12: Audience and Social Media
with Andrew Ousley
How has the relationship with the audience changed through the evolution of the Internet and social media?
I think audiences expect a closeness, a closeness with artists that they didn't in the past. And part of the appeal of social media is that it gives them a more unvarnished and intimate view of an artist's personality and personal values, lifestyle, etc., that they don't usually get as much through the controlled publicity. I think audiences in some ways have grown to expect to have that access, which is something we'll talk about more with personal versus professional, which is one of the great anxiety points of social media as well. But I think, I think audiences expect that and it can, I think, help in many ways, affect how audiences come to the concert experience by giving them a more refined and a more personally connected view of an artist, and the artist's story, and the artist's personality that will color how they experience the music making.
Kellogg:
Big question: Do you think that the world of the performing arts or the world of the classical musician is enhanced and better off because there's this social media and this direct access to build a relationship with an audience without a middle person?
Ousley:
It's a complicated question because, yes, I feel that it has-- It's one of the changes similar to publicity that in the last 10 or 15 years that artists now have control over their career and they, they can actually drive things forward in the same way that an artist can now do their own publicity, which you couldn't 15 years ago, 20 years ago.
But that said, that creates a stress on artists who don't know how to do it or aren't comfortable doing it, and they have to get good at it if it doesn't come naturally to them. And that's, that's a stress point. And again, you don't you don't learn how to play the violin extraordinarily well in order to get really good at marketing. So... but if you don't get good at these things, then it can it can ruin an otherwise hugely promising career.
Kellogg:
There's certainly an industry expectation if you're working with a presenter and orchestra, if you're looking at a festival, people that have a social media presence and a direct access to an audience and audience building, have an advantage.
Ousley:
100%
Kellogg:
Or maybe tha- it's not even an advantage, it's a minimum requirement.
Ousley:
I would say I mean, there is judgment if you do not have social media or you have bad social media. And so, again, that's where it can, it can negatively impact your career. But if you have good social media and you understand how to engage with the social media of the institution, then that can have a major boost to your career.
Kellogg:
At Young Concert Artists, when we talk to our artists about career development, working on these kinds of things, the message I like to give is, Wherever you are at work to get to the next level, learn a little bit more, create a structure, get some help, get some guidance. It doesn't have to be mastered overnight, but people have to actually embrace the idea that you can learn this.
Ousley:
Yes, 100%. But I also think with social media, it's very important for artists to understand that you need to find the execution of social media that works for you, that builds your community, but that is authentic. And not every artist is going to say, Hey, I'm on YouTube, let's talk about violin playing! Not every artist has that personality.
Kellogg:
TwoSet Violin?
Ousley:
Exactly, and they're great at it and God bless them. But I think one of the major anxiety points and problem points is that artists look at them and say, If I can't do that, then I just, I can't do that, so why should I even do social media? And you don't have to. You can find other ways to tell your story, and share your unique talent, and your unique musical and artistic vision with your community that does not involve that direct kind of communication. So I think that's the most important thing to me, is that artists find a way to do social media that they are comfortable with and they feel is authentic to them, but that also gets results.