Earlier this month Lang Lang performed along with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at a free Central park concert. The director appeared on stage and asked the audience to text message their choice for a LL encore: a Chopin Etude or a Chinese melody. The latter won. All participants in the selection received a message back offering them a discount on a LL CD and an invitation to follow him on Facebook.

More detail here Orchestras seek BFF via cellphone

Can we hold a PW vote:

1) Do you think using text messaging during concerts is a good idea" Yes / No

2)Would you consider it only at open air concerts or special events? Yes / No

3) what would you have selected for Encore from Lang Lang

a) Chopin Etude b) Chinese melody (sorry I do not know which)


If enough people respond, I will tally up the numbers.

1) No
2) No
3) Chinese melody

1) No.
2) No.
3) None.

Why didn't he just perform both if he had them prepared? I'd pick the chinese one though, because he would probably do op.25 no.1, and that's overplayed by him....

No no,
Chopin!

+1

Why the total opposition to "technology" even in an outdoor setting? The idea obviously is meant to interest younger people. Music halls are struggling with significant financial setbacks.
While I would not want people to be using their cell phones for anything in the concert hall, I think of outdoor concerts (which I never attend) as promotion gigs and would not mind it greatly.
However what I found to be tasteless is the "highjacking" of the phone numbers/addresses with a return message that offered a blunt ad. Perhaps I am contradicting myself, but I cannot resolve this dichotomy for now..

1) Do you think using text messaging during concerts is a good idea
No (but I'm afraid this says more about the respondent's age than anything else)

2)Would you consider it only at open air concerts or special events?
Neither

3) what would you have selected for Encore from Lang Lang
Dunno

There are far better ways.

Why not a voice vote? Or show of hands? Or jump up and down at the one you want?

If the organizers feel OK about doing tech, I don't see why they wouldn't rather do those other more-dramatic more-entertaining more-get-the-juices-flowing methods. IMO the idea of doing "text messaging" rather than those other things is incomprehensible.

I sometimes ask the audience to participate like that (although maybe not quite exactly like that).

One time I did a "guess-the-composer." It was a hoot.

If the whole intention is to get new, younger people and/or increase revenue - there's lots of different options available.
Lang Lang could put a promotional sticker, ala Nascar, on the side of the piano - maybe Red Bull.
He's already shown he's good at pleasing sponsors when he played an encore on the Apple Ipad.
He could play along to the latest DJ, and have a full setup - Lang Lang and Mix Master D, brought to you by McDonald's.
They could provide online gaming tables, and the kids could experience what it's like to play Call of Duty 4 to the pleasing strains of Mozart - perhaps it will calm their minds, and improve their aim!
He could engourage the audience to purchase the latest Iphone App - Concert Clap: it simulates the clapping of one pair of hands, to be used at concerts - of course.
The Program Book could be available only as an Iphone application, available for purchase at the venue.
He could write some transcriptions of some popular product theme songs - Imagine Lang Lang pulling off a virtuoso performance of the Mentos Song!
Why have seats, when they could just pull up in their new, hybrid cars - just like a drive-in?
Why use an acoustic piano, now that I'm thinking of it? With the big push to get rid of everything analog, lately - Lang Lang should really be performing on a clavinova - recyclable, of course.

Why stop with texting? A whole world of commercial licensing and marketing is available to the suavy and trend-following pianist, if only they have the courage and greed to follow through. Lang Lang is doing classical music a great service, by dumbing it down for the younger generation, instead of expecting the younger generation to step up a little bit. I'm sure he'll be remembered fondly some day.



Mark C has the right idea - there are far better ways to get people interested.

Well, Lang Lang has done much of what you suggested already, towards self-promotion. Here we are talking about the NY Philharmonic whose decision it was to conduct the texting vote. They obviously cannot afford to alienate the blue hair crowd completely; yet they, along with many other orchestras, are in serious financial trouble and they are looking for novel strategies to attract audiences..Perhaps you can suggest serious ways of reaching that goal and avoiding "closure".

MarkC, I was curious to see if the votes correlate with age, despite the absence of complete data in user profiles. So far it is only naysayers and I think one of the voters, OSK, is not much older than 16, I think (based on his youtube pic).

Can you think of any reason to do it by 'text message' rather than one of those other non-tech methods?

(Show of hands, voice vote.....)

IMO doing it via texting rather than those other ways is completely bone-headed.
Sorry.

show of hands in central Park?? voice vote, like in first grade? sorry.. not when your iphone is so handy

I do think that texting is a prelude for more.: tweets, "follow me", promos for mp3 tracks, discounted tickets a day or two before an undersold concert (got some of those for the Varese concert by email) etc.. I think they may be testing the waters and poring over the stats, e.g. how many folks bought the discounted CD or joined LL's facebook page after they received the ad, etc..)

It's entirely logical if you're harvesting future recipients for promotional spam.

Sorry - if I could, I would be a wealthy 'advisor-to-the-orchestras' by now, and the old problem of attracting new and young people to an old and antiquated art would be solved once and for all.

The best thing orchestras could hope for would be the total abolition of all forms of radio, tv, and other media that deliver music directly to the home, and a drastic re-ordering of current musical values and standards. Impossible - I know. They would be better served by just soldiering along until no longer possible, or just start hosting rap and country music concerts. Adapting to modern trends is definately a good self-defense mechanism, but we are dealing with a form of art that cherishes old masterworks over newer works. There's only so much they can do to modernize before they no longer represent the very thing they were trying to save, in my opinion.

+1

(Vote: No, No, b)

Seeing how mobile phones ring tones are the curse of concerts I think encouraging their use at such events is a very, very bad idea.

Incidentally, my favourite ring tone moment was when Simon Rattle was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in the Rite of Spring at the 2003 Proms. During the opening bassoon solo a mobile phone (cell phone) rang out in the hall.

Rattle stopped the performance. Glared at the miscreant and then started again.

(The concert was televised so I probably have a DVD of it lurking somewhere.)

Please tell me that you're being sarcastic here (as well as the rest of your post that I didn't include).

Here is what I think. I think people should stop asking me to do things with my phone in the guise of fun & democracy, that is ultimately boring to me, and fills someone else's pockets.