85: Behind The Scenes: Classical Music PR (Part 2)
Incorporating Social Media: How and Why
with Beth Stewart
Something that is a challenge for some artists is how you figure out what you're comfortable sharing publicly and what you maybe don't want to share and what is authentic versus maybe even sometimes what young artists perceive they're supposed to be like.
How can a young artist facing this for the first time navigate the challenge of what's public, what's not public, what's authentic and not?
It's so interesting, right? Because you spent school years in the early years of a career, sort of trying to get to the level that you perceive everybody else to be at, right? The level where you get it and you've made it, where supposedly you understand everything about your own music making.
So at that level, you're trying to be-- I often use the word anodyne. You're trying to appeal to everyone. Once you get to that level, then the game becomes, How do I stand out? How do I become more me so that I'm not just, you know, Sally violist next to Sam Violist, and we're the same thing. I think that the idea of what is authentic is different for every artist and really has to be determined, kind of in your own heart and mind.
It used to be that publicists would sort of create a persona for an artist to live in, to like picture a soprano, you know, swathed in a fur coat and flowing hair and 20 scarves just swanning down the streets. Now, I would say that at least with my clients, we've really gone in the other direction. So I make it a point to really get to know who my artists are.
I don't think I've ever asked any of my artists to pretend to be something that isn't who they really are. So I get to know them and then we think together very intentionally about which aspects of themselves they want to share with the public. So most of my artists have some elements of their identity or some cause that they're passionate about that really drives their interest in being part of a public conversation.
And that's a great reason to have a publicist. I think many people think, Oh you know, I've got a Carnegie Hall recital or I've got a lead role at the Met, that means I need a publicist. And that actually isn't true. The reason to have a publicist is really if you have something to say and you want a little help figuring out the best way to say it and the best, most effective people to say it to.
Kellogg:
So speaking of what people want to say to the public, it's my perception that the audience is hungry to know more than just there's a wonderful artist on stage. You know, they want to know a little bit about what your life is like on tour, what you care about, or see a picture of your dog when you're playing on the weekend.
I find that in some ways a very exciting thing, that artists are people and they get to share more of themselves than just they step on stage and embody a role. Is that a good thing?
Stewart:
I think it is. If for no other reason than it reminds us that artists are also humans. I think sometimes, even in classical music, people see performers at a very high level and they sort of assume they're bulletproof, that they don't have feelings at this point or that they have all the power in the world. Where the truth is, a lot of times the artists don't have all that much control and if you're shouting out an artist for something outside of their control, I think it's really healthy that we're beginning to see that that artist as a human being who is going to be on the receiving end of that message. I think we see this a lot when we're talking about conversations that move the industry forward.
Sometimes I think we get a little too hung up on individual artists when what we really need to be looking at are institutions and sort of protocols or processes that go across the whole industry. I think that tackling those would be more efficacious in the long run.
Kellogg:
For decades, it seems that artists were just supposed to be magnificent individuals on stage and the rest of their lives was separate. Has that changed?
Stewart:
I think so. With the advent of social media, we really get a glimpse into what artists are like. It’s-- often it's a very curated look as it is with most of us on social media. But I do think that now we get a sense for who an artist is offstage. We might get to see them hanging out with their cat on the weekend or in an airport after their third flight cancellation of the day. We really get those moments where we're reminded that these are human beings just like us. What I love is when we get a sense for how their real lives impact their music making.
So I'm a sucker for a behind the scenes moment. I love it when a musician will show you three different approaches to a phrase and which one they decided on and why. Because that's a fascinating part of the thought process that most of us don't get a glimpse into. Mostly we just get to see the final product. And now with social media, we can really take people along on the full ride of getting to know a piece, making it your own, and then sharing it with others.
Kellogg:
And I would guess that the result, when this all works really well, is when you show up to see one of your favorite artists in performance. It just heightens everything about that experience.
Stewart:
Absolutely. I think it feels like a more personal connection. I think-- So much of what we do-- music is so-- it's perhaps the most individual and simultaneously collective experience we can have.
Maybe religion is similar. You can be having your own internal emotion and movement and catharsis and transformation, but you're doing that with a thousand other people in the same room who are all having that moment. That is such a powerful thing. And if you also feel a direct connection to somebody on stage, I have to imagine that that amplifies that whole magic.
Kellogg:
You know, it makes me think of another reason for PR, which is simply we all believe in the power of art, and the storytelling has the potential to deepen that for our audience before they even walk into the concert hall.
Stewart:
Absolutely. And I think a lot of what people on my side of the industry are doing right now is storytelling outside of people who are already fans. So helping the average Joe on the street understand that this kind of music can be for them too. That there's something in here for them.
Kellogg:
Well, I'd love to hear you talk more about storytelling and how that might connect to the relevance of classical music.
Stewart:
I mean, I think a lot of art forms right now are really feeling like they have to prove themselves, that they are still relevant, that they are worth getting off the couch and going to sit in a crowded theater for.
Part of the way that we do that is through our programing, right? We're about to open the Metropolitan Opera season with Dead Man Walking, which is a really powerful story in which the death penalty raises the stakes at every turn. But it's not really an opera about the death penalty. It's an opera about redemption, transformation, and ultimately between a nun and a convict. It's kind of a love story. There are big emotions that we can all understand. There are also ethical questions that are at the forefront of a lot of conversations happening far outside the opera house right now. So I think those topical stories where people in the audiences can see themselves reflected on stage is super important.
The other way in which I think we do increase that sense of relevance is through social media and having classical musicians be a little more approachable. Like I would love to see a world in which young people were excited about a violinist in the same way that they might be excited about a soccer player.