Socially Transmitting Taste

For the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Jazz Arts Group in Columbus, Ohio on a national study of the behaviors and attitudes of current and potential jazz ticket buyers. Jazz is original American music, yet it often lacks market share, and sometimes respect, among music purists and audiences. It strikes me that there are similarities between the place of jazz in the performing arts ecology, and the role of the arts in education.

We began the study with a hypothesis that people purchase tickets to see art forms they already know and love. Therefore, we were curious about the ways people learn about and experience new music. To our surprise, the data reveals that people are willing to listen to music outside their comfort zones or stated preferences, with a few conditions – 1) if they are invited by someone they know and trust; 2) if they can attend with someone who is knowledgeable about the music and will serve as a guide; and 3) if they can sample the new music before spending money on a ticket. The research shows very clearly that musical taste is socially transmitted.

It strikes me that this idea of “socially transmitting musical taste” can also be true in arts education. In what ways can we better engage people and “socially transmit” the importance of arts education? How can we get school leaders, teachers and parents out of their comfort zones of only supporting “the basics?” We must continually serve as trusted guides to arts education.

Last spring, I observed a teaching artist working with a science teacher on an arts-infused lesson. The artist was only scheduled to work with students in the afternoon. After observing the teaching artist the first morning, the science teacher saw the value of using the arts to teach the science lesson. She ventured outside her comfort zone to teach the art lesson by herself in the morning, without the teaching artist. The teaching artist served as the guide in helping the teacher get out of her comfort zone, building context and courage.

In what ways will you serve as a “guide” for the arts and arts education?

Communicating Value or Cutting Costs?

One of my favorite quotes is by Willie Pieterson, former CEO of Tropicana. Willie says, "You can't cure a value problem through cost reductions." Amen! This cost cutting scenario is rampant among arts and cultural organizations and educational institutions - especially public education. In most cases, we've cut expenses so deeply, there really is no where else to cut. I constantly wonder why arts and cultural organizations and public school districts don't do more to engage people - all the time, not just when we want them to buy a ticket or pass a levy to raise their property taxes. The most common excuses I hear for not engaging the community is lack of time and money. I believe that consistent, authentic dialogue will result in fans who will engage with your organization, tell their friends about the great work you do, and support you with their money. Are you identifying the value you provide that changes people's lives and ways to leverage it? Or, are you focused on finding the next line item to cut?

Visualize Success

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about how professional sports players can visualize themselves out of a slump. According to the article, it doesn't matter what profession you're in, or your personal situation, there are key characteristics that point to a slump - loss of confidence, over-thinking every move, dwelling on past failures or working too much. Sound familiar?

Is your organization experiencing a slump? If so, perhaps you're blaming it on the economy, your board, donors who aren't giving, or the "audiences" who aren't buying tickets. Take a few minutes to examine your vision. Is it clear? Does it provide a compelling picture of where you want to be in 5, 10, or 20 years? What are your unique assets that result in value?

I suggest you spend some time focusing your vision to lift yourself out of that slump. Your community is depending on it.