Classical Music's New Marketing Strategies: Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol?!

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to students participating in “From the Top” here in Rochester. The morning after their concert, they took part in an “Arts Leadership Day” at the local radio station, which entailed multiple activities and discussion sessions intended to promote entrepreneurial thinking. My presentation centered around what I believe to be a key strategy in bringing classical music to new audiences: combining one’s non-musical skills with one’s musical ones to create uniquely engaging performance experiences. We had a wonderful discussion, and all of the students were very enthusiastic about the concept, immediately brainstorming ways in which they might be able to marry their other interests with their musical proclivities. Towards the end of our time together, one girl raised her hand.

“I think this is a great idea,” she said, “but I think that part of what makes classical music so special is the concert hall experience. I love performing on stage, and I don’t want that to change.”

“Of course,” I acknowledged. “We should always stay true to our tradition. I’m just advocating that we play in other places, and present in other ways, in addition to the concert hall and its formalities.”

That interaction came to mind last week when I was going about my usual evening routine: eating a pre-made Wegmans dinner and watching CNN (quite glamorous, I know). After the usual twenty-minute segment on the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, which had lulled me into a stupor (are we seriously still talking about that??), the anchor said something that made my ears perk up: “Next up, there’s a music festival trying to prove that classical music could be hip.”

I nearly dropped my fork. CNN was reporting on classical music? Would this be their new wall-to-wall cover story? Would they send Martin Savidge into the pit of the New York Phil to show a rare concert perspective brought to you only on CNN?

However, my excitement quickly turned to incredulity as the anchor continued–“so hip, that you could even twerk to it.”

Twerk? I put down my fork suspiciously. The thing that Miley Cyrus did with the foam finger? To classical–

But I didn’t need to speculate any more as to what the subsequent content would entail; I could only watch, aghast, as the featured video clip began to play, and my television screen filled with the somewhat surreal images of five Korean girls “dancing” to the last movement of Dvořák’s “New World Symphony”. I put “dancing” in quotations because that is barely appropriate to describe what they are doing–which, incidentally, is also barely appropriate for anyone under the age of thirteen. The anchor’s accompanying commentary pretty much summed up my reaction: “Oh, Good Lord, what have we come to?”

It turns out that these ambitious young ladies (though to make matters worse, I heard a rumor that one of them is actually a guy) are the Korean dance group “Wayeva.” They are collaborating with “B Classic”, a music festival based in Belgium that “wants to give classical music the same recognition as pop and rock music” according to their website, the zealously-christened classicalcomeback.com (I’m actually amazed that URL wasn’t taken yet). More specifically, Classical Comeback “is a new music video format that combines the timeless emotion of classical music with the visual talent of a contemporary director.” Visual talent? Really? I think “visual eye candy” might be a better description. I respect the choreography as a valid artistic expression (in spite of its risqué nature) but this apparently well-intentioned mission to expose Dvořák to new audiences is fatally flawed, because it is not Dvořák that is exposed as much as the finely-toned legs and wiggling abdomens of the “dancers.” Upon watching the video in its entirety on YouTube, I was further horrified to realize that CNN had not even aired the worst of it; as the video reaches its climax, there is a sudden (and terribly edited) cut to the end of the piece, in which things still jiggle and wiggle but in painfully slow motion. The final shot shows the girls walking in black raincoats down a South Korean street, beneath a caption that reads, “You just listened to 3 minutes of classical music.”

And of course every unsuspecting drooling guy at their computer screen will be like, Mind blown. That was classical music?! Sweet. I gotta go to the symphony right away and see some more of this!….only to be disappointed when they show up at Orchestra Hall to discover that there are not provocatively dressed twerking girls on stage, but a bunch of old guys in tuxes.

While that might be an amusing joke to play on an unsuspecting frat boy, this soon-to-be Eastman grad is not amused. Clearly, the directors assumed that if people liked what they saw, they would like what they heard–but it simply doesn’t work. For one thing, the dance moves are barely coordinated with the music, and for another, they are so distracting (and in some cases, disturbing) that any conscious being watching the video will be hardly focusing on the music at all. A cursory glance at the YouTube comments confirms the futility of the effort:

“I played this song in high school….I appreciate what they’re trying to do….But really this isn’t sending the right message,” one user writes.

Another isn’t as diplomatic: “This is [a] disgusting piece of trash! And as [a] Czech I feel offended! If you want young generations to get closer to classical music, do it sensitively!”

And still others took advantage of the cringe-worthy video to make some cringe-worthy wisecracks: “Dvořák is turning over in his grave…if only to get a better look ;)”

Oh, Good Lord.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, similar marketing strategies have been cooking up–or should I say, rolling up. I am talking, of course, about the Colorado Symphony’s bold new initiative,  “Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series.” According to a recent article posted on NPR’s “Deceptive Cadence” blog, the series “includes three BYOC (bring your own cannabis) chamber concerts at a gallery with an enclosed smoking area and food trucks” and “will conclude with an orchestral concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver, a venue best known for hosting rock acts from The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and U2 to jam bands The Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic.”

Jerry Kern, Colorado’s CEO, offered an explanation for this unprecedented move in The Denver Post: “Part of our goal is to bring in a younger audience and a more diverse audience, and I would suggest that the patrons of the cannabis industry are both younger and more diverse than the patrons of the symphony orchestra.”

Well, obviously; I can’t quite picture classical music’s usual “sea of gray” audience lighting up (just think how it would worsen their already-chronic coughing!). But weed-friendly concerts are not the only means through which the folks over in Colorado are thinking outside the box. Another new initiative is “Beethoven and Brew,” in which patrons “enjoy an exclusive beer tasting paired with light hors d’oeuvres and the sounds of a Colorado Symphony chamber ensemble performing Beethoven in a casual setting.” I guess I could see that happening, but I’m a little concerned about the net quantity of alcohol imbibed: “After enjoying numerous distinct brews and savoring the cuisine, grab a glass of your favorite brew from the cash bar.”

“Numerous distinct brews”? This might mark the first time patrons will attend classical music concerts with a designated driver.

All jokes aside,  I have to admit that when I first read about these initiatives, I had serious reservations. “Beethoven and Brew” seemed feasible enough (heck, maybe it could even help people endure the tonally austere passages in the Op. 131), but the description of “Classically Cannabis” had me shifting uncomfortably in my kitchen chair (yes, it was another mealtime, but CNN was talking about the plane again, so I was on Facebook). I grew up being strongly advised against marijuana use, and while I respect those who use it legally and responsibly (in all two states where that’s possible), the concept of bringing a previously illegal drug into the classical concert hall just seemed wrong to me. Like the bright young lady I met at the “From the Top” session, I have always associated classical performances with an almost sacred dignity, and given that I’ve always associated marijuana with purple-faced D.A.R.E. teachers, my first college roommate (don’t ask), and Rochester bus stops, it’s very difficult for me to imagine a union of the two cultures. I know that I would be uncomfortable at a concert where everyone was higher than the Rockies, and I suspect that I’m not alone.

That said, I have great respect for the Colorado Symphony, and recognize that my views are obviously influenced by my personal experiences and lifestyle choices. So, I brought the matter up for discussion with some of my colleagues, and we had a very interesting conversation. It was pointed out that in Colorado, smoking marijuana is not any worse (at least, from a legal standpoint) than drinking beer, so if the “Beethoven and Brew” could go on, why not “Classically Cannabis”? Similarly, given the rapidly growing cannabis industry in the state, it does make sense from a marketing perspective to appeal to that culture. One of my friends said that if it got people in the seats, we should support it, regardless of our personal views on marijuana usage. But we all acknowledged that there are certainly other ways of getting people in the seats–and besides, if someone is heavily stoned, will they really get anything out of the concert anyways?

This in turn led to a question I had hardly considered before: does listening to classical music under the influence of alcohol or drugs actually enhance one’s experience of it? Moreover, should such a scenario be encouraged, as is the case in Colorado? Obviously, I don’t personally advocate engagement in these sorts of activities (I was possibly the only college student in the city of Boston who didn’t drink alcohol until turning 21), but I think it’s a matter that should be thoughtfully considered by everyone in the field. If you show up at a concert after having a couple shots of whiskey at the local bar, that’s your choice, and as long as your somewhat inebriated state does not cause you to become a disturbance, there isn’t anything wrong with that. But actively encouraging people to drink or smoke at concerts–is that morally, artistically, and aesthetically right? Obviously, in the case of Colorado, it’s not so much about the experience as it is the marketing strategy. But once everyone shows up, joint or pint in hand, it does become about the experience–and that, in my opinion, is an issue worthy of serious discourse.

Presenting classical music in ways that appeal to contemporary culture is a concept that I have been advocating since I began writing for this blog in 2012. I am beyond excited to learn of the many initiatives being conceived as a means of accomplishing this goal. But, given the relative viridity of this growing movement, we need to conscientiously set its boundaries. I support the Colorado Symphony’s initiatives, with some reservations. I do not support Classical Comeback, although if the choreography was less distracting, less provocative, and generally relatable to the music, I might reconsider. But, as I mentioned previously, I–like anyone else–am hampered by my personal beliefs about classical music, substance use, and twerking. So, I encourage you to offer your thoughts. Comment below, or write in on Facebook or Twitter, to contribute to this very important discussion.