Conference Report : 2005 ASOL
Washington D.C., 15-17 June 2005
Supported by UK Trade and Investment
IAMA’s role with other associations is collaborative as it attempts to capture opportunities and information for the benefit of its members. It seeks to enhance personal contact between members and those in the profession who wish to enter new markets or develop their contact base in countries they would otherwise seldom visit. This, in essence, is what the trade mission programme, supported by UK Trade and Investment, hopes to achieve. It is designed to develop export potential and it provides a platform for the Association to make contact more frequently with its international members.
Our past and on-going collaborations include: ISPA, AAPPAC, APAP, AEAA and more recently the American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL) which has a membership of over 900 American orchestras. Henry Fogel, President and CEO of the League has continued to develop the annual conference and it presents a good opportunity for members of IAMA to meet.
This year’s conference was held in Washington D.C. from 15-17 June at the Hilton Hotel. IAMA members who attended included: Intermusica; Hazard Chase Limited; CAMI, NY; John Gingrich Management; Van Cliburn Foundation; Young Concert Artists; Kaylor Management Inc.; Joanne Rile Artist Management; IMG Artists, London and New York; Konzertdirektion Hans Ulrich Schmid; Askonas Holt Limited; Cramer/Marder Artists and Herbert Barrett Management. There were more IAMA members at this year’s event than last year.
Following on from the ASOL meeting last year in Pittsburgh, PA, there was frustration expressed by the artist management community about the lack of interaction between artistic administrators and artist managements. In a meeting between IAMA’s Chairman, James Brown, Chief Executive, Atholl Swainston-Harrison and Henry Fogel in January 2005, the matter was raised and an agreement was reached to try and develop a programme during the ensuing months with Jessie Rosen, Director of Programming. The result was the first session between the two constituencies, entitled: Artistic Administrators and Artist Managers: Should Artists Do More Than Perform? Panelists included: Frank Salomon (Managing Director, Frank Salomon Artist Management); James Brown (Managing Director, Hazard Chase Ltd.); Orli Shaham (Pianist); Ulrich Bader (Director of Artistic Planning, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington D.C.); James Undercofler (Director, Eastman School of Music) and Michael Lawrence (session moderator). A summary and points to consider follow:
16 June 2005: 14:15-15:30 - Hilton Hotel
Artistic Administrators and Artist Managers: Should Artists Do More Than Perform?
Don'ts
- Artists might not be right or comfortable doing educational, outreach or signings beyond the concert engagement
- Don't "parachute" an artist into another role beyond the performance at the last minute. Last minute requests are not really easy to deliver and perceived failure by the artist can leave a negative impression for a long time
- Don't dismiss any event apart from the performance as an "add-on". It might be the key to a further engagement with the promoter/presenter
- Perceived failure by the artist can leave a negative impression for a long time
- Don't leave the artist to "do their own thing". All artist appearances in public need to be contextualised
- Don't expect every opportunity outside the concert date to pay. View the experience within a bigger picture including the aspirations of the artist and presenter/promoter
Do
- Find out about other things your artist is good at. If s/he is a good communicator, it might well create more opportunities in the future
- Encourage your artist to participate in opportunities outside the main performance engagement
- Contextualise the experience and work in partnership with the promoter/presenter
- Get to know the issues of the locality and convey these to the artist
- Make sure the artist has as much advance warning of the engagement as possible
- Keep asking your artist you believe is a talented communicator to get involved with extra-performance opportunities, even though the answer is "no" at first
- Sell the good points outside the performance to the promoter/presenter as early as possible. Give them a handle on your client
US Lobby
One of the events during the conference was a direct lobbying opportunity by the conference delegates of their elected Representatives and Senators at the Capitol. Entitled “Orchestras on the Hill”, this afternoon session was created to address a number of issues including NEA funding, Education and outreach, charitable giving and the pressing issue of immigration. Atholl Swainston-Harrison was assigned with the Utah delegation to visit the very senior Senators, Robert Bennett and Orrin Hatch. As pointed out, it is not just about the $1000 premium processing fee but also the tremendous expense that orchestras have to undertake to get the interview process completed. Added to this situation are the tight time-lines for processing visas.
The proposed extension of the maximum six-month application period to one year in advance is receiving serious consideration. There is also a renewed call for the NIA to commit to a 45-day turn-around on the processing of visas. Both Senators received the advice of the delegation and were clearly aware of the issues. They have been personally involved in the mediation of immigration matters and indicated that some improvements in the system might well be possible in the near future.
ASOL Fair:
UK Trade and Investment sponsored an exhibition stand at the trade fair section, which acted as home base to visiting members. An informal drinks reception at the stand was given on 16th June which, over 40 Artistic Administrators, Artist Managers and other guests attended. Back to TOP