The Inner Workings of QUADRE

Patrick Rappleye got in touch with me in April. He is a masters student in horn performance at the University of Iowa. He was asked to put together a presentation on a brass ensemble and he chose us! What follows are the interview questions he sent me along with my answers. You can also see this interview along with other interesting tidbits that involve brass ensembles from around the world by going to Patirck's blog here.

PATRICK: How do you book concerts? Do you have a management service or do it on your own and what are the main difficulties?

DANIEL: QUADRE is a self-managed ensemble. Our strategy for booking concerts is two fold.

First, we have a series of home concerts we produce in the San Francisco Bay Area where we are based. We usually present 3 to 4 home concert series a year. Venues for these series include one or more of the following: performing art centers, community music schools, churches, and private homes. These events give us a chance to regularly connect with our local supporters. They also give us the opportunity to try new things out programmatically.

Second, we set up tours around the country. They usually last from 7-10 days although we were once on the road for a whole month. We find presenters – those that book us for concerts – through booking conferences and associations (Western Arts Alliance, Chamber Music America), our online research of venues in different geographic areas, and our own personal contacts.

Both of these strategies take a great deal of work. We are a nonprofit organization with 4 artists, one paid staff-person (myself), 4 volunteers, and a board of directors made up of 7 citizens from the community. In regards to booking concerts, the volunteers and I construct the tours (contracts, travel), manage the books, and handle the fundraising/development. The board helps ensure the long-term health of the organization and maintain its financial stability. Administratively, the artists organize and decide the programming, contribute potential leads and contacts, and help out as needed (grants, artistic partnerships.)

Of the two strategies above, the first one is contingent on being open to potential partnerships and collaborations. Most of this work is made possible due to revenue from contributed (grants and personal appeals) and earned sources (ticket sales and performance fees.) For the second strategy of tours, most of our revenue comes from performance fees with a little supplemental income coming from merchandise sales (sheet music and CDs).

The main difficulty with both of these core activities is finding the partners and clients to make them possible. After ten years in the business, it is easier although it is still a constant challenge.

P: What different players have you had in the quartet?

D: Here is the list of the primary horn players involved in the group since 1998. There have also been substitutes, associate members, and extra horn artists (aka 5th and 6th horn players.) For the purposes of not making this list too ridiculous, I have left them out. However, I do feel strongly that everyone who has been involved in QUADRE has made it what it is today.

1998-Now, Daniel Wood
1998-1999, Harold Aschmann
1998-2000, Eric Thomas
1998-2001, Melissa Hendrickson
1999-2002, Armando Castellano
2000-2005, Carrie Campbell
2001-2006, Meredith Brown
2003-2005, Mathew Reynolds
2005-2006, Alex Camphouse
2005-Now, Nathan Pawelek (Subbed from 2003-2005)
2006-2008, Jessica Valeri
2007-Now, Lydia Van Dreel
2008-Now, Amy Jo Rhine

P: Do you have a member who is the leader/decision maker?

D: Being the only member that has been with the group since the beginning, I act as the leader and decision maker for most of the artistic and management decisions. However, no artistic decision is made without all the artists in the group being informed and providing input.

P: How do you solve artistic differences during rehearsals?

D: Everyone in the group respects the talent and insight that we each bring to the ensemble. We handle all issues professionally giving each idea a chance to be heard. When we have a disagreement about which idea to do, we usually go with the consensus or the idea felt most passionately. We have also tried out multiple ideas in several performances. Audience reaction can be a great way to measure the success of an idea.

P: How many concerts do you perform a year?

D: This has varied considerable over the years. We have performed full-time during two seasons (1999-2000; 2001-2002). Each of those seasons had over 250 performances. Other years have had as few as 15 concerts. In the 2007-2008 season, we performed over 30 concerts with approximately 100 services total (concerts, rehearsals, outreach, and lectures.)

P: What made you want to create a horn quartet and what do you like about chamber music?

D: The inspiration for starting QUADRE comes from the male vocal quartets of the 50s and 60s. I am a huge fan of the Four Freshman, The Four Aces, The Four Lads, and in particular, the Hi-Los. The sound that those groups got in their recordings was fascinating to me. I wondered whether it would be possible to do something similar with a group of like instruments.

With chamber music being my favorite class in college, I helped put together a variety of ensembles: brass quintets, woodwind quintets, and horn quartets. I really liked the sonic potential of the horn quartet. After leaving college, I started a horn club so we could play new music for the genre. After a few months, it became clear that four of us wanted to make a go of it as a quartet. The rest is history.

As for why I like chamber music, I think the ability to make music in a small group is exhilarating. The four of us get to make all of the artistic decisions. And you know that each of you account for 25% of what is happening on stage. It is also a medium where there is nowhere to hide when you perform. I also really enjoy how we can connect so personally with our audience. They get to know our personalities and we, to a degree, get to know them as well through after concert discussions, home-stays, and communications (email and letters).

P: What rehearsal techniques do you find most useful when learning new music?

D: Individually, we study the scores, work a great deal with the metronome and, if available, listen to live recordings / computer renditions. In the group setting, we find singing our parts very useful and being sensitive to all the markings the composer has written (tempi, articulations, dynamics, etc.)

P: What are the future goals of Quadre?

D: In the short term, we intend on recording two more albums in August. We have two recordings currently: The Voice of Four Horns (2000) and Citrus (2005). We will build on the success of our domestic touring and home concerts by continuing to collaborate with different musicians and artists. We also plan on touring internationally more in the future.

P: What has been the most rewarding aspect of being part of Quadre?

D: For me, it is getting my music performed at such a high level by my fabulous colleagues. It is also very rewarding to see the group continue to thrive after ten years.

P: I noticed you have a blog and myspace page. How important do you think using the latest communication outlets is to being a viable quartet?

D: Connecting with our audience is a critical part of our organization. Our blog and myspace page is a part of our overall marketing and communication strategy which includes: conferences, advertisements, merchandise (CDs, Sheet Music, Posters, Apparel), newsletters (email & mailed), our website, online networking (myspace, blog, afm.org, etc.) and so on. Having a strong online presence is another way to get your message out about who you are and what you do.

P: Anything else you would want me to know/present about Quadre that is not on your website?

D: I consider and think of the other members in the quartet as family. I care deeply for each of them and their well-being. We are all very interested in what each of our families are up to (especially the kids) and talk to each other regularly about all sorts of things above and beyond the artistic and management concerns of the quartet. Because we have a strong bond with each other, I think our music is always very present and in the moment. We feel passionately about each other and bring that same passion to our music.

Marketing Music Groups

Hello everybody in internet land. I hope your web surfing is going swimmingly. I, myself, and me have returned to type away after some reflection as of late on the direction of our industry: chamber music; more specifically - touring brass groups; and even more specifically - horn quartets involved in regional outreach and nationwide touring. This week's blog is dedicated to the marketing that revolves around this industry from a local and national perspective.

LOCAL MARKETING
I went to a conference in the Fall dedicated to marketing for arts organizations. It was called ArtsEnhance and was sponsored by the Arts Council Silicon Valley. It was fantastic. It had a lot of great tips for how to get your word out about your organization from web sites, blogs, podcasts, radio, newspaper, video, video (it's so important I said it twice), etc.

What was particularly cool was the hands on training in the computer lab at Foothill College where, as participants, we got the chance to work in video, digital photography, and audio. Plus, if you go to this conference, you are in the running for applying for a marketing grant to help pay for your efforts. When September rolls around again, I'm definitely going back.

I know that we have found articles in the local papers really helpful in terms of exposure. Concerts, CD releases, anniversaries, etc. are all great "hooks" for these media outlets. For example, we are doing a concert with the percussionist, Jim Kassis, in a couple weeks and the local paper, Palo Alto Weekly, interviewed Jim and I about the collaboration and our experiences working with students. Combine that with the photos we sent the reporter and the fact that it is the group's tenth anniversary, and you have a nice piece for the paper and us.

NATIONAL MARKETING
I've been told that our group does a good job about getting our name out there around the United States. I'm not sure, really, what that means, but I do know that there are a bunch of horn players that have heard of us while they may never have HEARD our music. And I can credit our specific service organization, the International Horn Society for that. They publish a magazine three times a year called, aptly, the HORN CALL. We've been consistent about advertising our organization since 2000 in the periodical and submitting news items on our latest concerts and projects. While I can't say that we have monetarily broken even on the affair, I do know that this exposure has been invaluable for our growth.

Coupled with the advertisements, we make sure to be involved in as many regional and international horn workshops as we are able. And there are a lot of ways to be involved. For example, ads in the program book, booths/tables in the commerce area, workshops/lectures on topics like the "Business of Music", and of course, performances as part of the symposium. Each of these "strategies" is another way to get the word out on our organization and what we do.

And it is equally important to make sure you have created ways to reconnect with your fan base over time. Social Networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and the list goes on and on. Just check out Hilary Clinton's website for a list of every possible avenue for connection. A very user-friendly website is a must. As is email blasts and e-newsletters.

Of course, in the end, all of these methods for delivering your message require highly visual and engaging collateral: nice photos, interesting video, compelling audio, superbly written press releases, unique stories, engaging bios, etc. This is where the most money can be saved and wasted.

Private Music Lessons: Albert & Alice

I want to thank guest writer, Wen Chung for today's submission. Wen volunteers in our office every week for a couple hours. When he is not volunteering his time, he's often teaching local clarinet, saxophone, and piano students. This is his story.

"Over years of teaching private music lessons to kids, I have met quite a few interesting students and parents. I thought it might be fun to share with everyone since I was honored to be invited being a guest writer for Daniel‘s blog. Here is one of my favorite (or not) family. They are definitely not a typical Chinese family.

"Albert started his saxophone lessons with me when he was 11 years old. I was teaching at one of the local music studios at that time. He had taken some piano lessons, flute lessons at the same studio before he came to me for saxophone lesson so some other teachers knew about him. At first I thought he was just a child who liked to have fun, joking around. He was a little weird but nothing serious happened during the lesson back then although his former flute teacher told me that she thought Albert had some mental development problem.

"One day I was teaching a student who came before Albert’s lesson, someone was hitting the wall outside of my room. I opened the door and found that Albert did that. I asked him to stop and he agreed. Moments later, he did it again. I tried to be nice the second time. By the third time, I couldn't stand it anymore. I yelled at him to stop him from doing that again. I wanted to kick his butt, but I couldn't because I didn't want to be sued. I told his mom what happened but she did nothing about it. The same thing happened for a few more times and finally he stopped because he didn't think it was fun anymore.

"After about a year, his mom asked me to come to their house to teach because Albert’s sister Alice who was in high school would like to take piano lessons. I thought it would be worth it to make a trip for two kids so I agreed. Alice was a very rebellious girl. I think the problem was how their mother treated her. The mother favored Albert a lot. She treated Albert like a 5-year-old boy even though he was in middle school then but she always yelled at Alice for anything she did. So mother and daughter yelled at each all the time even in front of me. Once during the piano lesson with Alice, she was arguing with her mom as usual. Alice was so mad and she said “Screw You!” to her mom. I couldn't believe Alice actually said that. But the even more shocking thing was that her mom didn't say anything and didn't look any more upset. After the lesson, I thought to myself maybe Alice‘s mom didn't understand what that meant. Her mom is from Taiwan. I guess she didn't learn that expression before.

"After we finished the piano lesson, Alice went into her study room where her mom was there doing some stuff. I started the saxophone lesson with Albert in the living room. Not long after that, they started screaming at each other again. Alice started crying and screaming like her mom was torturing her. It was so scary I thought she might have killed Alice. I almost called 911. Strangely enough, Albert seemed to be used to this kind of screaming.

"During one lesson with Albert, he spat on my face. I was furious and asked him why he did that. And he was just smiling at me like it was funny. He probably thought that he was just playing with me. I told his mom about it but all she did was asking Albert not to do that again in a very soft voice.

"After three years, they finally decided to discontinue the lessons. I felt so relieved when their mother told me that. I never found out what Albert’s problem was but I am just glad that I don’t have to deal with them anymore."

Board Retreats & Mountain Men

My desk serves as the inspiration for my news today: an excellent article from Barry Hessenius about board retreats and the story of a couple men that went up a mountain.

BOARD RETREATS
Barry’s Blog is an art policy and administration blog, written and sponsored by Barry Hessenius, former Director of the California Arts Council. He has a keen insight for what is happening in the arts today. More on him here.

It is always comforting for me to read about other non-profits and realize that we all face the same issues. Reading Barry's Blog helps to remind me of best practices that are put into use in the arts industry.

By the way, his blog is hosted by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), a 501(c)3 organization located in Denver, Colorado dedicated to the creative advancement and preservation of the arts. In this issue, he discusses his experiences with board retreats. You can read it by clicking here.

MOUNTAIN MEN
Two men climbed up a mountain to settle an argument. Each was convinced of their point of view. While it is true that music depends greatly on the perspective of the listener, they were able to come to a consensus.What do you think? Does it "sound better rolled up?"

Collaborations and Space

Howdy to everyone out in internet land. Once again, I took a little break from writing. Glad to back to it though. Just moved last weekend to a new apartment in Mountain View. That–along with QUADRE's recent concert with Richard King–has inspired the topics today: Space and Collaboration.

SPACE
Never can have enough space, can you. As I emptied my 5x10 storage space and moved into my new place, I came to wonder how I had acquired so much stuff. Do I really need six ponchos? When will I ever come to need a double cassette player again? And who had the bright idea of starting a hat collection?

In terms of the group, we've gathered our fair amount of stuff over the years. With our tenth anniversary coming up this February (this won't be the last time I mention it-get your balloons ready!), I have seen the ensemble buy all sorts of things over the years. Our collection of stuff includes: 3000 of our albums, 100 demo cassette tapes, 10 music stands, 4 stools, dozens of various percussion, embroidered apparel galore, videos, posters, cups, plates, napkins, and a lifesize cut-out of Nathan Pawelek (don't ask.) Add on top of that my music library that includes all our horn quartet repertoire (over 200 titles) plus various other combinations (over 200 more), and you have a lot of stuff.

This week we were considering moving all of it into a storage unit. (Currently it occupies the basement at my parent's house - Thanks Mom and Dad.) The cost - $83/month for a 5x6x10 space with a light. If you're interested, they have 6 units available at Stowit Mini Storage in Mountain View. However, it looks like it is going to stay in the basement for now which saves the group $1000/year.

However, one must ask why? Why do we seem, as a society, in love with our stuff? We gather up stuff every chance we get only to have to find a place to put it. And we seem to be getting more enamored each decade. Back in the 1960s, storage facilities didn't exist. In 2001, Public Storage which operates over 2000 storage centers nationwide posted sales over $800 million. Along with its competitors, that is over a billion dollars spent to store extra stuff!! Where is the fun in it all.

I'm afraid I don't have any answers. However, I, for one am going to try and eliminate the clutter by giving my stuff to other people. I figure why deal with the problem when you can just pass the buck, right? It will all work itself out in land fills and incinerators I'm sure. Until then, do you have any free space? I got a bunch of great hats and ponchos that you would love.

COLLABORATION
Over the years, QUADRE has had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing artists. These enriching artistic endeavors help to give your art context. For instance, working with a dance troupe makes you understand the relationship between your music and their movement and, in turn, gives you a chance to reflect on how your music is expressed by itself. Additionally, the talents and different perspectives that collaborators bring to the table is immense.

Our organization has primarily had other horn players as collaborators. Some of the individuals that we've had the pleasure to work with include: Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Bill Bernatis, Douglas Hull and Robert Watt. Most recently, Richard King joined the ensemble for two works as part of the Music in the Vineyards summer festival in Napa, CA. Each of these experiences has been completely unique and enriching. The group dynamic of a chamber music ensemble can be a delicate thing at times, so adding another person to the mix can be a challenge. However, we've been fortunate not to have any jerks work with us yet. (Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.)

In addition to horn players, we've worked with vocalists, pianists, tuba players, symphony orchestras, jazz bands, and wind ensembles as well as a couple dance companies. The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open and be willing to embrace a new artistic viewpoint. Half the fun is enjoying the shared moment of mutual creativity. Even if you have no idea how the product is going to turn out.

Perspective and Polygamy

Hope everyone is having a good week. I took a little break from the writing. Been crazy busy the last couple weeks. This week I introduce some musings of my own.

PERSPECTIVE
I've come to believe that most of the problems in the world today could be solved with perspective. Now, I'm not talking about a perspective where everyone sees their environment as it relates to chamber music. I may be optimistic, but I'm not nuts. While I love what we do, I recognize that it is a small niche in the grand scheme of things. No, the perspective I'm thinking of is where everyone is always aware how truly vast the universe is.

The fact that the hunk of rock that we are on called Earth is the only hunk of rock we have at our disposal should make some people think a little before they act. It appalls me to no end at how short-sighted us humans can be. "Let's toss junk in the water. Nature will fix it." "Let's go to war, because war always solves problems." "Let's spend money on the latest gadget and gizmo. We'll just throw away our old gadget we bought 3 years ago and have it join millions of other gadgets in landfill."

The funny thing about perspective though, is that we all have at least one. And even if we all used them from time to time, none of our perspectives are going to agree most of the time. That's why I say that we focus on just the "vast universe" one. We may not get anything done and just lie down in despair. However, we'll definitely kill less and ruin our planet more slowly. Just a thought.

POLYGAMY
In my effort to have alliteration in the title, this topic popped into my head. Why? I don't know. Needless to say, it has little to do with chamber music or horn quartets. Oh well, it is more exciting than talking about plugs or pebbles.

I don't know about you, but I can barely handle myself - let alone the thought of having multiple wives. How is it done? Well, I have some ideas on the matter:

1. Excellent Time Management
To be a good polygamist, you better have incredible skills at keeping to a schedule.

2. Superb Organization Skills
If you can't keep track of your life, then this is not for you.

3. Amazing Memory
Nothing worse than remembering you did or did not tell someone something after you did or did not tell them.

4. Strong Improvisational Skills
Thinking on your feet would be a must. If you get caught in a weird situation, you'll need to figure out a way out of it.

5. Incredible Stamina
I know what it can be like to be in one relationship. Going for 2, 3, or more must be like professionally playing basketball, baseball, and football every year.

So, if you're considering going this route, take a good hard look at these skills and make sure you're up to the task. Don't say I didn't warn you. Good Night, and Good Luck.

Digital Downloads and Engaging Art

Hello everyone. This week's installment is care of two emails in the inbox. Nothing like electronic inspiration!

DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
QUADRE's music from its latest CD, Citrus can now be downloaded electronically from PayPlay.fm - an MP3 download store that is selling our music as part of CD Baby's Digital Distribution.

They work kind of like Apple's iTunes except that there is no software that needs to be installed. As CD Baby's CEO, Derek Sivers says, "They've got a nice easy-to-use website that is a great no-nonsense place to send fans that want to buy your MP3s. And since they're regular MP3 files, they'll work in every computer, and any portable player."

So if you know anyone that loves to download MP3 files, point them to PayPlay. They have a huge selection.

ENGAGING ART
Douglas McLennan has written a new book titled, Engaging Art: The Next Great Transformation of America's Cultural Life. View abstracts of the book by clicking here. I especially found chapter 4 to be compelling as it discussed how the culture of the arts has changed into passive and active models of participation. I feel strongly that the more one engages with the audience through the given art form, the more connected and satisifed the patrons are. Rather than watch the canvas come alive before my eyes, I'd rather be the canvas.