We recently posted an article written for us by a leading club secretary all about promoting your club. The current situation within the organ and keyboard world seems to be almost as unsettled as the weather, with many people trying to instigate ways to combat climate change! This club secretary has offered us their views and thoughts which may be benefit others. Here's your chance to join in and have your say...
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Promoting Your Club Article
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Posted 2 years ago #
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We run a club which is a little bit different from the average Organ Society in that we exist primarily to help owners of keyboards better understand and use their expensive technology. We are based in Swindon Wiltshire and can be seen at http://www.keyboardcapers.com
In terms of club promotion we have an hour available to us each week on the local radio station, and good relations leading to regular messages in local newspapers and magazines. Our target audience is small but well defined as 'anybody who owns a keyboard' and we have one gentleman who travels all the way down from Corby - a 2 hour round trip - to join our fortnightly sessions.
Our members are enthusiastic amateurs and our philosophy is 'we all help each other' by sharing our knowledge.
Most of our members are 'senior' because I don't think we reach the younger set with our promotional activity..and then maybe they are busy getting on with their lives in other ways currently.
We would welcome more than the 15 or so current membership and I am sure that the local music shops have sold more than that number of instruments in recent times..but maybe existing struggling clubs might like to consider a different take on the purpose of their club...just a thought...
Roger M
http://www.keyboardplayerextraordinaire.com
p.s we don't book/have professional players doing demonstrations either.Posted 2 years ago # -
I spent a most enjoyable time last night playing for the delightful crowd at Haverhill, Suffolk. A pretty average 50 or so turned out to watch the show in what is a quite superb 'tiered' seating venue with excellent acoustics. If that's 'fairly typical' in these times, what's actually a much more bitter pill to swallow is the news that yet another nearby club will 'probably' shut its doors later this year.
One really starts to worry about the dire situation that seems to have started to exist in some avenues of the concert circuit - albeit while some venues are on the up. The shows that Marie and I have promoted in the midlands are all seeing ever increasing audiences - why is that, I ask myself?
As I have said here time and time before, the only answer is for a more 'commercially minded' scene. It CAN be done.... I performed a joint show with Tim Flint last Sunday down in Bideford, Devon. 2 concerts (afternoon and evening), a superb spread at tea time and 2 fairly full audiences of a hundred and odd each time coming from all over the south west as well as from the local vicinity. On a slightly different tangent, myself and Brett Wales are looking forward to our first ever festival in Bournemouth this November. We sold out in just 2 weeks and are now working on details for 2010.... Given that Byron Jones's Sand Bay was sold out quickly this year along with EMF's Eastbourne event well up on numbers back in February and seats running out at some of the COS Wurlitzer concerts in Glasgow this year - why is is so split between winners and losers?
My major concern is that it seems to be up to a select few folk like myself bothering to contribute to this subject matter on here? Come on, let's get the chat going and see if we can come up with some positive thinking!
Enjoy the rain! Chris
Posted 2 years ago # -
Given that there is a problem...then we need a 'process' by which to solve that problem rather than just ranting on...or do we just enjoy having a good moan and rant...?
It starts with an honest evaluation of the root causes of the problem providing we are able to agree what exactly the problem is...
Retired Facilitator of ChangePosted 2 years ago # -
A good point indeed..... Please don't think that I'm having a rant - we are trying to attract a response from the wider organ world and yes, we need to address the points at hand and come up with suggestions/ideas/ways to move forwards.
What I am 'ranting' about is the lack of input from folks - it all comes back to the apathy thing..... As a guy with a 2 year old and wife to support and 20 years as a professional musician just gone past, I am deeply passionate about this business and the ways to move forwards from here.
Let's work on finding that process! Here's to the future of the organ world....
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ok - here is the standard commercial world problem solving process:
1. Describe/agree what the main problem is.
2. What is the objective that is trying to be achieved.
3. What are your terms of reference.
4. Search for and understand 'the facts' surrounding the problem.
5. Restate the problem as a result of collating those facts.
6. Find the root cause(s) of the problem.
7. Measure those causes.
8. Decide which causes to tackle.
9. Determine alternative solutions to those root causes.
10. Choose the best one of those alternative solutions.
11. Prepare an implementation plan.
12. Question/test that plan.
13. Get approval for that plan.
14. Implement that plan.
15. Review your achievement using that plan against your objective.
16. Start the whole process again and refine even further.
Here's to the future of the organ and keyboard world = enlightenment....
Rog. Retired Facilitator of Change.Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi Chris,
No wonder you are having a rant! Good on you! I'll join you on the ranting scene if I may?
APATHY................. Now there is a very descriptive word. Hmmmm.... Where do I begin?I don't think there are are any hard and fast rules to be followed, or a solution that can be pinpointed down to one or two things since every club is different. Analysing problems is all good and well, but it will obviously vary from club to club. Apathy does indeed play a large part. For instance, recently our club tried desperately to attract new commitee members. We begged,cajoled, PLEADED for people to come forward, to NO AVAIL.....the same people end up doing the same jobs rather than see their society go down the drain. Hardly anybody turned up for the AGM.... and God forbid if there is football on TV!!!!!!!!!!!
What's the answer? As you say Chris, things appear to be going well in the Midlands. Thank goodness! It gives one hope for the future. Up here in Fife (as you personally know), we are lucky to have a successful organ society which has been going well now for 40 years. We have been priviledged to have had the very ''top of the league '' artistes playing for us (although I sometimes think the skill of these players can go over peoples heads). A large chunk of our audience is made up of non players, just wanting to listen to nice music which is great as long as people come through the doors, they will be welcomed with open arms!
Our membership used to be close to 300, now it's nearer 200. As our members are mostly elderly you can understand people not managing to get out so easily due to poor health etc., BUT, this has ALWAYS been the case! We still have very loyal members, but we don't seem to be attracting the newcomers as well as we used to. Since our publicity is more extensive than ever, what's the problem?
As a booking secretary, I have a niggling worry that so many organists are coming off the circuit, and there doesn't seem to be a queue of new players ready to fill the gap. For whatever reason, (and I don't blame them), they are calling it a day. Let's face it, what a nightmare! Touring all over the country, traffic jams, roadworks, unloading heavy equipment etc etc. and maybe hardly any people turn up?!!! I remember a number of years back, the Dunbar club had to pack in. What a sad day that was since the lady that started it up grafted her little socks off. Tim Flint came to perform, and one,.... yes ONE person turned up!!!! Like the true proffessional he is, Tim sat down and played his 2 hour concert which was greatly appreciated.
Take Edinburgh. Some would say '' The hub of Scotland''. Several people have tried to generate interest to keep a club going there and have failed. WHY?....... Nobody would turn up. What's the answer? Goodness only knows...I know I shouldn't say this, but there does seem to be apathy in great supply these days wherever one looks. It's now a major novelty if clubs can get any youngsters through the door. Our society purchased a keyboard, donated it to the school where we hold our meetings, and gave the music department complimentary tickets. Did we get any youngsters coming along to the concerts?........NO!!!
We are going to be staging a concert in our local shopping mall to try and encourage newcomers to our society. Tony Stace has agreed to do this for us, much to our delight. Fingers crossed, we might get some new members. In the meantime, if anybody out there has any new ideas.............I've ranted on enough for one night......................
Posted 2 years ago # -
"I know I shouldn't say this, but there does seem to be apathy in great supply these days wherever one looks. It's now a major novelty if clubs can get any youngsters through the door. Our society purchased a keyboard, donated it to the school where we hold our meetings, and gave the music department complimentary tickets. Did we get any youngsters coming along to the concerts?........NO!!! "
says NicEL8000
John and I did something similar some years ago at Blackpool Keyboard Club. We used to have an annual "Members Night" and for several years and we were never short of "volunteers" to play making up a full evening's programme. Then the interest from the members tailed off so John and I introduced "Junior Night" and whilst not having any "junior members", we asked our pupils to perform. Once again that went down so well that we repeated it every 18 months or so.
We sent out invitations to schools and to other music teachers not only telling them about the Blackpool Keyboard Club and inviting them to come along, but also inviting any "talented" (or not!) pupils who fancied an opportunity to participate.
We recieved NOT ONE reply, not even to say thanks or no thanks.
What also strikes me whilst I have my teacher's hat on - it's amazing to me that whilst we have plenty of keyboard and organ teachers in the area, we NEVER see any of them at the Blackpool Keyboard Club or any other organ concert venues in the area. I ask myself "just how interested in the instrument are they?"King Ranter
Stephenps - one of my piano students has just gained a high Distinction at Grade 8 ABRSM !
Posted 2 years ago # -
The real apathy lies in not believing that there is a surefire method of solving problems.
'Can't be doing with change' is the regular cry of society in the western world..sad but true.
"To change performance you must first act upon the system...
To act upon the system you must change the way you act...
To change the way you act you must change the way you think...
Changing thinking and behaviour changes performance!
It's called a paradigm shift - a shift to a learning organisation...
Roger M
http://www.thethreetones.comPosted 2 years ago # -
I think the main problem with attracting the younger audience is that the organ just isnt seen as cool or trendy anymore, but rather as a pastime of the elderley
Many people who were not organists would come into contact with the organ years ago when nearly every pub or working men's club had an organ for entertainment. This is no longer the case. Times change and everything has it's day. As much as I hate to say it, maybe the organ has just had it's day and that's it.
So just as people dont really go to pubs anymore, (which is why 60 pubs close everyweek in the UK), or to working mens clubs, the general public dont really have any contact with the organ.
I would say from experience that the organ has never really been thought of as a serious instrument, which is another problem.
Although I have played the organ for 28 years, if my children wish to take up playing an instrument I will not suggest they to take up the organ. I would rather then take up an instrument that it taken seriously, i.e piano, violin, oboe etc, beacuse musically speaking, this would be of greater use if they wish to take it up more seriously.
Just how long can you keep something alive where there is no general interest? Obviously the world is trying to tell you something. Hurts to say it, but there it is,
Posted 2 years ago #
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