NECESSITY WAS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION IN 2020-2021 Here it is, nearly two full years since our entire world was turned upside down. Like so many segments of society, our beloved music world truly struggled; even now, it is hardly back to what we could call normal. Orchestras and other cultural institutions are still working to regain equilibrium. During the dark days of quarantine, we at the West Michigan Symphony began to reimagine how things could look if we started from scratch. With our beloved Frauenthal Theater closed to the public, we were forced to dream up innovative alternatives to performances in front of a live audience. As you know, we were one of the first orchestras in the country to begin performing again—we don’t know of any that started sooner—and we literally had no models to follow. Time after time, we revamped our concert schedule and programming, responding to the crisis in real time and reinventing yet again. This process was simultaneously frustrating and exhilarating, and the results were inspiring. Even with smaller forces, our virtual performances found a grateful and receptive audience. It was nothing less than inspirational to see the emotional impact these performances had on our adult patrons, as well as the young people participating in WMS educational offerings. What a tangible demonstration of how vital music can be to the reawakening of our community for people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds! As we write, the pandemic still lingers. We are learning to live with it, as fully yet safely as possible. Since November, under our “Safe Nights at the Symphony” protocol, those who feel ready have donned their masks and vaccine wristbands and joyfully returned to the Frauenthal for live music. Those not ready to take this step continue to enjoy the online webcasts a week later. We hope and trust that live attendance is back to stay. Regardless, the WMS Virtual Concert Hall remains an alternative, providing a rewarding and vital athome connection to the orchestra. Looking beyond, could the initiatives of the previous year supply a blueprint for the future? With the new virtual format, our concerts and educational offerings can be beamed into any home or school, accessible at the viewer’s chosen timeframe. This could be a game changer—enabling our art form to reach a wider and more diverse audience than ever before.
Let’s envision a future where performances and programs are available through a variety of avenues—live and virtual, and formats yet to be devised. If you are reading this, chances are you were exposed to the arts at a young age. The arts empowered you to explore, to question, to experience beauty, and to create change. If we could fix one thing in this country, it would be the fact that most children’s access to culture has long been dependent on their parents’ resources. We all deserve the chance to get the astonishing riches of classical music in our lives. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the work currently being done by every arts institution were shared with every child online? Don’t misunderstand us: we believe as strongly as ever in the live concert experience. We missed it terribly last year! If anything, the enforced drought of 2020-2021, which ended with November’s triumphant return, only underscored its vital importance. (continued)
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