Although television ads beyond those with a shoestring budget are beyond the reach for a number of groups in the field, there have been a set of spots coming out of Europe this year that are worth watching. In fact, I posted one of the following videos on my Facebook wall last week and the ensuing discussion brought up a number of questions and concerns about what constitutes a worthwhile commercial.
Year: 2012
TAFTO 2012 Contribution: David J. Loehr
I’m just going to say this up front. The friend I’m talking about isn’t technically a friend, and I still haven’t taken him to an orchestra. (And Drew passes out.) The first part’s easy to explain. It’s my son. He’s ten, and in the last few years, he’s started to pay attention to the elements that go into the films, television, video games that he likes.
TAFTO 2012 Contribution: Maura Lafferty
When I first met Raul, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. He checked me out & asked me on a date after seeing me at church, and I was in the middle of a cross-country visit to DC. Our very first conversation revealed that he was everything I wasn’t in high school, not the least of which is his role as best friend to the guy who was the lead in my high school’s musical my freshman year (swoon).
TAFTO 2012 Contribution: Jonathan Becker
My whole life, I’ve worried that my Cleveland Browns would be in the Super Bowl the same night my hometown orchestra was performing Mahler’s 9th symphony. It’ll never happen, but what would I do? And why am I asking you? And why are live performances of classical music so enrapturing, nine out of 10 members of the Secret Service prefer them to Colombian escorts?
TAFTO 2012 Contribution: Paul Helfrich
I’m pleased to be part of TAFTO for 2012. I have to admit, though, I’ve often been a bit cynical about the endeavor. A lot of past contributions seem to fall in one of two camps. The first group typically focuses on the evangelical power of classical music, its ability to effect sudden conversions in listeners of a quasi-religious nature. These usually feature stories of truck drivers and jackhammer operators with tears in their eyes upon hearing their first classical concert. I call these “exceptions that prove the rule,” because we all know that oftentimes, a first exposure to a classical music concert does not bring about such an immediate conversion; in fact, sometimes the opposite happens, and is probably more likely.