On a side note, if anyone wants to have an impact, picketing probably won’t have much of an effect, as your audience probably won’t care about those who can’t afford the performance. But what about writing letters to the Chronicle, CalPerf, and especially Yo Yo Ma/his management?

http://reverberatehills.blogspot.com/2008/05/glances-backwards-and-forwards.html

But I have a feeling that our little posse of non-profit arts presenters (affiliated with a university or not) are probably having a tough time recruiting new younger audiences, and I’d think that student discounts and rush would be a real positive way of initiate the new (paying) audience and potential donor base.

I just happen to feel that other arts organizations, such as the SF Ballet and SF Symphony, make an attempt to foster relationships with students such as myself. And when I finally graduate to become a doctor and hopefully have money to spend, I will be remembering these organizations that made an attempt to invest and foster a relationship with me, where I am familiar the organization, and donate and subscribe in return. Perhaps SFB and SFS’s outreach to the entire community is the reason why their donor base is bigger.

It’s certainly your prerogative to run an arts organization the way that you want to – I commend you for trying different ways to market and pull in more money in these unfriendly financial times, but it’s also my right to have a respectful opinion. There is a reason why this entry has hit a nerve amongst readers – I’ve received the most number of positive informative personal emails regarding this entry over any other entry (thanks everyone) and a few links as well. I know I’m not the only one who feels the way that I do.

I still hold that what I can’t donate in money, I definitely make up for in enthusiasm and dragging everyone I know to see shows that they would otherwise never see! That’s my contribution.

I don’t think you are demeaning Mr. Ma by assuming that he would play in your living room – back in his Harvard days, when his concerts would sell out, he would play mini-concerts in the lobby to those who couldn’t get in. For such a small venue as FCC, Cal Performances needs to try to recoup the cost of the event. There doesn’t seem anything wrong with trying to attract more donors so that CP can continue to present high quality events. Donors are what make it possible for all arts organizations in the US to continue to present quality programs. And Yo-Yo Ma is an artist who people are willing to pay a lot of money to see. Cal Performances does not have as large, or as generous a donor roster as the San Francisco Opera, Ballet, and Symphony and this could be a way they are trying to attract a larger donor base.

To defend Cal Performances, it is a non-profit, and a lot of their events are quite reasonably priced. Their recital prices are comparable to SF Performances, and less expensive than recitals presented at Davies.

They could have a better rush policy, but they are part of the University, and thus their priority is to serve the greater campus community and the students.

Thanks!

To Anonymous #2: I wasn’t meaning to be specific, but to make a general point. I also didn’t mean to demean Ma and his playing by assuming that he would ever play in my living room; he sounds like how every musician strives to sound like, without technique getting in the way. Or at least in my music playing days, I would have loved to have sounded like in my dreams. He is a movingly lyrical player. Listening to him play is like riding a tidal wave of emotion. Thanks for commenting.