Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Tell them to keep the LIVE musicians!

From a Facebook post by Robin Spielberg (forums member, professional pianist, recording artist, author http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1199046/Robin_Spielberg__pianist/).

I can't believe DANCING WITH THE STARS is getting rid of live music!! Please fill this email box with your support of live music! Candice.A.Ashton@abc.com
From Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM: "The Federation has now confirmed that after 17 hit seasons with Dancing With The Stars, one of the world's most popular TV programs, the DWTS Big Band has been fired. ABC/Disney says the group, comprised of 28 talented musicians, singers, arrangers and copyists, will be replaced by pre-existing sound recordings and a "small electronic band” to "attract a younger viewer demographic.

We are in contact with ABC/Disney executives in an attempt to stop these unjustifiable and unwarranted actions. You can join with us to push back against this latest attack upon the livelihood and integrity of professional musicians. Please email Candice.A.Ashton@abc.com. Please let her know that you will encourage viewers everywhere to boycott the show, ABC-TV, and The Walt Disney Company if she follows through on her plan to fire the band."

I'm all for keeping live musicians for all musical events. The actress in "One" can's play and the music is easy enough to play - no reason the the producers couldn't find someone who can play. Same holds true for other shows.

Sent an email to 802 asking that they look into this and never recieved an answer, guess it's because I'm not a member and wish I may, wish I might will not happen since I'm enoying the journey of learning to play. My father was a member, he even recieved a gold membeship card.

I love the sound of Orchestras tuning up for Musicals, Opera, Ballet and other events. Nothing can take the place of live music.

Absolutely disgusting!

I have gone to several concerts here in Milton Keynes. The Founder Director of the Milton Keynes City Orchestra, Mr Hilary Davan Wetton, always says something in the breaks about the importance of live music, and they play both classical and popular.

I cannot remember it completely, specially the percentages, and I think he is repeating something from a study, but it was something like this:

"If one person goes once to a concert, the chances of his repeating and going to another concert go up by a 25%; if he goes to that 2nd concert, the chances of going to a 3rd one increase by 50%, if he goes to that 3rd one, chances that he will go to a 4th one go up by 75%, and after that one, chances are that he will attend lots and lots of concerts in his life."

Of course young people like live musicians, not only for modern music!

Don't know how to edit - The actress in One can't play the piano,her hands hover above the keys.

I have a few friends in that band. Yes just another blow to live music at all levels. This is just at the higher, more visible level. It trickles down from there...

We live in an era where people are content to hit *play* on their devices as opposed to having the real deal. In some ways, can't I say I blame them. If they are early 40s or under, for the most part they are products of their generation which grew up in an era where live music was not part of their life/social landscape. When they went to a club or function like a wedding, good chance there was a DJ there as opposed to a live band.

My nieces and their husbands are in their late 20s to early 30s. Their connection with what I do is probably a -100... In their world, I'm about as relevant as a Viking ship builder or a blacksmith.. My niece has never heard a live jazz group in her life. She said she doesn't like to go where there's live music, of any style, because her and her friends can't talk....

It's a microcosm of what's going on today and what will be even be more prevalent in the future I feel. People that are optimists (not me) , say ..oh yeah these things are cyclical, it will all come around again. Personally I can't see it. The foundation has already been laid. The only passion I see these days is for facebook and iphones.

I can't tell you how many world class musicians are barely making it, losing their homes or had to move on to another career. It has never been easy being a Pro musician, but I came up in a time where--if you practiced your a** off, could play, sight-read and was a generally nice, easy to get along with, social person--you would work and could carve out a humble living. You might not be famous but you could have a small family, buy a modest house and be ok.

Today everything reminds of that Phil Collins tune pertaining to just getting a gig--Against all odds ! Myself along with the majority of my comrades in arms feel like its the Dark Ages for all serious musicians today. .

Yet we keep practicing....go figure.

How sad Dave

That is sad Dave.
I hate to see such top notch professionals struggling.

I have friends who are concert pianist and jazz piano recording artists who have to constantly chase
work.

huh? but they have gone to discos and noisy clubs/bars, haven't they? On/off button music places...

I have been to piano bars, food places with bands, and they don't "have to" be noisy, depends on the style of music, of course.

Pity what they are missing and the implications for so many professional musicians.

I enjoy live music, have gone and will go to many concerts and others, but for me playing music is just a hobby, it must be scary when it is actually what you do for living.

Why do they always over-egg the argument?

"...stop these unjustifiable and unwarranted actions. You can join with us to push back against this latest attack upon the livelihood and integrity of professional musicians."

A "justification" has been offered. "Unwarranted" and "Integrity" are just buzz-words. It's about losing jobs and, arguably, about reducing quality (though how is maintaining quality anyone's business except the producer's?) Fight it on that basis.

So drag them screaming and fighting to a first concert, then a second.. thus producing a music lover?

Lord knows, I'm not against live music. I make a living from it. But let's try to keep the arguments real!

hahaaa... not my words in any case, but it certainly worked with me well before I ever heard that. The conductor I heard this from never mentions it, but I guess he means willingly going to a concert for the first time, no mention of age.

BTW, there are easy going ways of taking kids to concerts. Parades with marching band, musicals... make a nice thing of it. They do "Proms in the Park" here in Milton Keynes, and the orchestra plays both classical and popular music, even some opera singing. People come with chairs and a picnic, and I see little kids singing and dancing, getting familiar with the music. Expensive sweets, ice-creams, drinks and food vans for them to get spoilt too and for the parents to have a drink (of course in the UK). Then big fireworks, and a nice night out. I haven't seen any kid screaming or fighting, and this is a very popular event, not a "do not move and make no noise or else" one.

Here in UK, the BBC Proms get more and more popular year by year - and many more young people attend for them than for 'normal' concerts.

They are less formal - no dress code, as long as you've got something on - and you can just turn up and queue for tickets on the day, standing or sitting (or lying down, as I did for my first Proms concert: Brendel playing Brahms 2 with Abbado conducting the Berlin PO), lots of contemporary music gets programmed, including several new commissions every year (last year, Rzewski's new piano concerto was premiered by the composer).....even concerts of Boulez and Stockhausen are well-attended, as well as jazz and folk concerts.

And orchestras (including the greatest like the Wiener Philharmoniker and Berliner Philharmoniker) and soloists around the world are clamouring to come to the Proms.

Precisely, the first experience doesn't have to be a "shhhhhhhh, keep quiet and don't move" one, it's just an introduction and if it's relaxed and enjoyable the kids -and adults- will enjoy it and they might be more interested in live music.

By the time they actually go to a "shhhh" one I hope they'll have learned how to behave, all being said!

P.S. (Both to adults and kids) NO! the crinkling wrapped sweets are NOT to be opened during a concert/film/anything similar, it doesn't matter how slowly and carefully you try to open them! That's why breaks are for! And if no breaks, have them unwrapped and ready before it starts! *sigh*