Poor Man's Conference #3

I’m sorry to report that I missed this morning’s plenary session of the Virtual Arts Advocacy Conference. I'm not sure whether it was last night's alcohol consumption or the tasering that stranded me in bed with a wicked headache this morning. But I’m getting ahead of myself and need to post my notes from yesterday afternoon’s sessions.

Day 1 Afternoon:

The afternoon sessions of our fictional arts conference were packed with lively discussions of timely issues and ideas. Here’s a sampling of the workshop choices conference attendees faced:

Twittering to Arts Sustainability: A guide to social networking in which participants learn to tell a compelling story in 140 characters or

Panic Management during a Recession: Exploring the creative dimensions of freaking out.

Show Me the Money: Participants will be presented with a list of grants that similar organizations have recently received. Opportunities to express resentments will follow.

Small is Better: A case study of how a chamber music quartet became a trio and discovered that they didn’t really miss the viola. Applicability to theater productions will be considered.

Building Audiences through Beer: Considering the role of alcohol in Fostering participation in the performing arts. [Sponsored by Fosters Beer].

The Safety Net and You: A hands-on workshop for artists and arts administrators who are considering novel approaches to securing food and shelter.

Words Matter: Saving the arts through creative sloganeering, catch phrases and talking points.

Enter the Scapegoat: How does an arts organization decide who gets thrown under the bus during a financial crisis?

I chose instead to attend a presentation by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. In a lecture that is equally entertaining and moving, Zander talks about finding the passion in classical music but his ideas can be applied to any art form. He uses a simple prelude by Chopin to illustrate his points and to create a small wedge into appreciation for classical music, making the case that classical music can be for everyone. The topic seems even more relevant after reading this morning's Oregonian article about the Oregon Symphony's grim financial condition. Although the video is twenty minutes long, I think it's worth the time. (You’re reading Culture Shock, so I know you don’t have anything better to do right now).



If that video is too long, perhaps this one will fit your attention span better (13 million viewers can't be wrong):



If this is your first time visiting, my earlier posts on the topic can be found here and here.

More serious posts on a real arts conference from Culture Jock, including his drive to Seattle can be found here, here and here.

For even more serious posts, visit the Americans for the Arts blogsite to which Culture Jock has also been posting during the real conference.