<p>Just curious what you all feel about our current economic crisis and how it relates to our children's chosen field of music. For me it is striking terror in my heart as I see smaller opera companies begin to fold, middle size houses cutting contracts and even huge houses like the MET begin to cut back on their season. Do you feel this is just a normal cyclic swing that will have little impact on our kids by the time they are ready to audition for jobs? Are the conservatories addressing this at all? I feel this effects the vocalists as well as the instrumentalists, maybe to differing degrees.</p>
<p>Bottom line is that most people fund "culture" from the "disposable income" pot and as that pot shrinks, so do the audiences and opportunities. Also factor in that most schools see "culture" not as one of the three "Rs," so as school funding dries up, so will the funding for the arts.</p>
<p>Many of the larger banks/investment houses are huge patrons of the arts, but with them going belly up or getting government loans, these monies will be gone for the near future at a minimum.</p>
<p>Just a god-awful scenario no matter how you cut it and I don't have a clue as how a conservatory would even begin to address it, unless by increasing their tuitions since their endowments have shrink and donations may go down...</p>
<p>It is very scary - there was a rumor on another board that our local opera company was closing - no verification but very scary to read, even as a rumor. I am concerned about the funding by colleges of the arts. I believe we will see schools cut back on productions. My daughter is at a state school where the music program is important but there will have to be across the boards cuts.</p>
<p>Church attendance might go up...possibly more opportunities in church choirs?</p>
<p>It is the case that professional opera companies are struggling and cutting back. Very talented singers with excellent talent and training are not finding work or having contracts broken by companies. OTOH, as we as a culture make an effort to buy less, be less dependent on "stuff", seek to avoid polluting and ravaging mother earth, the idea of developing talents and programs which are more dependent on the development of the individual rather than needing vast concrete resources is a tantalizingly engaging prospect. Choirs, theater groups, musicians....all of these can engage masses of people without using up the world. To that end, skill as a music teacher is a good asset, and it requires very little to start a "business", just talent, energy, knowledge, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness. </p>
<p>My son is giving music lessons for his part time job. Many of his university friends have lost their jobs, have reduced hours, or are making very little money for their time as food service employees. Meanwhile, he is gaining students every month. It is not easy work, one cannot zone out in the middle of lesson, exhausting work, too, but the hourly wage is good for a college student, and at the same time, it is helping his playing. Win-win!</p>
<p>The mother of one of my piano students mentioned to me today that her H was laid off two weeks ago. (Unskilled labor - immigrants.) I was kind of amazed that they are continuing their D's piano lessons! I hope things turn around soon for them - I'd hate to loose that particular student. She is a doll.</p>
<p>Here in Washington, many of the large concert producing organizations are routinely offering tickets (by email) at the last minute at significantly reduced prices (e.g., we will go to hear a Repin recital tomorrow at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for $15 instead of the usual $75-80). This is both encouranging and scary. I'm sorry they're not selling enough tickets, but happy to be able to afford it. I noticed at another such event there was an unusually large number of young people (18-30) in attendance and that is a very, very good development as this is the audience our kids will need to cultivate to keep their art going.</p>
<p>My son is not going into music with a fantasy that he'll get rich, but I do hope he'll find a way to make some kind of living. It has always been hard - might be even harder now. </p>
<p>OTOH there are more and more small venues, organizations, groups, etc. which are less formal and less expensive and provide performance opportunities for the gifted young musicians in our area. E.g., we love going to a local chamber-sized opera company which uses talented young singers. In many ways I prefer this to full-blown operas at the National Opera which feel like a terrible waste of money when they flop and which I rarely feel justify the $100+ cost of attendance.</p>
<p>I ramble because I have no answers, just thoughts. I am not sure it's all bad.</p>
<p>It's a scary field to begin with, but those with "safe" careers are also scared, have lost or will lose jobs. </p>
<p>At this point, it's a very tenuous area. The aspects of decreased corporate funding are not necessarily economics based (remember Mobil's pullout from Masterpiece theater during the Reagan era) but can be, with UBS dropping their support of Verbier for example. </p>
<p>For those who follow the pro orchestra contract negotiations, here's two very different contract negotiation results:
The</a> Columbus Dispatch : Symphony salvages season
Oregon</a> Symphony, Musicians Union Agree On New Two-Year Contract</p>
<p>I don't know about short or long term effects. Classical music has always been a force of solace in "rough" times. Maybe I'm an anachronism, and far too romantic and optomistic that it may take this historical role in tough times now; perhaps other media has or will fill that niche.</p>
<p>Locally, our regionals seem to be holding up, in some cases flourishing. There have been many outreach, educational programs that appear to be adding interest as well as attendance. </p>
<p>Son has been teaching in a municipal sponsored program these last two falls, but I wonder about next years funding. He lost two students at a private music school when they cancelled for economic reasons two weeks ago. The regional where he has his tenured chair has played to full houses so far this season, but they are in a music director search mode, with each candidate doing a program which tends to heighten interest. The contract is up for renegotiation in early '09.</p>
<p>So far, his fellow grads with public school positions have all kept them, but this will change as less arts-centered districts are forced to cut funding. </p>
<p>I'm rambling. It's not going to be easy. For a lot of folks, just not only our music kids. They knew it wasn't going to be a cake walk anyway. Those with "real jobs" are now just as tenuous. Our guys may have enough "think outside the box skills" to be a bit more adaptable. One upside is that gas is down, making gig/audition/travel expenses a bit easier to swallow.</p>
<p>And honestly, what is more uplifting than live music? I may not be able to scrape enough together to hop the train and go see the NY Phil, but I'll always have enough to manage a show or two from one of the many exceptional regionals that surround us. Hey, I don't have to eat, as long as my kids can.</p>
<p>A report from the more "commercial" side of the arts. My H is in the film industry, a below the line costumer, who worked every year for over 25 years, has a resume of over 18 films and 11 television projects, has had not had one call for over 18 months. The music business has been similarly affected as well here in So Cal. I had a post production music arranger over the other day who hasnt seen work for 6 months after a VERY busy career. I mention both film and commercial music in the same rant, since they seem to be in a simultaneous downward spiral here.I think that at least half of the recording studios have shut up in the last 6 years.It used to be that two thirds of film production was done here in California only five years ago, now only a third is done here. Like many other manufacturing jobs, they(film makers) have gone overseas. Then again California is ahead of the rest of the country--it is estimated that our recession started 9 months ago and hopefully the recovery will happen here first as well.........sighhhh.</p>
<p>Given the current sobering reality, would music schools be doing applicants a favor by weeding out all but the most talented, the ones most likely to "make it"?</p>
<p>vicarious--</p>
<p>I think they already try to do that!</p>
<p>They might be doing some applicants a favor, but they would be hurting their own bottom line if they were to drastically reduce the size of their incoming class. The recession might have the opposite effect - allowing less talented students to take the place of those more talented students who suddenly have second thoughts about music as a career. With the likely loss of outside grants and public funding, schools will find it very hard indeed to intentionally decrease tuition income by decreasing class size.</p>
<p>Don't want to ruffle any feathers politically (really, I don't!!) but I think we need the old WPA back with the programs for artists! Some of the best music, art and theatre came out of those depression-era government projects. Hopefully, things will NOT become that desperate.</p>
<p>jazzmom --</p>
<p>i'm with you completely. this is what the country needs.</p>
<p>In some of the darkest times in US and world history, music has survived, and given solace to people. Some musicians were even spared death during the Holocaust in Theresienstadt. </p>
<p>As the jazz musician Eric Vogel stresses:</p>
<p>
[quote]
We musicians did not think that our oppressors saw us only as tools in their hands. We were obsessed with music and were happy that we could play our beloved jazz. We contented ourselves with this dream world that the Germans were producing for their propaganda.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Music and musicians (at least some of them) will survive this downturn in our economy. There will always be a place for music in our world, as it provides hope in hopeless times.</p>
<p>Well said, Allmusic!</p>
<p>Though there are some who choose to major in Music Education as a good back-plan, even that strategy is questionable today.</p>
<p>The</a> arts left behind in schools -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY</p>
<p>Sometimes I wish Bill Gates had been a musician. We need a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the arts.</p>
<p>Well there is always Gordon Getty!</p>