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New Media & Classical Music:Turning Change into Progress: 

New Media & Classical Music: Turning Change into Progress Skip Pizzi Technology Consultant Fairfax, VA

Slide2: 

“Change is scientific, progress is ethical. Change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy.” -- Bertrand Russell

Tuning the future: 

Tuning the future We are entering the Third Media Age First Age: Live performance only Second Age: Electronic Media (analog recording & broadcast) Third Age: Digital Media Incremental or disruptive change? Hard to know while it’s happening Consider past models

Impact of change: 

Impact of change Negative impact of new technology on legacy is often exaggerated Movies will kill live theater TV will kill radio VCR will kill cinema A generally uncited case: Did radio affect the audience for classical music performance? If so, how will this change in the Third Age? For better or for worse?

Slide5: 

“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealized past.” -- Robertson Davies

Historical analysis : 

Historical analysis Art & science are forever intertwined From cave paintings to streaming media, tools affect creative process Delivery systems affect audience access Sound recording changed music from a composers’ to a performers’ milieu Defining the boundary between classical and popular music Many examples demonstrate the aesthetic impact of technology

Lessons learned: 

Lessons learned Technology can have fundamental effects Some results can be unintended Not all forecasts are correct Real assessment requires substantial time Proactive perseverance wins the day

Slide8: 

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years, and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.” -- Bill Gates

Harnessing trends: 

Harnessing trends Personalization “Tell me more” functionality Integrating music commerce Adapting to the changing broadcast ecosystem

The changing ecosystem -- old: 

The changing ecosystem -- old Network Station Listener

The changing ecosystem -- new: 

The changing ecosystem -- new Station Internet Listener Satellite Radio

Recommendations: 

Recommendations Develop a rich Classical content community Blend radio with events (mix real and virtual experiences) Promote and engage audience interaction Stress branding of public radio Subscription is the ultimate goal of any niche-caster Balance management of legacy vs. new services Sustaining vs. repositioning -- new branches that don’t threaten roots Avoid the non-profit trap: Don’t scale back out of pure economic caution Content, content, content… Filling the ever-widening margins abandoned by commercial radio Service, service, service… New partnerships & acquisitions Explore all new media venues

New media options: 

New media options Satellite radio Broadband & wireless Internet Home networks (Wi-fi, cable modem audio service, emerging standards) Digital terrestrial radio Airline audio CD/DVD Combinations This convening provides a unique evaluation opportunity: input requested!

Slide14: 

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." -- Thomas A. Edison