Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra—Music By Numbers

Background:

The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, experiencing audience growth over the past few years, found that some new attendees of the younger demographic "don’t understand what is going on." Local college professors often require students to attend LPO concerts; the students are receptive to the symphony, but their inexperience with the medium hinders enjoyment. Inspired by ideas at the 2005 League Conference and other orchestra programs such as the Phoenix Symphony’s Keeping Score, the Laredo Philharmonic created Music by Numbers, a PowerPoint display utilizing screens beside the stage to give real-time updates to audience members of events they may see or hear throughout the concert.

How it works:

• Two standard projection screens are placed on both sides of the stage at every concert.
• Two LED projectors are hooked into a single laptop computer.
• A PowerPoint presentation displays numbers on the screens, which correspond to numbered bullet points on handouts provided to the audience. The bullet points describe the onstage action such as, "The Concertmaster comes on stage and accepts the audience applause on behalf of the entire orchestra."
• Bullet points give insight into the music and explain some of the musical "jargon" as well as inform the audience on what instrument to listen to, or explain some element of the musical form. At times (usually with a well-known piece) the music director will add personal insights.
• A music student from Texas A&M International University follows numbers in the conductor’s score to advance the on-screen PowerPoint numbers at the proper time.
• The handouts, prepared by Music Director Brendan Townsend in both English and Spanish, are available free of charge to anyone who wants them.
• Reading the handouts is facilitated by house lights remaining at 50 percent.
• Beginning in the 2006-07 season, the bullet points will be available on the orchestra’s website one week prior to the concert so that educators can use them in classrooms.

Results:

Music by Numbers surveys indicate an overwhelmingly positive audience response. In written responses, most agreed that the program gave greater insight into the music, thereby deepening musical appreciation. Others gained discernment into music director decisions—such as the choice to take a repeat—which added appreciation to the current performance, even if the audience member may not have agreed with the decision.

Longtime subscribers also welcomed this program rather than resisting change. Many of them said that prior to Music by Numbers they felt lost in the generic or academic program notes. The background on the PowerPoint slides is shaded to blend in with the color of the walls, and there have been no complaints about page-turning noise from the audience. With few visual and aural distractions, everyone from audience to stage is satisfied.

The younger demographic enjoyed the visual component of seeing numbers change on-screen while reading corresponding notes. The visual and extra mental stimuli greatly added to concert satisfaction in the student population. One ticket holder from the inaugural 2005-06 season told staff that Music by Numbers was integral to his concert experience. If Music by Numbers stopped, he would stop attending!

For Further Information Contact:
Brendan Townsend, Music Director, (956) 326-3039
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Other Orchestras with Similar Programs:
Phoenix Symphony: Keeping Score