Texas Ballet Company using Canned Music instead of Orchestra

[David Spies]

Management of the Texas Ballet Theater recorded music for 2008 productions in China and have since decided to layoff all live musicians in favor of using the Chinese recording:

http://www.musiciansdfw.org/pages/ballet_crisis.htm" target="_blank

This is serious. It would appear as this political election draws near that those against labor unions are ratcheting up their efforts to break unions in all arenas, including professional musicians.

Witness the following current case studies in labor relations in the classical music industry:

Columbus Symphony (Ohio):
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/lo ... 9L16U.html" target="_blank
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen ... 97470.html" target="_blank

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (Madison, WI):
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/307496" target="_blank
http://wcomusicians.wordpress.com./" target="_blank
http://doublebassblog.org/2008/10/wisco ... trike.html" target="_blank

Texas Ballet Theater (Dallas-Fort Worth Ballet, TX):
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 4cc7b.html" target="_blank
http://www.star-telegram.com/189/story/905205.html" target="_blank
http://www.musiciansdfw.org/pages/ballet_crisis.htm" target="_blank
http://www.kera.org/blogs/culture/2008/ ... a-tonight/" target="_blank

Shreveport Symphony (Louisiana):
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbc ... GECAROUSEL" target="_blank
http://www.shreveportmusicians.org/strike.html" target="_blank
http://www.shreveportmusicians.org/" target="_blank

It is interesting that not only are orchestras in precarious financial situations, but that classical musicians are addressing these concerns in public.

Keep informed, and stay tuned...

[bill]

I would suggest you initiate a campaign protesting this development. The campaign would consist of offering to buy tickets in exchange for a can of tuna fish (cheapest brand available at your discount grocery). If they think canned music is good, then they should love a canned audience that smells like their canned music.

[Mark]

This really isn't a pro-union vs. anti-usinon issue. It's a good ballet vs. bad ballet issue. Canned music at a ballet is bad. I won't go to a performance that uses canned music. I'm really sorry to hear about this.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I'm not at all surprised to hear about this. Pre-recorded music and even electonically-generated music have been creeping into all of the traditional live music venues for several years. Ask anyone on the US coasts who used to fill their calendars with recording gigs 20 years ago...the jobs are fading away. Anyone remember the movie "Crimson Tide" from 1995? That's just one example (and one of the earliest, I believe) of an entire movie score that was completely synthetic (no live musicians, just synthesizers and computers). Google the internet and see how many companies offer a "MIDI setup with thousands of sounds for complete music production and film scoring."

The really sad fact is that most of the ballet attendees won't care (or possibly even notice). I wish I had an answer for the decline of live music (and of recording jobs using live musicians), but I don't. It saddens me to see the crops of fine players being educated in our best universities and conservatories and to realize that the performance opportunities for them are fast evaporating.

And yes, Mark, this has nothing to do with unions. The ballet company in question is in no way required to use live music, nor is there legal precedent to compel them to do so. They are obviously saving a great deal of $$$ by not using (and, having to pay for) live musicians. You, I, and the rest of this forum no doubt agree that it's deplorable. You'll just have a hard time dragging along the other 99% of humanity to our protests, I fear.

[David Spies]

Adaptistration, Drew McManus from Inside the Arts Blog.

Articles on both Shreveport Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra blog:

http://www.adaptistration.com/?p=2100" target="_blank

Dave Spies

[Drew McManus]

I'm very glad to see folks here are paying attention to these issues. The problem of canned music replacing live musicians is always an issue but has been a particular issue the past several years. In addition to the other labor disputes listed below, there was a protracted incident at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre worth looking into.

I wrote several articles on the subject as it unfolded but I'm not into flagrant self-promotion and as such, won't post direct links to my own articles but anyone can find them by doing a search for "Ballet+Theatre" at Adaptistration.

It's worth noting that these sorts of issues are not what music schools and conservatories prepare students to deal with; nevertheless, for too many musicians, they are very real part of their career. Consequently, the more discussion at boards such as this, the better.

Best,
Drew McManus

P.S. On a different but tuba-related note, I had the pleasure of listening to Larry Zalkind (Utah Symphony) perform the Bydlo solo with the Chicago Symphony last week on the C Euphonium that was used in the Boston premier of Pictures. Fantastic stuff.

[justinbarleben]

I'm not at all surprised to hear about this. Pre-recorded music and even electonically-generated music have been creeping into all of the traditional live music venues for several years. Ask anyone on the US coasts who used to fill their calendars with recording gigs 20 years ago...the jobs are fading away. Anyone remember the movie "Crimson Tide" from 1995? That's just one example (and one of the earliest, I believe) of an entire movie score that was completely synthetic (no live musicians, just synthesizers and computers). Google the internet and see how many companies offer a "MIDI setup with thousands of sounds for complete music production and film scoring."

Canned Taps at military funerals. Enough said. Ticks me off to no end.

[imperialbari]

In my younger days I saw a lot of ballet and opera because my teacher was in the orchestra of the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. Since then I mostly lived in the provinces.

I do not like canned music for ballets for artistic reasons, but I know that even the in-house orchestra realised, that running a multistage house took a few compromises, where their own in-house recordings were used for ballets. And no musician lost no job due to this practice.

Another compromise of certain older German theatres and of at least one present American dedicated ballet theatre does appeal maybe even less to me: reducing the scores. The said American house cuts all brass settings down to 2 trumpets, two horns, two trombones, and one tuba. But then not all houses can afford the approach of some larger houses, now also adapted in Copenhagen: having a huge orchestra, which can cover two simultaneous performances, if a Wagner or Strauss opera is not one of them.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[Alex C]

I do agree that tying the election and union vs. anti-union is a stretch. I don't think I've heard the word "union" or heard union policies as an issue so far. As a staunch AFM member I am opposed to the ballet company's decisions on artistic as well as ethical reasons.

I am absolutely certain that I have heard neither candidate voice an opinion on the use of canned music in a ballet performance however I will vote for the candidate who has been to the most live orchestral/opera/ballet performances in the last two years. You can find the results on http://www.balletperformances.com" target="_blank" target="_blank - follow the links to "political figures."

The best thing you can do is buy a ticket for the performance. When the overture starts, stand up and go look in the pit. Then walk straight out of the hall but don't make a scene, go to the ticket office and demand your money back. The administration will hear about it.

Make a scene at the ticket office during the intermission if you want, but try not to get arrested.

[Drew McManus]

This has been a fascinating discussion and although I agree that it isn't a union vs. anti-union conversation there are certainly component which impact collective representation. In particular, I agree that the heart of the matter over whether or not to use recorded or live music is an artistic issues.

Consequently, there are a number of different pressure points that influence artistic growth in any performing arts organization and each one is better suited to specific stakeholders. For instance, ticket buyers have more influence via ticket purchases (or cancellation of subscriptions) as well as direct communication with administrative and board leaders.

Ensemble artists (musicians and dancers) have historically had the most influence on artistic direction when acting collectively and securing master agreements which mandate minimum levels of artistic expenditures (and therefore potential artistic accomplishment). Donors have a different level of influence which is based on the level of their financial support. In extreme cases, they have direct access to the those entrusted with the legal authority to make institutional decisions; the board of directors.

Ultimately, each of these groups have options for influencing the course of an organization and each other. the better organized and clear the message each group can send, the greater their influence. In nearly each of the instances at institutions mentioned in this thread, you can point to organized efforts from each group of stakeholders that had a quantifiable level of impact on the outcome of the situation.

Best,
Drew McManus

[rocksanddirt]

the logical extreme of much of the trend towards less live performance can be seen in the movie Walle, where the folks on the space ship have zero human interaction, and walle upsets that apple cart by interacting in a human way with the passengers.

[tofu]

--

[imperialbari]

I wonder if the dancers really care if the music is live or canned? With canned music at least from the dancers perspective there are no surprises from night to night and the tempo is always the same. Just trying to look at it from a different perspective.

The surprises usually have the opposite direction. The dancing is more vulnerable than the execution of the music. When I came frequently in the canteen of our Royal Theatre the musicians complained about certain conductors, that these adapted too much to the dancers. Dancers also count, but they do not count in bars, but rather to the sequences of movements. That implies, that they may count in uneven numbers also where the music is in 2 or 4. Furthermore the conductor must take up slack around unexpected ovations and dancers’ entries coming too early or too late. The then very young solo trumpeter told that the hard stuff was not what was written in the music, but all the unexpected occurences like stops and shifts of tempo not written in the music.

In at least one ballet a male dancer’s mime had to be coordinated especially well with the solo cornet (yes, cornet!). So in that ballet the viola section was moved further to the right to make space for an elevated seat right next to the conductor and facing the stage for the solo trumpeter to occupy during that number.

There is no way that a pre-canned recording can adapt to the unavoidle misshaps. And neither can it catch the inspiration of the moment, which is so important for the rare heavenly moments.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[Matt Good]

I wonder if the dancers really care if the music is live or canned?

I do know that the dancers tacitly support the musicians of Local 72-147 and want to perform with live music.

With canned music at least from the dancers perspective there are no surprises from night to night and the tempo is always the same.

A ballet orchestra's job is to accompany the dancers. More than often in ballet, s**t happens on-stage and the flexibility of the orchestra and dancers are what makes each performance an event.

-Matt

[Drew McManus]

I wonder if the dancers really care if the music is live or canned? With canned music at least from the dancers perspective there are no surprises from night to night and the tempo is always the same. Just trying to look at it from a different perspective.

I think those are all very good questions and exactly the sort of thing that might go through a patron's mind when examining the situation. I know that the dancers I talk to care very much and in the case of Pittsburgh, there was an excellent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette which did an excellent job of explaining why live music is much better from the dancer's perspective.

Best,
Drew

[OldsRecording]

I'm not at all surprised to hear about this. Pre-recorded music and even electonically-generated music have been creeping into all of the traditional live music venues for several years. Ask anyone on the US coasts who used to fill their calendars with recording gigs 20 years ago...the jobs are fading away. Anyone remember the movie "Crimson Tide" from 1995? That's just one example (and one of the earliest, I believe) of an entire movie score that was completely synthetic (no live musicians, just synthesizers and computers). Google the internet and see how many companies offer a "MIDI setup with thousands of sounds for complete music production and film scoring."

Canned Taps at military funerals. Enough said. Ticks me off to no end.

I was at a funeral the other week, and there was an Air Force honor guard there. At the gravesite, I noticed a young corporal standing off to the side carrying an odd-looking bugle. I didn't think anything of it until the young man snapped to attention, crisply brought the horn to his lips, and the sound that came out sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a very deep well. Earlier in the day I was thinking of asking my friend (whose father it was that died) if anyone was going to play Taps at the gravesite, but I didn't, although I wished I had.

[OldsRecording]

Canned Taps at military funerals. Enough said. Ticks me off to no end.

I was at a funeral the other week, and there was an Air Force honor guard there. At the gravesite, I noticed a young corporal standing off to the side carrying an odd-looking bugle. I didn't think anything of it until the young man snapped to attention, crisply brought the horn to his lips, and the sound that came out sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a very deep well. Earlier in the day I was thinking of asking my friend (whose father it was that died) if anyone was going to play Taps at the gravesite, but I didn't, although I wished I had.

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