April 27, 2005

The Schedule

As a reminder, please remember to bring a music stand with you to each rehearsal. Better to have too many than not enough! Other items which can come in handy include stand lights, power strips, and extension cords

View from a Newbie

-- by Greg Estes, member of the board

Reprinted from Greg's recent e-mail message

Somehow, I have found myself being on the Redwood Symphony Board of Directors without being either a member of the orchestra or a lawyer. I think that makes me unique. I am, however, a marketing professional and in a prior life have made my living as a musician, so it's with that view that I thought I would offer some of my thoughts on the orchestra and our audience. First, I'm very impressed with the talent we possess. The range of material you are able to not only cover, but master, is considerable. And, in a world where classical music seems to fight a battle between playing tired war horses and dragging audiences kicking and screaming into 20th Century music, you seem to have found your voice as a leader in introducing the Bay Area to new works while surrounding audiences with enough familiarity to keep them engaged.

So, we play interesting music and play it well. The question then becomes: What are we going to do to draw even larger audiences?

I think it starts with you. As a marketing geek, I am very interested in the art and science of what draws people to consider and ultimately purchase products and services. I can tell you from not only 20 years of experience but also from doing surveys of the RWS audience members that the single most important factor in bringing people to a concert is that they know someone who is going to the concert or someone who endorses the orchestra. Word of mouth is very powerful when it comes to the arts. If your friend tells you to check out a new movie or a new CD, you are considerably more apt to do so than if an advertisement tells you to.

Therefore, the number one thing we can do to improve attendance is to have orchestra members invite more and/or new friends or family to a concert.

Because we offer a very high-quality entertainment experience, they will be apt to tell others and, again, the word of mouth generated by these endorsements is better than any advertising we can put out, and actually better than any review we get in terms of bringing in even larger audiences.

Playing in Redwood Symphony has many rewards, not the least of which is being part of a talented team. But I know from playing for years in bands all over the Bay Area that it's way more fun to play for 750 people than it is for 250 (about the number of our last concert), and I think if we continue to make an effort internally to introduce new friends, family and associates to RWS, we'll not only have more fun ourselves but also provide a high-quality, rewarding music experience to fresh audiences.

I encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunities available through RWS. Today, about half the orchestra doesn't take advantage of the complimentary ticket available to each orchestra member. Plus, we have flyers, postcards, sample emails and even press kits if you have contacts at local newspapers. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to invite friends and acquaintances to our concerts, so if you have additional suggestions please send them to me or any member of the RWS board. Your great performances deserve to be heard.

Editor's note: Greg has already received a number of positive suggestions in response to this message. The marketing committee and the entire board look forward to discussing these issues in the near future.

Lobby Help Needed

A few months ago we ran an article asking for additional lobby volunteers. Though we picked up a few, we still need more help. Our dedicated but exhausted lobby staff will be even more stressed as we build up our audiences (see previous article).

Additional volunteers will enable us to speed up lines for ticket and refreshment sales as well as to do a better job collecting tickets. Did you know many patrons enter the hall without anyone taking their tickets? In other words, more volunteers will help us deliver a more professional "user experience." And with more helpers, each volunteer has a better chance of getting to actually hear some of the concert! Please let us know if you have a friend or family member who can join lobby staff.

Music at Kirkwood

-- submitted by Amy Duxbury, local bassoonist

Please join us for our exciting second season of Music at Kirkwood, held at the beautiful Kirkwood Ski Resort on July 12th to 16th, 2005. Music at Kirkwood combines an esteemed faculty (including bassoonist Steve Paulson) and an opportunity to learn and perform in a gorgeous setting with friends and colleagues. Individuals and pre-formed groups are welcome. In addition to coaching from members of the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, and the Lark String Quartet, there is hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and swimming. To get more information about what promises to be a week of wonderful music-making, please visit www.musicatkirkwood.com. Hurry, the deadline is May 1st. Hope to see you there!

This is a Web version of text from the newsletter "Redwood Symphony Notepad" which is distributed to members of the Redwood Symphony at rehearsals. The newsletter and this online version are edited by George Yefchak.

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