The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is back for a second year -- but why?

We're not really sure why, but it's back.  The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is having another go, this time in Sydney, Australia.  The general idea is the same as last year -- post a video of yourself playing the set audition and maybe you'll get selected to perform with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas at the Sydney Opera House.

We love the idea of people getting together to play music, meet colleagues from different countries and have a great time. This is why there are summer camps, study abroad programs or chamber music salons.

What sends our cynicism meter flying into the red zone (our heart is black so yours doesn't have to be) is what appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of how orchestras actually work.  Even worse, there are too many people involved that know better for it to be a nonspecialist marketing mishap.

Here are a few snippets from the press release announcing YSO 2011.

-- "YouTube opens online auditions for a second global collaborative orchestra"

Except for the online part, none of this is news.  Almost all orchestras are global in their makeup and, unless they really hate the conductor, are made up of people who collaborate artistically for a living.

-- The Youtube Symphony "aims to use the inherent democracy of the Internet to offer musicians around the world — whether professional, aspiring, or retired — an opportunity to play at Sydney Opera House."

Everyone already has a chance to play at the Sydney Opera House. When the opera orchestra has an opening, anyone is free to make an application and turn up to the audition.  An applicant's chances of securing the position improve if he or she has put in the roughly 10,000 hours of practice required but it is not strictly necessary. Neither is going to Julliard or owning a $500,000 instrument.

-- "Last year we helped fundamentally challenge the norms of an entire industry, and provided a digital meeting place for classical musicians right around the world."

-- Ed Sanders, Youtube Senior Marketing Manager

We would welcome examples to the contrary here but no news of a fundamental change has reached Culture Monster's ears.  Orchestras still audition in person, often with a screen and as far as the digital meeting place goes....well there are already hundreds of classical music blogs, dedicated social networking sites and message boards as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Underneath all this indignation we think flying to Sydney to play music with some Internet peeps sounds like a pile of fun.  Just because it isn't a change-the-world idea doesn't make it any less worthwhile.  While we look forward to watching the audition videos and hearing how the whole project develops over the next few months, we would like it much more if YSO staffers would send hyperbole on a long walk in the Outback.

-- Marcia Adair

Comments

[Ernie R.]

Not everyone can audition for a spot with an orchestra. Most have pre-screening requirements based entirely on a resume. A live audition is by invitation. It's likely that most applicants won't ever have a chance to be heard live - if they show up, they'll be shown the door. So, Youtube orchestra is correct on this point.

[Hailey]

I very much disagree with the statement that "Everyone already has the opportunity to play at the Sydney Opera House." While anyone could potentially audition, odds of actually getting to perform there are small. You Tube Symphony Orchestra is trying to bring together pros and amateurs (who likely wouldn't really get to perform there otherwise). Plus, YouTube will be flying winners from all over the world to Sydney for the event. Even if the Opera House offers open auditions, it doesn't mean that anyone and everyone could afford to fly there to try out in the first place. For a blog post that offered up the caveat of cynicism, it doesn't seem to be very realistic.

[GCComposer]

I agree at a technical level with the two previous commenters. However, I agree with the main post more holistically.

I am all for using technology or other innovations for presenting classical music in new ways. But if we're going to do that, I'd rather see it happen in ways that are truly revolutionary and meaningful. Basically what the commenters are arguing is that the YouTube Orchestra is an amateur group. That's fine, but there are already amateur groups. The only thing new here is the means of joining the group. But the difference is a mere kitschy marketing trick, it's not substantive. It's still cool and I still think it should be done. But it doesn't provide real (or truly unique) value. As a result, it's something of a one hit wonder. It's neat the first time. But it has no staying power. It will just be replaced by the next nifty way to audition people.

Maybe a better way to use YouTube would be for a piece of music to be written that leverages the technology itself. What about a piece that requires people to play and record videos apart from each other? It's possible.

The key difference is that for such an idea YouTube is a necessary and integral part of the art work, not a tangential, kitschy trick.

I look forward to exploring this idea more on my own site.

Grant Charles Chaput
@GCComposer
KillingClassicalMusic.com

[cabiejo]

I really think the idea of the YSO is to try and reach a younger audience and as a way for the classical realm to try and change with the times, by going digital. Yes it is the same basic idea as last year, but how awesome would it be to get the opportunity to play at the Sydney opera house!!

[Michael]

As a music educator, I think this promotion might reach and inspire thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of music students to practice and strive to be better music makers. Sure, the odds of getting to Sydney are extremely great; however, getting Classical music more YouTube 'hits' and exposure on the internet is a worthy goal of this project. We are living in the digital age people. Old ways of doing things are rapidly being replaced with innovation. Bravo to Michael Tilson Thomas for participating event and promoting Classical music to the new generations.

[Snoozy]

Great blog. It's sad how overrun the arts has become with PR spin and hype. All power to those who call it for what it is. This may well be an interesting development, but why the need to blow it into the best new thing since ... well ... since orchestras were invented?

[Snoozy]

Great blog comment. It's amazing - and sad - how overtaken by spin and PR hype the arts have become. All power to those who shine a path through it.

[Bob Thomas]

Although this program has the glitz of YouTube and Michael Tilson Thomas, it's really no more unusual than similar programs that have been running in the choral music world for many years (although those programs aren't footing the expenses for those who wish to participate). The answer to your headline question (but why?) is "why not?" If people want to audition and have a wonderful experience playing, why should this bother you so much?

[Samantha H.]

The project is run by a publicity company, 21C Media Group in New York City (http://www.21cmediagroup.com/), so yes, @Snoozy, it is all PR spin and hype.

Marcia, If you found the press release offensive, you should have been at the launch event at Carnegie Hall. The most awkward moment came when someone asked the perfectly reasonable question, "Are you going to pay for every musician to fly to Sydney?" Ed Sanders from Google/Youtube replied, "We don't comment on finances. Next question?"

Why wouldn't they comment on finances? Would they not be praised for spending money on the arts?

When asked if the Youtube Symphony represented a new era of corporately sponsored orchestras and what that means insofar as programming, Sanders announced that he doesn't know anything about classical music and deferred to Carnegie Hall's Clive Gillinson, who rambled on a bit about government sponsorship of the arts in Europe and didn't actually respond.

[Paukenkiger]

why did back off at the end..???? you were doing a great job of exposing the idiocy of the youtube symphony, but then you give them a pass, defending the "pile of fun"....

you should have concluded by saying "When will people, who have no talent or respect for music, stop screwing around with classical music?....probably never, since it makes them feel smart"

[Erik J.]

As a young musician who sees promise in an under-appreciated art form in the digital age, this article offends me.

The differences between Youtube Symphony Orchestra's audition process and traditional auditions are plentiful:

1) There is no cost (travel, lodging, etc) associated with auditioning for the Youtube Symphony Orchestra, therefore the risk factor of auditioning is significantly lower than that of traditional auditions.

2) The Youtube Symphony Orchestra includes non-traditional instruments in its audition process (when was the last time YOU saw an ocarina or a nyckelharpa in the Sydney Opera House?).

3) There is no frightening panel of judges waiting behind a portable wall during the audition—the auditionee can record their audition when they want, how they want, and under the conditions they want (especially useful for reed players who won't have to deal with climate shifts affecting their playing), encouraging those who are good musicians in an ensemble setting but not the best at dealing with nervousness.

4) One doesn't need a formal conservatory education to win the audition for the Youtube Symphony Orchestra, as there is no eliminatory resume round.

5) More musicians are aware of the audition because millions of people use Youtube every day and see the advertisement as opposed to the couple of thousand who subscribe to specialty magazines.

I won't belabor my point further. The audition process is EXACTLY what makes the Youtube Symphony Orchestra different from every other orchestra in the world.

That's why.

But now I am asking "why?"

Why do people who love music and wish to see its future success bar entrance for others who would like to share our enjoyment? As Michael said before me, I am thrilled that musicians over the world will be interacting through this project. Even if the applicants don't win the audition, at least they're getting involved in classical music, which is the most important thing.

Why would anybody say "When will people, who have no talent or respect for music, stop screwing around with classical music?" The London Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Sydney Opera House, and Michael Tilson Thomas are all behind this project - do they have no talent or respect for classical music?

These are all organizations that care about sowing the seeds of success for future generations of music, as evidenced by their support of this project.

Why would you, Ms. Adair, so harshly condemn a project without any supporting evidence of why it doesn't work? This article shows complete naïvety toward the subject matter, and total disconnection from the world we live in today. Fortunately, Youtube's site traffic pales that of this snarky little quip of a blog post, so this article won't have much effect on the Youtube Symphony Orchestra's success or failure.

It is people like you who are holding classical music at a level that is ungraspable by the general public, so much so that they've become disinterested. I can only hope that your breed will die off soon so that the rest of us can get back to music making.