With Strings Attached

[smoothmoniker]

As promised in the re-entry post, I'll be posting some of the writing I've been doing in Music and Ethics here at the cellar. A lot of the book hinges on case studies, both real and hypothetical, as an entry point for talking about how different ethical values conflict in the world of professional music. I think most of what I put up here will be those case studies, since they are more interesting, and can be more broadly engaged, than some of the more technical analysis writing.

So, here's one of the first case studies. It's on the issue of funding for the arts.

With Strings Attached

Gordon Struan is on the board of directors for Green Valley Orchestra (GVO), a professional regional orchestra known for its innovative programming and willingness to perform new works by modern composers. Struan’s role is to maintain and develop financial donors.

GVO, like many such ensembles, is having a difficult time meeting its financial obligations. Although their concerts are well-attended, the income from ticket sales alone is not enough to pay the salaries of the orchestra members. Without significant donations from outside foundations and wealthy patrons, the orchestra simply could not continue to perform.

Struan is faced with a dilemma. His three largest donors all lost large sums of money in the collapse of the real estate market, and have informed him that they are no longer able to donate to the orchestra. Struan must raise $6 million, or the orchestra will have to cancel their season, declare bankruptcy, and close their doors forever. Two potential donors have indicated that they might be willing to step in and give the needed money, but both come with strings attached.

The first potential donor is a corporation named Altria. Altria has long been known in the arts community for their philanthropic activity; they support many regional performing ensembles, and seem especially interested in supporting innovative groups, like GVO, who perform new works. Altria is also the parent company of Phillip-Morris, a cigarette manufacturer that aggressively markets its Marlboro brand to children in 3rd-world countries. Altria’s support of the arts seems like a carefully calculated PR strategy to improve the public image of their company.

The second potential donor is Victoria Wagner, a well-known and very wealthy member of the local community. Wagner has never shown an interest in supporting the arts before, so Struan is understandably curious when she contacts him with the offer. In the ensuing conversations, however, if becomes clear why Ms. Wagner has had a sudden change of heart. It turns out that her beloved nephew is a struggling composer, and has had difficulty getting his works performed by professional ensembles. Ms. Wagner makes it quite clear to Mr. Struan that if she writes a $6 million check, she expects the Green Valley Orchestra to debut his latest composition.

So, Struan is left with three options. He can accept the money from a cigarette giant hoping to buy some public good-will, he can accept the money from the doting rich aunt looking to launch her nephew’s career, or he can refuse both and close the doors of the Green Valley Orchestra.

Here are some of the interesting questions that this case study raises:

1. If GVO takes the money from Altria, does that association lend tacit approval to Altria's business practices?
2. Replace Altria with Playboy, a company that some patrons of the orchestra might find offensive, but which the board members and orchestra members do not. Does it change the equation?
3. If GVO chooses to perform the work by Wagner's nephew, it makes an implied statement about the value of the piece. GVO is known for performing works by new composers, and their patrons have come to trust the musical director's choice of program. With this in mind, does it make a difference if the composition by Wagner's nephew is a well-written piece, and might have been debuted by GVO without the aunt's interference? Does it make a difference if he is an already established composer?

There are, obviously, more questions to explore in this case study, but I'll leave it here for now, and let you all have at.

Enjoy!