“If the Music Business was Really a Business, It Wouldn't Stay in Business" (Larry Fried) | Preliminaries | Rotarian of the Month: Mark Hough | Valentine's Day Dine-Around | Community Service Recognition | January Student of the Month: Josh Rao | New Paul Harris Fellows | Web Fun
“If the Music Business was Really a Business, It Wouldn't Stay in Business" We are often blessed with and entertained by appearances by Fusao Kajima, the Music Director of the Bellevue Philharmonic. This year we were introduced to the business side of the orchestra. Jenny Andrews provided the Invocation and, with some gentle ahems from the audience, remembered to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Colin Radford introduced two brave visiting Rotarians and one guest.
Yours truly accepted the Rotarian of the Month award for December 2006. As John Mix is so fond of saying, it took five people to replace him as the editor of the Reveille, and the award should be shared by the other four exceptionally talented editors, Jenny Andrews, John Armenia, Wendi Fischer and Tom Smith, and our Fearless Fotographer, Jim Kindsvater. Since most of us have never outgrown comic books, the pictures Jim takes week after week are really what make the Reveille work. At the December holiday party, you will recall being introduced to the Williams Family, recent transplants from New Orleans who lost their home to Hurricane Katrina. Shelley and Scott passed on that the Williams Family’s thanks the BBRC for the support given to them, and they provided a few facts that we didn’t know. Father Caleb was in the Louisiana National Guard and was called up after the Katrina disaster, where he participated in over 300 rescue missions. Just another reason why the Community Service Committee should be commended again for making a terrific choice in supporting the Williams Family! January Student of the Month: Josh Rao Josh has narrowed his career choices to bioengineering, biochemistry, pharmacology or environmental science and has applications in at a number of excellent universities. Congratulations to Josh and the Rao family! Don Chandler and Dick Brown presented a Sapphire award to Robin Callan, third Sapphire awards to both John Martinka and Brian Evison — on behalf of his son — and a third Ruby award to Curtis Cummings. Sapphire awards were also presented in absentia to Alan Pratt and Rick Klobucher, since they were unable to attend. “If the Music Business was Really a Business, It Wouldn't Stay in Business" We are often blessed with and entertained by appearances by Fusao Kajima, the Music Director of the Bellevue Philharmonic. This year we were introduced to the business side of the orchestra. Now in its 39th season, the Bellevue Philharmonic progressed from an all-volunteer orchestra to a freelance professional orchestra as of 1998. The Philharmonic now employs 60 professional musicians and performs 20 engagements per year. For the last four years it has operated in the black, and during that period of time, increased its subscription base by 120%. Beginning about three and a half years ago the Orchestra started an aggressive advertising and branding campaign and, as a result, 90 to 95% of the seats at its performances at its current location in the Meydenbauer Center are sold in advance. Larry focused on the business aspects of running an organization like the Philharmonic. The title quote is from Sol Hurok the Great Impresario of the 20th century. Larry likened the orchestra to a business which creates, produces, and sells a product — in its case, classical music concerts. Some of the challenges in doing this are the fact that its product is not a necessity; the product has to be committed to at least two years in advance without knowing what market conditions will prevail; for which a group of workers, 20% of whom vary from concert to concert, have to be organized and given only a little over 10 hours of rehearsal in order to perform; and where the tools those workers used haven’t changed in years. There has been no increase in technology. It is a labor-intensive business and the number of seats in the orchestra for any given performance has never changed either. As part of the Philharmonic’s plan to meet that challenge, the Orchestra has undertaken a marketing program that encompasses all of the East Side, not just Bellevue. Indeed, more than 50% of the subscribers now live outside the city of Bellevue. The Philharmonic is one of four freelance professional orchestras in this area, the others being in Tacoma, Auburn, and Federal Way. The Philharmonic’s budget of $586,000 sounds large but is dwarfed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s annual budget of $21 million. There is no shortage of musical talent, and whenever vacancies in the Orchestra occur, there are a number of excellent musicians who audition for the positions. In keeping with his business theme, Larry came armed with some pretty interesting statistics on nonprofits and arts-related nonprofits in the United States. Did you know, for instance, that there are 1.4 million nonprofits in the United States, employing one out of every twelve workers, and with a collective employment that is bigger than the United States government? Or, that there are 2,800 nonprofits in King County with aggregate income of over $14 billion? The Philharmonic is also very proud of its educational program. It provides classroom experiences in the fourth and fifth grades in seven Eastside school districts and over the years has provided free programs to over 35,000 schoolchildren in 45 different elementary schools. Typically, a trio or quartet will go to a school and give a performance and hands-on experience in the classroom. Later, through the Young People’s Concert Series, entire classes are invited to hear the full symphony play at Meydenbauer. One of the advantages of moving to the Bellevue Art Center will be that it will provide a stage large enough for Pops concerts and large symphony works. The existing stage at the Meydenbauer Center is simply too small. Well, Larry did not bring the bounding exuberance (he stayed in the pocket, behind the podium), wild gesticulations and Japanglish of Maestro Fusao, but he did provide a fascinating look into the back side of the Philharmonic. You can learn more at www.bellevuephil.org. And if you are moved to do even more, consider the fact that the Orchestra is looking for some committed board members! Deep Thoughts For Those Who Take Life Way Too Seriously 1. Save the whales — c ollect the whole set! 2. A day without sunshine is like ... night. 3. On the other hand, you have different fingers. 4. Approximately 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 5. Ninety-nine percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 6. Remember, half the people you know are below average. 7. He who laughs last, thinks slowest. 8. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 9. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap. 10. Support bacteria — they're the only culture some people have. 11. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. 12. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines. 13. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments. 14. How many of you believe in psycho kinesis? Raise my hand. 15. OK, so ... what's the speed of dark? 16. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. 17. Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now. 18. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film. 19. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges? 20. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 21 . What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? 22. I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder. 23. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name? 24. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the hell happened?" 25. Just remember: if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off. 26. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. |
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John Sheeran introduced featured speaker, Larry Fried, the Executive Director and Business Manager of the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra. Larry has spent 37 years in the classical music world and before coming to the Bellevue Philharmonic, was the Manager of the San Antonio Symphony. In that capacity he organized a concert for the Rotary International convention in San Antonio a few years ago.
Rotarian of the Month: Mark Hough
Shelley Noble and Scott Sadler recounted the success of the BBRC’s Thanksgiving dinner and Holiday Giving Tree. Special recognition was given to Steve Roberts for unloading the frozen Thanksgiving turkeys, to Tom Smith for packaging Thanksgiving dinners, and to Peter Stadelman for heading up the Giving Tree Project. 
Bob Holert introduced Josh Rao, a senior at Sammamish High School and the BBRC’s Student of the Month. Josh was joined by his parents, Jay and Daya. Josh maintains a 3.98 GPA while being heavily involved in environmental activities like tree planting and salmon watching and interfaith groups like the Interfaith Voices of Youth and volunteering at Tent City IV and Habitat for Humanity. Josh is the President of the Environmental Club and a member of the Arts in the Community Club in addition to other school activities.
New Paul Harris Fellows
John Sheeran introduced featured speaker, Larry Fried, the Executive Director and Business Manager of the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra. Larry has spent 37 years in the classical music world and before coming to the Bellevue Philharmonic, was the Manager of the San Antonio Symphony. In that capacity he organized a concert for the Rotary International convention in San Antonio a few years ago.
The Philharmonic is now housed at the Meydenbauer Center, in a 410-seat auditorium. It will be a tenant of the Bellevue Art Center when that facility is constructed (which may be in 2009). That theatre will seat 2,000, which will be a challenge for the Philharmonic to fill.
The nonprofit arts organizations employ 4.85 million full-time equivalents in the U.S., and there are 350 professional orchestras. The attraction to visitors and people from surrounding areas is substantial.
01/07
Jane Kuechle, replacing the indefatigable Bob Moloney, is once again matching hosts and guests for the annual Valentine’s Dinner Dine-Around on Saturday, February 10. Let Jane know if you want to be a host or a guest, how many people you can accommodate as a host and how many people you will bring as a guest and what you will contribute to the feast. An online sign-up is 