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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

There are two types of people in the concert hall: A few of them make music and the rest of us listen to the music that the first group of people make. Simple enough? Not any more it isn't. And, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

David Peironnet of Friends of the Symphony talked with Tim Jepson, principal timpanist for the Kansas City Symphony, about why we should think about the relationship between musicians and the audience differently.

David Peironnet: You're on the stage and we're in the seats but we're all in the same hall at the same time and want the same thing.

Tim Jepson: It's interesting that you say that because we've been thinking a lot about that very issue lately. As musicians, we're interested in classical music and delivering the best performance possible. We're exhilarated by a good performance just as much as you are.

DP: As one of the Symphony's musicians, how do you see your role in the future?

Tim Jepson: As members of the orchestra, we want to look more at building a sense of audience advocacy. By this I mean that orchestra members should be doing more to promote your interests -- because ultimately your interests and our interests are the same. As musicians, we need to do more to develop relationships with the audience. We should be building partnerships when ever that is possible, and work towards shared goals.

DP: Is that a different approach from what we've seen traditionally?

Tim Jepson: Definitely. A traditional role would be to sit back and let other people deal with the audience. As musicians, we should be more involved with the audience on a person-to-person basis. We should seek out opportunities and look at places where there is a mutual interest and a potential for a mutual benefit.

DP: A lot of things will be changing in the near future when the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens.

Tim Jepson: It's an incredible opportunity for Kansas City as we all move forward. There is already a sense of excitement throughout the community. Even people who usually don't have much interest in our concerts have taken an interest in what we're doing. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring them into a concert hall and discover music that we, as musicians, and you, as the audience already appreciates.

DP: So, let's get right down to the issues. What do we need to be doing together?

Tim Jepson: Friends of the Symphony has always invited members of the orchestra to join you at your after concert parties. You've made us feel like honored guests and we appreciate that. We would like to build on this. Our musicians association, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians is developing a new website. We should invite you to join in our blog about concerts. It would be a chance for you to ask questions and offer your ideas.

We would also like to look at creative ways to reach out to audiences, especially when new people buy tickets. Perhaps musicians should join auxiliary groups in welcoming new people to concerts and to speak with newcomers personally so they realize how important they are to us.

We are open to new ideas. We'd be pleased to have representatives of our group talk with auxiliaries and exchange ideas for how we can do more to attract new audience members.

The internet also offers creative new ways to reach out. We can utilize tools that didn't exist until recently. We can approach audience advocacy in ways that could never before be achieved. I'm confident that we can work together to develop fresh ideas which would benefit Kansas City audiences.

 DP: Are any other orchestras doing innovative things?

Tim Jepson: Definitely. The irony is that most orchestras don't look for new approaches unless they are in a state of crisis. A crisis forces you to think in new and different ways. Change becomes necessary. In Kansas City, the Kauffman Center offers that same opportunity but with a positive twist instead of a negative one. We believe this is our opportunity to seize the public's imagination using something which is completely positive as an incentive. We want to welcome people into the new performing arts center and give them a new experience they will want to repeat. As Kansas City Symphony musicians, we see lots of different ways to work with our audience. We really want to take advantage of this opportunity!

Tim Jepson was elected by Kansas City Symphony musicians to represent them at the ICSOM annual conference. He reports that "long range plans also include establishing relationships with community, civic, and political leadership." He is also the percussionist with the Kansas City Brass and is featured on their recordings "A Kansas City Christmas" and "No Strings Attached."

By David Peironnet

Special to KCM

David Peironnet has been a concert-goer for more years than he would care to admit, and can clearly recall hearing the Kansas City Philharmonic under the baton of Hans Schweiger. This comes from someone who admits to be only 24 years old though acknowleges that his undergraduate degree was not in math but rather political science -- a group of people who are notoriously able to see only those facts they want to see in statistical data.

David has churned out the newsletter for the Friends of the Symphony - Kansas City for six or seven years. He doesn't recall and really doesn't care how many years it has been because the only thing that's important is the next deadline -- and the one after that.

This is one of a series of interviews he runs periodically usually consisting of five open-ended questions which reveal answers which can give information to the person walking into a concert hall for the first time, or like himself have been enjoying concerts for many years.

David and Kathy Peironnet frequently work at the Friends of the Symphony gift shop which is located in the lobby of the Lyric Theatre. The next time you come to a concert, stop by and say, "hello." Ask for a copy of the current FoS newsletter. If a copy isn't available, just ask and one will be mailed to you.

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