Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Post

“We shall sing to them, what we can not say to them” Thank you to the University of Redlands Conservatory of Music, Inland Empire Master Chorale, and the Defiant: Requiem Foundation for creating such a powerful statement of music, and for the opportunity of learning such a impactful topic in history and selection of music. For those who are curious where I am: check the bottom left corner! To learn more about the impact of Raffi Schächter and his movement in the Holocaust, please click the link here: https://lnkd.in/gYfRSKKk

What a positive result and a welcome relief for our sector. Well done to all those at Museums Association, AIM - Association of Independent Museums, Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre , Manchester Camerata and many others who have lobbyed to achieve this. The new permanent rate covering theatres, museums and galleries - 45% for touring productions and 40% for non-touring shows - is below the current rates of 50%/45%, but well above the pre-pandemic rates of 25%/20%, which had been due to come back in over the next two years. As well as this, £26m of funding has been provided to the National Theatre in London, to upgrade its stages and infrastructure. There was "levelling up" funding for a number of cultural venues: •£15m for the National Railway Museum in York •£10m for National Museums Liverpool •£10m for British Library North in Leeds •£10m for Venue Cymru in Llandudno, north Wales •£5m for the Poetry Centre in Leeds •£2.6m for the V&A Dundee The Budget also included funding for a major TV and film studio complex in Sunderland through a devolution package for the north-east of England. Crown Works Studios is expected to create more than 8,000 jobs in the region and generate £336m a year for the local economy, its operators said.

A recent post from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: ‘Do you know why orchestral musicians usually wear black formal wear⁉’ provides the following reasons: ‘In the 18th century, orchestras were usually part of the household staff of famous noble families …The musicians would perform at lavish events and would need to be dressed to match the occasion - and the tradition has stuck with us ever since.’ While I appreciate this is an explainer piece of content designed to give more context to an established convention, doesn’t this rationale provide the perfect reason why orchestras should be more innovative in all aspects of their concert presentation? In general, orchestras hold on to too many rules, conventions and behaviours - when to clap, what the musicians should wear, what the audience should wear, conductors not talking from the stage etc. The traditions, whilst part of the heritage of orchestras, can have the net effect of turning away new audience members. Threshold anxiety is a very real phenomenon for orchestras - uninitiated concertgoers tend to feel inferior and intimidated; consequently, this can contribute to them not going - simple as that; people will, unsurprisingly, avoid feeling uncomfortable and inadequate. Not to say that a sense of occasion and the heritage of the orchestral concert should be thrown away; this is part of the richness and depth of the art form. But - as a sector -  can we try and think more proactively about how and why we present our artform in a way that gives as many people as a chance to experience it? At a time when orchestras should be relentlessly building new audiences, we need to break down as many barriers as possible. #culturalleadership #futureorchestras

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Best advice a world class musician can give a young leader: "If you are a singer, sing. If you are a commedian, be funny. If you are a magician, do magic. Failure and mediocrity usually come when singers try to tell jokes and comedians try to sing. Unless you are Dean Martin - stick to what you do best." My father was Benny Goodman's lead trumpet player on his Asia and European tours in the '50s. He was a young man who knew what he did well. From his perch in the orchestra, around the world and then for 30 years at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, he saw thousands of performers. While finding the parallels between his life in music and my career as a Naval Officer and a Business Executive was a challenge, one day Dad hit gold with the above quote. Questions for all of us - 1. What are you really good at and can even be better? 2. What should you leave to others so they can shine in their own way? You don't have to be great at anything, but if you want to be, find your brilliance. Video is from 1958 in Brussels. Billy Hodges, my father, is in the back row next to the drummer. BTW: I chose to work with leaders to 'Help humans be heroes in the age of Automation and Ai". https://lnkd.in/ghmriUpn

#TeachRock at #NCSS2023! Hope to see you at our session, "Teaching Latinx History Through Music with TeachRock."

Where is modern bachata from? Discover how The Bronx, the birthplace of Hip-Hop, also gave rise to modern bachata. Read about the rich cultural history and learn about the unique blend of influences that shaped these global music movements in my latest blog post. #TheBronx #ModernBachata #HipHop #CulturalMovements

April 9th is Jazz Artists of Charleston Day! In 2010, Joseph Riley, former mayor of Charleston, proclaimed this special day. Are you a local jazz musician? Thank you for the work you do to keep jazz alive! Comment below and tell us more about you. Do you have a favorite local jazz musician? Tag them in the comments. #jazzartistsofcharleston #charlestonjazz #jazzmusician #jazz #jazznews #chsnews

Giving back: always important, especially when it aligns with your organisation's values. Coxswain Alliance sponsors a critical learning and development program with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; the Fellows. This is about nurturing the talent of the future, building capability. Have a listen to how the seasoned players David and Matthew talk about mentoring young and talented players. It is a nuanced approach that offers multiple avenues for building capability. And Matthew's comment goes to the heart of it. It's not just about being a good player; it's also about being a good colleague. Isn't that the truth!

really starts giving you an insight into the value of our INCLUDE project