Classical music and Football
Football you either love it or are completely indifferent to it (it’s rare to find people who absolutely hate it, I find). When it comes to classical music, I see it running along similar veins. I happen to like football and classical music too, and many comparisons can be made between the two, that I doubt many football fans realise, or maybe music fans.
On one level you have 11 footballers including one Captain and a Manager, an Orchestra has its musicians, with a Leader and one Conductor. The footballers and musicians play with the Captain and Leader controlling play, the Conductor and Manager strategise, influence and make the big decisions before, during and after the concert/match.
On this very basic level we can see the similarities, players generally have their preferred position and tend to stay there and musicians don’t swap their instruments from concert to concert. Conductors and Managers know their places too. There are so many other similarities; the only difference is probably the pay structure, and that includes even the best conductors.
Fans are passionate about what they love, the only difference between football fans and classical music fans, is it is much more acceptable to be in your face to another person about the team you support. To go crazy about football is acceptable, yet if all classical music fans spent one day doing exactly the same thing football fans do, everyone would think we had gone bonkers. And be fair, acting like this probably wouldn’t get many new people into concert halls!
Nevertheless the point I’m trying to make is the reluctance of classical music lovers to take a chance and try and bring new people to concerts by not being vocal enough. From a newbie perspective I can say, going with somebody who’s been before takes some of the nerves away from what to expect, and I suppose it’s the same for going to a football match too.
I think orchestras are missing an important tactic in improving concert attendances; they can learn from football and adapt it to promote themselves. I’m not suggesting there should be leagues, team shirts produced and sold to fans for example, but the essence of fan promotion on a subtle levels could be looked at. What I am suggesting is that classical music fans love their music equally as football fans love their teams. There just seems to be a national reluctance to tell people the great concerts you’ve just been to, the music you’ve just heard in the same way that people talk about the matches they’ve seen and the goals scored.
Even if you’re bored brainless from hearing about football, it doesn’t matter, the point is football is seen and read and talked about to millions by millions, it is on the public radar whether you like it or not. With the notable exception of the Proms, classical music consistently slips under that radar, when maybe if we try a bit harder by word of mouth promotion; it may start to rise.
Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites are being put to good use, but in all honestly they are only being used in reference to classical music by people who know what to look for, what I want to know is how would these orchestras and concert hall sell a football fan a concert ticket? What would they do to get some to take a chance and go?
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