Besides modifying my university jazz ensemble's curriculum (to include improvisation, sight-reading and listening), I have been questioning the way in which we do concerts. I have been asking myself questions like: Who are we trying to reach, and how can we better reach them? Should we change venues? What are we doing right, that needs to stay intact? What can we improve? What are we doing wrong?
Poor concert attendance is one of my greatest frustrations as an ensemble director. After having spent hours in concert preparation, how can students not feel demoralized when they look out and see 20 or so people in a concert hall that seats 300? I am curious, is this problem unique to Storrs, CT or is it experienced by other university jazz ensemble directors across the country?
Poor concert attendance is one of my greatest frustrations as an ensemble director. After having spent hours in concert preparation, how can students not feel demoralized when they look out and see 20 or so people in a concert hall that seats 300? I am curious, is this problem unique to Storrs, CT or is it experienced by other university jazz ensemble directors across the country?
In an April, 2011 post entitled "Where Did the Audience Go?", I outlined my plans to have high school bands perform as opening acts at my concerts. My intention was to launch a new recruitment initiative, which would also expand our audience. Because it brought prospective students to campus and reinforced existing relationships with band directors, I consider it successful. But, as far as audience generation goes --- not so much. One or two parent chaperones typically accompanied the groups. Unfortunately, this plan was also limited to the winter/spring months, as most high school band directors switch their focus from marching band to jazz band during the winter months.
I need a new plan. One that works year-round, yields consistently larger audiences, increases our visibility, and helps recruit quality students. On-campus performances, for a handful of people, simply aren't cutting it.
Before delving into some speculation as to why my ensemble concerts are poorly attended, I will state that I doubt it's for lack of promotional efforts. Here's a list of the marketing activities in which I typically engage:
I am also curious to hear from my professional peers if they have designated marketing personnel at their teaching institutions, to promote concert events. Unfortunately, I currently do not. Much to my chagrin, marketing is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my job each year.
My guesses as to why concert attendance is abysmal for my ensemble's shows include the following:
Before delving into some speculation as to why my ensemble concerts are poorly attended, I will state that I doubt it's for lack of promotional efforts. Here's a list of the marketing activities in which I typically engage:
- Music Department web page: http://www.music.uconn.edu/
- FaceBook pages: https://www.facebook.com/UConnMusic, https://www.facebook.com/UConnJazz
- personal FaceBook posts and event invitations
- encouraging students to link/share FB listings
- YouTube videos
- physical posters, for on-campus distribution
- blog posts
- UConn Daily Digest (LISTSERV)
- Hartford Jazz Society's Live Jazz Calendar
I am also curious to hear from my professional peers if they have designated marketing personnel at their teaching institutions, to promote concert events. Unfortunately, I currently do not. Much to my chagrin, marketing is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my job each year.
My guesses as to why concert attendance is abysmal for my ensemble's shows include the following:
- In size, the ensemble ranges between 9 and 12 players. Obviously a group of 12 ensemble members has less supportive friends and family than an orchestra or choir of over 50.
- People are venturing out less and less these days. Maybe concerts are obsolete. Live streaming and YouTube videos are perhaps more important today. Do we even need formalized concerts?
- We are possibly over-saturating our community with jazz. Within a semester we have a weekly jam session, a showcase concert featuring all the groups, a combo concert, a jazz lab band show and a jazz ensemble concert. The jazz lab band and jazz ensemble concerts have often been slated during the same week.
- Maybe the programming needs to be more inventive and appealing to the general public. ("Yule Be Swinging" seems to work while there aren't exactly line ups for "the Music of Jim McNeely".)
- We might need to rethink concert times. Most of my concerts are on Monday and Tuesday nights. Maybe afternoon, weekend times would be better.
- I hate the thought of mandating concert attendance, but when Jazz Lab Band members don't attend the Jazz Ensemble's concert (and vice versa), there is an issue which must be addressed.
- Jazz may just not be popular in Storrs, CT.
If you have an opinion or idea, I would love to hear from you. I do have some schemes of redesign in mind, but it would be nice to collect the thoughts of concert goers, musicians, and educators before I formally chart my course.
I think they absolutely need to be on a Friday night. Nothing important happens on a Monday night.
ReplyDeleteBrandt, while I do agree that nothing important happens on a Monday night, it may be just as hard to get an audience on a Friday. I personally remember that when I went to UConn and had a concert with either the Wind Ensemble or the Orchestra on a Thursday night, it was very hard to get a lot of my friends to come see the show because they were usually going out to a party. That being said, if the concert is announced with plenty of notice, those same individuals are more likely to plan to come to the concert and then go out. I would say it would be worth a shot in trying if the concert is able to be announced with ample notice.
DeleteAs a former UConn student (also in orchestra), Mondays definitely don't help. Orchestra rehearses Monday and Wednesday night so there's a large chunk of possible audience go-ers and their friends. Even Wind Ensemble members rehearse earlier on those days and typically won't feel like going out afterwards.
DeleteI would hate to think that concerts are obsolete. I'm sure I don't go out to see live music as much as I should, but I acknowledge that it's important. Live streaming is absolutely no substitute. Hearing the sound of a real instrument played by a real person right in front of you is something that can't and won't be replaced by recordings or videos even if they are live.
DeleteI would hate to think that concerts are obsolete. I'm sure I don't go out to see live music as much as I should, but I acknowledge that it's important. Live streaming is absolutely no substitute. Hearing the sound of a real instrument played by a real person right in front of you is something that can't and won't be replaced by recordings or videos even if they are live.
DeleteAs somebody who is not a jazz musician, I don't really think jazz always fits a 300 seat concert venue. You sit quietly and listen to choral, orchestral, and band ensembles; jazz is a completely different animal. Traditionally, people went to jazz concerts to socialize, enjoy a meal or libation, and most importantly, dance! I suggest a change in venue for a more authentic experience not just for your audience, but for your students. Maybe that's booking the concert at a nearby jazz club or large restaurant. Maybe there's a venue on campus where there could be a dance floor and tables instead of rows of seats. Maybe the concert is catered or has a cash bar (might be a stretch). A Jazz concert shouldn't just fulfill an academic requirement, but an event all people can enjoy whether or not they are jazz aficionados.
DeleteHi John. I agree that "jazz is a different animal"; it is for this reason that we changed the primary location of all UConn jazz concerts to the bookstore coffee shop across the street from the music building. This setting has worked much better and we have generated a larger, weekly following.
DeleteIt should be noted that for years, jazz musicians worked hard to get jazz into the concert halls, so "it would receive the artistic respect it deserved." Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) should be applauded for what they have accomplished, but as a musician, I still tend to agree with you --- jazz works best in a club, performed for an intimate audience.
Having been involved in performance groups for a long time, your situation is not unique. Filling the house is a challenge for school music concerts, youth theater productions, community music groups, and university ensembles-all of which I am routinely involved in. I have seen (and tried) all the same recruitment techniques. I am not sure there is a solution. I think that the perspective to maintain is to perform with the same quality whatever the size of the audience.
DeleteI know budgets are limited, but maybe try to hire more guest artists to play on your concerts, with your band, and their own set (perhaps with U conn faculty backing them up). Also, UNH and Berklee attract a lot of students with their "jazz festival" where bands come and are adjudicated, and the "winners" usually play on the evening concerts, followed by guest artists. Again, money, money, but I think they have been successful.
ReplyDelete-Mark Shilansky
This is usually a macro issue with the school, isn't it? Are other ensembles not getting attendance? If students aren't attending then they aren't listening to live music. Not sure how they expect to survive... Perhaps you need to recruit listeners.
ReplyDeleteI have met with good success at my high school and at personal concerts when I promote to non-musicians. Most people that attend HSO are not musicians but they culturally appreciate music. Most people that filled the clubs for Jelly Roll were not musicians but culturally appreciated music. So I recommend public newspapers, churches, and families and collaboration! with non-musical organization (i.e. medical, visual art, local farms). This way there is a culture being created around the music. Musicians are usually hard strapped for cash or reliable transport. As a musician I find it a waste to advertise to other musicians. Look to the past, Wagner, Bach sought the support of community and influential royalty. Who would those people be today? And or more accessible venues, Storrs is in the boonies.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, Ed. Thanks!
DeleteHow about recruiting art/design students to make flyers/posters? Maybe this is already going on, but if not it could potentially build the audience to students on campus who might not otherwise attend. I would imagine most of your support is coming from family, faculty and other music students.
ReplyDeleteThe number of events may also play a role in attendance - though it sounds like you are creating lots of opportunities for your students, and that is a great support of their studies and efforts. I can imagine the number of things happening on campus is extensive, so it may be worth a shot to combine one of the concert's with another event at the school - Even if it's simply a marketing tie.
Sounds like you're doing great things over there! All the best to you, your students, and your program.
Thanks Jerrod. Brandt sent me a link to your blog post, "Building an audience in School Music Programs" and it too had some very useful information and ideas.
Delete[Here's the link for anyone who might stumble upon this: http://jcatmusic.blogspot.com/2013/04/building-audience-in-school-music.html]
Hi Earl! low concert attendance is not unique to your program alone Earl. I have both attended and performed in recitals / concerts where few people had expressed real interest in attending althoughthe performances were quite good! I like your ideas of "re-programming" to event titles such as "Yule be Swingin" rather than just the University Jazz band. sometimes creating the right "buzz" is harder than the performance itself!
ReplyDeletePerhaps you may want to reach out to one of the large music retailers in the area such as Sam Ash in New Haven, CT. or Guitar Center in Manchester, CT. You could organize a cross - promotional concert / sales event which will attract a larger attendance and also create foot traffic in the store for promo sales. Many of these stores have large stage and sound reinforcement capabilities which will make an exciting evening of recitals. These music chains are also supportive of school endeavors and like to give - back to the music student community who make purchases there.
Another idea may be an evening concert on a gazebo at a town green. The town can provide promotional materials and vendors while student families can enjoy some evening jazz outdoors. Many sound engineers are willing to donate their time and expertise to school supported music events such as these. Good luck in your Concerts!
First off I'd like to say that I totally understand the frustration. I can remember my first concert at UB was bitter-sweet. While I enjoyed performing the songs we had been rehearsing, I felt like I was just performing for my classmates and professors. When I think back to more possible solutions to this problem, I think of a few lessons I learned while in grades K-12. The first is that generally speaking, more and more people don't want to simply listen to music being performed, they want to be entertained...thoroughly. So almost every concert I was apart of had different acts such as a local church's gospel choir and the school's dance team. So, as mentioned before, collaboration with different groups could be a major help in increasing attendance. One last thing I learned is that spontaneous performances in public areas surprise people and are too much fun to simply not do. In my high school, I got my jazz band together and we would play in the school cafeteria during the lunch periods on days like valentines day and the week before Christmas (sorry, WINTER) break. Again just suggestions that I've noticed add fun and excitement to the whole planning aspect. Ultimately, though, the fan base needs to be catered to in order to have the best following so whatever seems to attract people the most whether it be live streaming on a local cable channel or the enticement of free food and drinks.
ReplyDeleteI must agree with my colleagues that Storrs is a long way to go for some audience members. Perhaps building a stronger connection to other programs in the arts and humanities at UConn would be one way to go; it seems important for students in general to learn how to take part in a performance as an audience member. At ECA where I teach in New Haven we have students write about live performances they attend, promoting the students' understanding that listening actively is as important as being up on stage performing. I also agree with Kurt's ideas about bringing your music out into the wider community. I hope to hear you guys down here in New Haven!
ReplyDeleteAny and all exposure is good exposure, and I love that you're giving the musicians so much gigging experience and saturating your community with opportunities to hear their hard work, Dr. MacDonald. Definitely keep that part of your efforts up- it can only be beneficial for you, your students, and your audience.
ReplyDeleteAs far as getting people in the seats is concerned, I think it's a definite problem when people in your jazz ensemble's own home department aren't even showing up- to me, it suggests that there is room to build solidarity within the music department as a whole, which is a great opportunity! I understand your concerns about mandating concert attendance and the writing of concert reviews, but Eastern CT State has been doing that for all of its music courses for years and I can't say it's hurt the program at all- just the opposite, in fact. To alleviate your concerns over forcing students to go to your concerts, you could meet them halfway: mandate that they attend two UConn-sponsored shows, and then another concert of their own choosing, maybe.
Also, I don't know if UConn hosts any conferences through the year, but offering to gig at those for free as lunchtime entertainment could also increase your exposure and audience draw. And at conferences and their lunches, you have a guaranteed audience who will be there; each will be there primarily for a reason other than music, but you can be sure that they'll be within earshot, and that's all that matters.
I agree that it is sad your music majors are not happily attending concerts. As an undergrad, I had to attend 7 concerts on campus every semester. At first, the freshmen always grumbled on their way to their first few concerts. Usually by the fourth or fifth concert, they were hooked. I had semesters in which I attended 15 concerts, simply because I wanted to hear the music and I wanted to support my friends. Conclusion: Mandated concert attendance can actually work wonders for building community and morale!
DeleteI love the ides of using Facebook,Youtube, and student made posters to promote a school show. Students have fun creating youtube videos, and facebook pages. Good part about this is that the more fun students have creating advertisement the more friends they are going to tell about it. Another idea for advertisement might also be to advertise the school show on local public radio or even have local radio stations play recordings made by the students.
ReplyDeleteHey Earl,
ReplyDeleteI think the issue with poor concert audience attendance is due to changes in lifestyle and taste. Unfortunately, even though Jazz to me is an extremely valuable art form, it’s becoming more antiquated to our audience. Most people would rather listen to some bad pop songs on the radio than see a performance. Research is showing that attendance for performance is dropping everywhere (http://www.jazzreach.org/jazz-music-a-national-treasure.html). I think this is also due to people living busier lives for whatever reason. People now are more consumed by their electronics, jobs, and comforts.
I think having a high school or middle school band perform as an opening act was a fantastic idea for building an audience. The only advice I can think of is perhaps playing charts that most people would be familiar with. But that’ll depend on what you want to sacrifice and how many people it will actually bring in.
I love jazz, and was a jazz major in college, but when I was in college, the only thing that could get me to attend something is free food.
ReplyDeleteOn a more realistic note, since we can't exactly be passing around cookies during a concert, maybe more thought could be put into coordinating with other disciplines. Perhaps putting together a program that coincides with a history class, and having their attendance be a class requirement could be helpful. I think Ed has a point that a large number of expected attendees are not musicians. As a music student in college, I was always so burnt out from playing all the time, that attending concerts was never high on the list.
Has your attendance improved in the past year and a half since this post? If so, what changes have you made? I'm interested...
I think that you need to work with the community. Have the band perform at local civic events and charity events. Make the band feel like it is a part of the community. Also, when people hear you at these events they may decide to attend one of your concerts because they have now heard how good you really are.
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you thought about putting out nibbles for after the show. Maybe little cookies are other food items?
Hi Earl,
ReplyDeleteI think that you make some extremely invaluable points, in an effort to shed light on an issue that is certainly not going away, but in fact becoming more pervasive with each passing gig, concert, recital or other performance. During my time in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford's Hartt School, as a student, staff and faculty member, we experienced the exact same problems. I'm not quite certain what the status of the program is presently, but while I attended and worked in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, the program had essentially no true presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social networking type site. The department also lacked a website that was solely its own. Of course The Hartt School has a website within the University of Hartford main site, but truth be told, their focus was sadly never on promoting the many successes and triumphs of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, going back to the days when Jackie was a visible presence in the Alfred C. Fuller Music Center. There is a person at the school who is responsible for public relations and community outreach, but alas her efforts to really showcase the faculty and students of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz would frequently take a backseat to other departments within The Hartt School community. Our jazz combo ensemble and big band concerts would typically take place on either Thursday or Friday evenings, but even then at the end of a given week, it was very difficult to pack Millard Auditorium or Lincoln Theater. Typically, by the end of a performance, there were only a handful of people left in the audience, so in the case of the combo concerts, no group wanted to take that final slot. Sadly, I think that with all of the technology available in 2015, people frequently do not want to be "inconvenienced" when it comes to venturing out for an actual live performance. One thing to also keep in mind is the jam session at Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford on Monday evenings. This event will typically bring out the "die-hard" jazz fans in the Greater Hartford area. It is going to be very difficult to get people to come out multiple nights during a given week, so even if you moved your concerts to later in the week, people who frequent jazz performances might not be as likely to show up, because they will have already taken their weekly trip to Black Eyed Sally's. The irony of your location is that Storrs is really not that far off the beaten path, but I think that many people view the University of Connecticut as being a haul from any major metropolitan area. Your idea of having high school bands serve as opening groups is terrific for networking and recruitment, but I'm not terribly surprised that more parents didn't venture out for these performances, particularly depending on where the high school itself is located.
All of the promotion that you are doing sounds terrific and other programs would do well to take note of your efforts. I think that continuing to diversify your repertoire and perhaps compromising with the public at large, by being a bit "cliche" or "cute" when using titles such as "Yule Be Swingin'", as well as adding contemporary and/or commercial selections to the program of various concerts, could turn new audience members on to the happenings of UCONN's jazz program. Bringing the band out into the community, as suggested by Amy Braica, is a great idea, which I think that you have already started to do more of, through your inclusion in the College Night at Black Eyed Sally's. When I was at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz we would frequently have ensembles perform around the Greater Hartford Area and at local high schools. Going directly into the schools shows your commitment to the next generation of musicians who might populate your program. This activity will also further develop relationships that you already have with area band directors. We also began to bring ensembles to places such as Smalls Jazz Club and Dizzy's Club Coca Cola to give the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz more visibility in the New York area. You might get students who are interested in the UCONN jazz program to schedule a visit to the University when a concert is happening, based off of them seeing you perform in the city. Thank you for writing this particularly thought-provoking posting. Your blog is extremely insightful and ever interesting. Best of luck going forward with your program at UCONN! You are clearly doing great work up in Storrs.
ReplyDelete-Matt Chasen-
Hey Earl,
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind reading your post is the possibility of flipping the "opener" model that you have created. I think you had a great idea in getting high school bands to come perform, but it was probably a bigger deal for the high school bands than it was for you guys. If that's so, would it be possible to slot your Jazz Band as an opener for larger musical events on campus?
To the extreme, would it be possible to open before the national touring acts that come through? You could play some standard repertoire, but maybe students could create jazz arrangements of the visiting artist's tunes. If it were conceivably possible to play in front of a filled Gampel and KILL it, some of those students are bound to come to the next show.
Even if this is too large a scope to be possible, the general principle is to bring your band to the audience, rather than waiting for the audience to come to you. If you can get your band on a stage in front of people, and you have something that's worth hearing, people will respond.
Another possibility would be to try and have the Jazz Ensemble sponsor events that were more than just a concert. Maybe you could play while members/ students of the dance department taught students how to dance to the music you play.
I also think students would respond to the "Jazz Club" atmosphere if it were presented to them as an option for entertainment, and maybe you could host a regularly occurring concert where students could come and sit comfortably and chat, eat, drink (probably non-alcoholically), and play games while the band played. I don't think there's any shame in "giving people a reason to come." For many the music is enough, but others need to be baited- and with luck they'll stick around once they hear what you've got.
Just some ideas that occurred to me, I hope they are constructive!
Nice ideas Kyle. Thanks for contributing to the conversation.
DeleteHey Earl! Hope things have been well for you! I'm starting my Master's now at Bridgeport to become a certified K-12 music teacher.
ReplyDeleteSince I was at UConn for 4 years and took some of your classes I can understand your problem.
A few things that may help you out:
1. UConn's Music Department had a really intensive schedule for all students. At least when I was there until 2014, it was near impossible to schedule things with other students (rehearsals, performances, gen. ed classes). Being in a public university it is tough sometimes to schedule anything with people. Everyone is fighting for scraps of time. My first two years Orchestra was only one night a week. Then two nights a week. It was hard at UConn to get people on your time. I feel like this is a huge part of the problem with concert attendance too. Even with student recitals, etc.
2. You may have a point about over-saturation. That is a long list of ensembles and scheduling their performances can make it difficult to get enough people to go to all these events. Perhaps combining certain ensembles? Although that would sacrifice more opportunities for students, so I can understanding not going that way.
3. Interesting point about technology and live streams. I think a large part of marketing is being able to relate to your audience. Nowadays, many people in my generation and younger are totally on the internet. Perhaps streaming a live jazz event would be a better way to reach more of an audience. Your ensembles can stream from their studio so you don't need to move equipment, and people can watch from their homes. Personally it's a feature of technology that I love despite that some people are very adamant about having the feel of a live performance. Honestly I think technology should be getting used more often in more of our lives (online classes, video classes, etc.)
I hope any of these thoughts help, hope you solve some of these issues too. It'd be great to talk to you again. God bless.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Michael. It was nice to hear from you! I hope your studies are going well at Bridgeport and that you are still actively composing! All the best, EM
DeleteGreat post! You definitely do a lot of promotion. While I think youtube and live streaming are great, I don't think live concerts can be replaced. The interaction between musicians and audience is irreplaceable.
ReplyDeleteAs for the low attendance, I think there aren't enough people that appreciate jazz. It's usually just musicians, and even then it's almost always the well-educated ones.
From my own personal experiences, jazz today definitely appeals to a more mature audience - you'd be hard-pressed to find members of a younger generation who passionately love jazz (and who also aren't music majors!) That said, if we as band directors are searching for more exposure and a full house any way we can get it, our advertising needs to appeal to this older (maybe even much older) generation: the old-fashioned way. Why not advertise and post flyers in senior homes, churches, and the good old hard-print newspaper? What about country clubs and yoga classes, local coffee shops and music stores? Seems like an awful lot of work for one person to handle, but with the rest of the ensemble pitching in to help advertise, it's a lot of ground the whole team can cover. In my opinion, it's definitely worth a shot when you've got nothing to lose by trying!
ReplyDeleteI think you're doing a great job of promoting your concerts even though the turn out hasn't been that great. The only suggestion that I could make is have the concert on a weekend evening instead of Monday or Tuesday. Also have a potluck reception afterwards where students can bring hour d'oeuvres to enjoy after the show. Maybe the weekend party vibe would increase your audicnce numbers.
ReplyDeleteHey Earl,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're not filling up your concert halls for these concerts! I would definetely have to say that it is largely due to the weekday concerts. I think if on a Friday, you would get a larger amount of people, especially other music student support. With music students being so swamped with classes and practicing, it is unlikely they would have time to go to a concert during the week. Also, I think a jazz concert to kick of the weekend would be a desirable, relaxing night out for many people.
I see that you try to have high schools come to UCONN, but what about having a jazz festival and inviting a guest artist to headline, but do clinics and masterclasses with your groups(s) and also perform with them at the weekend concert? That is what my alma mater, WCSU does, and it is sold out every year. It's a huge hit not only to the WCSU students participating, but to outside the WCSU community and to the high school jazz students.
Hi Professor MacDonald, I wonder if you should consider weighing the attendance of your jam sessions into your concert attendance count. I just graduated from the UConn Music program (loved working with you in orchestra) and I remember always being deeply jealous that I worked Tuesday nights and missed these jam sessions. As far as I could tell from my peers, these nights were always well attended and at an excellent venue!
ReplyDeleteIt's so true. Getting hyped up for a gig after weeks/months of preparation just to be greeted by a crowd of less than 15 people is a buzz kill to say the least. Not only does it feel like time has been wasted to a degree, but it also can be outright embarrassing and morale busting.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with Michael A's recommendation involving live streaming. Great tool. Facebook live streaming is growing especially quickly, and all you need to do is get people to like your page. Once you've achieved this, your live streams will pop up you followers news feed as they scroll down. It's such a great way to get people hearing your band without having to come out to a show, and will likely result in those people making plans to get out to your next show once they've heard how killin you sound on the live stream. I've come across and heard so many things on my own news feed that otherwise would've never turned up on my radar.
Hitting the local hang, wherever that may be is most definitely a great way to immerse your band in a culturally relevant environment as well. Less formal settings such as these might make the experience for the band more enjoyable and less disappointing in terms of crowd expectations, and might ultimately result in gaining a larger following in the end. In the end jazz is a social music, and it's great to bring it back to the source. From what I understand, you are already doing this to a high degree with the UCONN Jazz band(s).
I wish you luck in solving the audience riddle and look forward to hearing about effective strategies you discover in achieving higher turn outs. All the best.
Drew Plourd
Hi Professor McDonald,
ReplyDeleteAs a recent UConn Music Department graduate, I know for a fact that there are always posters and people talking about when and where your concerts are, so there is always promoting for your concerts. After reading your post and all the comments, I would absolutely agree with Drew P. when talking about live streaming. There are many schools that live stream concert and it can be an easy way to get people to see and hear your ensemble if they can not make it to the recital hall. This can also bring more exposure because if they are achieved, high school groups or anyone else could watch them whenever they want until that video is taken down. This can work for recruiting purposes to be able to pull up all different charts your band has played to peak potential student interest.
I think you are doing a lot to help increase attendance to the jazz concerts at your university. It is hard to get a big crowd out to jazz concerts as jazz is just not a marketable music genre in today's modern time, I would know as a jazz musician myself. One thing WCSU would do is have a guest artist concert where they bring in a semi-famous jazz musician who plays with some of the student groups. Having a big name always gets the attention of concert goers. Another thing WCSU does is have their concerts on either Thursday or Friday nights, or Sunday afternoon. Maybe changing the time of the concerts could increase concert attendance?
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing a lot to increase audience attendance at your university's jazz concerts. It is hard to market a jazz concert in any context as jazz is just not a very marketable genre in today's age, I would know, being a jazz musician myself. One thing WCSU does is has a guest artist concert where they hire a semi-famous jazz musician to come to the school for a day to provide clinics, and at night, perform with some of the jazz ensembles. A big name will always help attract more concert-goers. Another thing WCSU does is has their jazz concerts on Thursday and Friday nights, or Sunday afternoon. Maybe changing the time of the event will help get more attendance.
ReplyDelete