concerts? Its a modern phenomenon worthy of examination and, in doing so, deserving of thought.

Although the explanations for this behavior are numerous, music teachers know that at the center of all the reasons is one universality: people love being engaged in the process of music making. To many, going to professional concerts requires a different set of skills and expectations. To them, studying and playing music in their own communities is quite satisfying; it is sufficient. But in truth, it is not enough. Professional music teachers know that advanced listening is critical to the musical learning and growth process.

So, how do we engage our students whether they're age 5 or 85--so they will choose to attend live concerts and learn from them? How do we encourage professional music presenters to think creatively to bridge this "Great Disconnect"? Considering both perspectives will be essential if we are to find credible and enriching solutions.

Let's start with the presenters, who do, by the way, work hard to attract these potentially valuable concertgoers. Solutions to date mostly have included altering the time, location and format of concerts. Additionally, professional musicians have been coached to be more audience-friendly, show the enjoyment they experience while performing and be available to audience members in more casual and social settings. Information-enhancement devices of all sorts, including preprogrammed hand-held organizers, have been developed to engage audience members' intellectual curiosity. All these efforts are very much appreciated, and many of them work to some degree. However, presenters have not addressed the ultimate challenge: how to engage audience members in the music making itself.

We could muse on halcyon times when all young people received adequate, if not excellent, music instruction in public schools and when they attended concerts because it was the pinnacle of music experience. This story is told over and over. There are some elements that are true, but by and large, this story can only be told about upper-middle-class neighborhoods outside major metropolitan areas with first-class performance organizations--during a time when one parent worked and could get home in time to pick up his spouse and return downtown by 8:00 P.M.

Today, people are choosing their "entertainment options" very selectively and carefully. The days of buying the season subscription, regardless of its content, because "everyone else did it" or because business contacts dictated it, is over. Now, there have to be compelling reasons to take oil the expense and effort of attending a live concert. To those who study music, we must make the reasons clear and profound.

To engage our target group, a first step would be to involve them in music choices. I continue to be impressed by former Eastman Director Howard Hanson's ingenuity during the Festivals of American Music when he asked audience members to vote and comment on each of the new works being presented. Hanson then brought back audience favorites the following year. He asked the audience for input, listened and rewarded them for ...