Symphony needs public support in hard times - Hawaii Editorials

Not just in hard times ... this is a nation that allocates more money for military bands than it does for the entire National Endowment for the Arts.

Ask yourself, is this a core government service?
If not, then..........

The symphony is a victim of its own high maka maka attitudes.

I could turn the symphony around in 2 years if put in charge and if they would listen (they wouldn't)

Fact is Hawaii's masses love music. What other state has a section in the music stores equivalent to the "Hawaiian" section. It's huge for just little ole Hawaii.

Get the local high school prodigies to be "guest" performers. That would attract all types of families to at least "get them in the door" and then maybe they will return.

Most people all over the country love Hollywood movies. Plenty of orchestra music in those. There's the "Cartoon night songs" Then the "Hollywood night songs" then the "Hawaiian classics night songs" then the "Ali'i songs", then the "Hawaiian Hollywood songs", I could go on and on.

Most people love when local entertainers, amateurs of pros, get to perform with a real orchestra behind them.

All of these things would fill a season and fill the seats.

But the high brow intellectuals will stick to Mozart and Beethovens 9th in C major D, or whatever. If they can fill the seats with that music, great, but they can't in Hawaii.

Either change to the tastes of the public you serve, or just close up shop.

I know people are going to give examples of how the symphony did perform with some local performer, ONCE.

I'm saying it cannot be the exception. Every performance must have a local, community, mass appeal connection. IF the symphony did that, they would succeed.

People love music. The symphony is failing to give them the music they love.

This badly managed group needs to close. Few will miss it

The symphony needs a complete audit and cut out the perks. Everyone thought the symphony was out of the red with that generous donation and before you know it, it's back in the red only deeper. The management has to change.

for someone that appreciates music, the prices are waaaay to high!

they are good, but not great enough to be charging the price they charge. lower the price and see things improve. simple economics, but they all want to get paid the big bucks.

love for music, no, they do it for the love of money.

local wrote:

The symphony needs a complete audit and cut out the perks. Everyone thought the symphony was out of the red with that generous donation and before you know it, it's back in the red only deeper. The management has to change.

true...lots of money missing. But the key problem is that the public will not buy tickets to hear the bad music. That is the bottom line: lack of ticket sales

mismanagement at it's finest.

Food and shelter before fluffy nice to have. Most of the public just making by to put food on the table. If the rich cannot support the symphony then it's time to wave bye bye!

The problem is that they need to raise at least 80% of their revenue from ticket sales. Donations provide the rest and provide for extras. This badly managed group has failed to market their mediocre play to enough people. If people will not buy tickets, the group is done. Pretty simple. Get out there and comptete!

Maverick wrote:

mismanagement at it's finest.

Spelling at its finest!(no apostrophe)

You keep saying this ridiculous stuff so-called Alice. Where's your proof? There are laws against defamation and libel. The organization is not a City Orchestra, nor a State orchestra. They are a deeply committed professional orchestra and a private organization. It is because they have provided so much for the community through Education programs and other endeavors that the Joe-(or Alice)-at-large decides they must be receiving great wads of tax money and are therefore a worthy target of unresearched, almost drunk-as-skunks, critical so-called opinion. If expense exceeds revenue it does not equal what you call missing money. Have you ever looked at a financial statement? A Tax Return? Do you know how to read one? If you were turned down at an audition or something, then get over it. You weren't good enough. And, btw, the Royal Hawaiian Band is paid in perpetuity through the willed legacy of the Queen. Get off your delusional high horse and go see a therapist. You really need some help and I mean that sincerely.

Maverick wrote:

mismanagement at it's finest.

Can we save some money by having an audit of the Symphony at the same time as an audit of the DOE? I have a feeling we'll find similar results.

Please don't disparage alice. I love her. She's my girl, ukus and all. Besides, I agree with her. Nobody much cares for the symphony, shut it down already. Bring in the Stones, Police and America.
No need symphony.
Call me alice.

i am playing the worlds most smallest violin...

the song is... my heart goes out to you...

i am also missing a few strings...

my neighbors dog is howling for background sorrow sounds...

So does everyone need help in these hard times?

Strange, but I am also accepting donations.

I'll sing Blue Hawaii in Chinese. Not very good though.

violin wrote:

i am playing the worlds most smallest violin...
the song is... my heart goes out to you...
i am also missing a few strings...
my neighbors dog is howling for background sorrow sounds...

Ha, Ha :)

You too? It sounds like a deal.

If their is a market for the musioc, then sell tickets. Problem solved. The core problem of the Symphony is it does not have enough interest int he community. They refuse to face the obvious.

Asking so-called Alice to provide basis to his/her claims and insinuations is not disparagement. However, it says a lot about him/her that he/she fails to provide anything. It also says much about you that you believe you are a spokesperson for everyone's opinion. As someone else said recently, you donate to who you think is worthy, and I will donate to who I want to. Get over yourselves.

Robin Hood wrote:

Please don't disparage alice. I love her. She's my girl, ukus and all. Besides, I agree with her. Nobody much cares for the symphony, shut it down already. Bring in the Stones, Police and America.
No need symphony.
Call me alice.

Look, why is it wrong to ask for an audit before you donate? Fact is, according to the news papers, the Symphony has had management problems in the past. And a manager was fired for missing money. Read the Advertiser from several years ago. And I am right. If the public wants to buy tickets, they will. And if they do, the financial problems go away. Fact is, few care about this organization. Sorry is truth disturbs you.