Music

This article is part of the Revisiting Research series.

M. Melanie Beene, Fenton Johnson, and Patricia A. Mitchell. 1988. San Francisco, CA.

Download:

   Autopsy of an Orchestra (12.7Mb)

This article is part of the Revisiting Research series.

Download:

   Autopsy of an Orchestra (12.7Mb)

Grantmakers in the Arts and Melanie Beene are pleased to provide this republished digital edition of the seminal report, Autopsy of an Orchestra.

By the time of the Poor People’s March on Washington in 1968, the Chicano community had already established a political bloc that had been called into action to support many local campaigns throughout the Southwest, as well as Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. From the political rallies, protests, and marches in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s emerged the powerful political voices of Reies López Tijerina, Rodolfo “Corky” González, Dolores Huerta, and of course César Chavez.

My friend and muse, celebrated composer Libby Larsen, recently told an audience that “music is alive and well in our culture,” and she said it with an exclamation point! I agree with her, and in one sense that statement could be both the beginning and the end of this report. It’s pretty definitive. Since the digital age has made access to everything so much easier, composers and performers have continued to learn from and utilize the new technological tools to their benefit.

The League of American Orchestras represents more than nine hundred member organizations across the nation, from youth and college groups to volunteer community orchestras and internationally renowned professional ensembles. Orchestras enhance the quality of life in their communities by providing musical inspiration and meaning, fostering civic pride, and collaborating with school systems and other local partners to deliver a wide array of education and community programs. Their annual budgets range from next to nothing to over $80 million.

Just like its artistic counterparts, the opera industry last year made cutbacks (in jobs and salaries, for example) and compromises (fewer productions and performances) to continue to thrive. Since the recession began, funding sources have shifted, with federal funding, corporate support, and subscriptions on the decline. Foundation support varies regionally. At the same time, costs have continued to escalate at a rate significantly greater than the Consumer Price Index.

Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras is the report of a 2009 study, funded by MetLife Foundation, which explored and documented five examples of promising innovative practices in American orchestras. This is the first formal attempt to define and to understand the organizational factors that support innovation in orchestras.

March 2009, 85 pages, ISBN 978-1-932326-32-1. Council on Library and Information Resources, 1752 N Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20036, 202-939-4750, www.loc.gov