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Allwardt, IngridA change of perspectiveNew departures in music communicationcategory: Essay published in: das Orchester 11/2008, Page 10 |
Music communication has become a wide field over the past years – it is now generally accepted that artistic brilliance is not enough for an orchestra, its music has to be communicated, and new audiences must be generated, especially among children. While there is no single formula to mediate between orchestras and audiences, it is important to see music communication as a social mission that needs to be transformed into a movement, based on as broad a variety of networks and agents as possible. The article by Forsthoff and Kolbe explores examples of such networks within a number of urban contexts. Forsthoff notes critically how the lack of political backing can undermine networking attempts, as shown by the case of Hamburg in contrast to the more successful policy of Basle. On the other hand, Kolbe describes how projects in Berlin, Heidelberg and the Ruhr Valley productively radiated across the urban centres and their hinterland and created bridges between musicians and citizens. The question of how to convey music effectively and professionally has also increasingly been addressed by teaching institutions. Following the lead by the Music Academy Detmold, which established a relevant course already in 1998, many others have since initiated similar programmes – examples being Linz, Zurich, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Bremen. Some of them have made music communication a compulsory module or even plan to offer it, as in Hamburg, as a complete masters degree. Yet communication is not and cannot be the message, as Notze argues in a provocative article. It can only be a means, not an end in the effort to keep and develop audiences. Yet, he claims, music communication is too often used in ways that undervalue the inherent artistic and existentialist dimension of music in favour of easier consumability, emphasising fun and accessibility. It thus also underestimates the genuine interest and intellectual capacity of (potential) audiences.