The Arts from the Bottom Up
Three Little Books about Labor, Management, and Mission in the Arts
by
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This book is a collection of articles, letters, essays, and notes I wrote between 1978 and 2017 as I journeyed through all the nooks and crannies of the arts – as musician, journalist, unionist, teacher, volunteer, writer, activist, manager, board member, bookkeeper, publicist, fundraiser, lecturer, editor, dishwasher, donor, and patron of the arts.
The world is a confused place these days. My world – the world of the arts, non-profit organizations, philanthropy, and public service – seems especially troubled. People and organizations who are all trying to do good find themselves working at cross-purposes, pulling and pushing in different directions, and often failing to achieve what they thought were common objectives. This book is my attempt to identify the causes of this discord and point the way to resolution, and to recognize the wounds we inflict on each other and find paths to healing.
Most of my work has been in the music business – performing in and managing orchestras and chamber groups; in the musicians’ union; in composing, arranging, and music publishing – but this book is not about any of those things. It is about underlying social, moral, and philosophic principles that I hope can find applicability in any kind of enterprise. My purpose is not to narrowly address the music business, but to present ideas that are germane to all the arts, all non-profit organizations, all businesses, and even to the great art in which we all participate – the art of living peacefully in a civil society. The reader doesn’t need to know anything about unions, the arts, philanthropy, politics, philosophy, or sociology to understand how the basic principles herein can be translated to any business, including the business of life.
The first of the three mini-books in this volume, Power Play, starts at the bottom, with the mundane, day-to-day aspects of life in the artistic workplace, with emphasis on unions and labor relations. The second, In Service to the Art, rises a little higher and sees the arts from a broader perspective, addressing issues of organizational structure, administration, finance, and governance. The third, Peregrinations of a Pensive Artist, stands at the top of the hill and deals with the nature and meaning of the underlying art that ties artists, organizations, and audiences together and is, or should be, the wellspring and outcome of everyone’s endeavors.
Think of this book as you would a book of poetry, with one short poem after another not necessarily related to the others. As with poetry, these articles will not all touch you the same way. But, as with poetry, perhaps one or a few will jump out at you, resonate with you, and help you in your own life and work.
"It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. I had not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct. It is true, I fear, that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity!" – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life In The Woods
The goal of this book is to help you break out of the deep ruts of tradition and conformity, avoid falling insensibly into a particular route just because everyone else seems to be taking it, and look at problems from new and different angles. I expect that sometimes you will disagree with what I wrote, and that’s fine. I will have succeeded in my goal when that disagreement leads you to deeper reflection, analysis, sensitivity, and perhaps to a broader awareness, a new thought process outside the deep rut in which the mind usually travels, a less-traveled path that leads to a more enlightened future.
Here is a sampling of topics covered in the book:
MUSIC AS ART; MUSIC AS WORK
THE ACTIVIST: A Labor Editor’s Lament
DO MILLIONAIRES NEED A UNION?
PLAYING AT OUR JOBS’ FUNERAL
WHY ORGANIZING FAILS
BACK TO THE NAZI FUTURE
WHO CARES ABOUT ART?
THE NEW ENTREPRENEURIALISM
ENDOWMENTS AND INVESTMENT CAPITAL
RELATIONSHIPS AND STRUCTURES
MONEY AND POWER IN MUSICAL BUSINESSES
THE HIGH COST OF MUSIC LESSONS
SHOULD ART BE FREE?
THE NONPROFIT PARADIGM
DOING FOR DONORS
AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL –
Money? To Whom? Why?
PERFORMING ARTS AND THE FOURTH DIMENSION
ART EDUCATION: A DANGEROUS BUSINESS
ART EDUCATION: INTERACTIVE ... OR NOT?
WHY ART?
ARTISTIC SEMANTICS
FLAVOR vs. NUTRITION
IS ART INTENTIONAL?
PAINTING AS A PERFORMING ART
JOURNALISM AS ART: Fact, Fiction, Spin
ART AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
ON THE ART OF WRITING
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About the Book
Author Marsha Schweitzer built a career as a professional musician, arranger, arts administrator, and journalist that has spanned more than fifty years. During that time, through her many roles, she saw vast shifts in the landscape of the arts.
The Arts from the Bottom Up presents a collection of articles, letters, essays, and notes Schweitzer wrote between 1978 and 2017 as she journeyed through the nooks and crannies of the arts. Working in three parts, she begins at the bottom, with the mundane day-to-day aspects of the arts, and moves up to the organizational and spiritual aspects. "Power Play" explores the artistic workplace, with emphasis on unions and labor relations. "In Service to the Art" considers the arts from a broader perspective, addressing issues of organizational structure, governance, finance, and administration. "Peregrinations of a Pensive Artist" deals with the nature and meaning of the underlying and overarching art that ties artists, organizations, and audiences together. Throughout, she seeks to help artists break out of the deep ruts of tradition and conformity and look at problems from new and different angles.
“A potential takeaway for every artistic pro … This three-book exploration of the arts enlightens newcomers and informs experts ... This trilogy of mini-textbooks on the arts is an educational trove.” – The BookLife Prize
“I have been reading a few chapters a night of your amazing book. I have never read anything so comprehensive or searingly insightful about our art/profession. I just read your "Playing behind the Beat" essay and wanted to yell HURRAY!!! Thank you for a much needed, revelatory and astonishing book.” — JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony, Artistic Adviser, Hawaii Symphony.
“Marsha writes from vast experience in the arts, and has gained the respect of all who have worked with her, allies and adversaries alike.” – Raymond Hair, International President, American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
"Marsha, you have an uncommon wealth of experience, and this very comprehensive book reflects the perspectives of those experiences. Congratulations on creating an intelligent, stimulating, and enlightening way to see our universe." – Steven Monder, Manager (1971-1976) and President (1976-2008), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
“Your book provides very interesting analogies and perspective on capital in nonprofits. It is easy to read, in layman’s terms, and a wake-up call to nonprofits to value investment capital!” – Catha Combs CPA, Wikoff Combs & Co., LLC.
About the Author
Marsha Schweitzer's long career in music includes tenures as associate principal bassoon of the Honolulu/Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, bassoonist in the Cleveland Ballet/Opera Orchestra, and bassoonist of the Spring Wind Quintet. She has also served in arts administration in a variety of roles and has been nationally known as a labor journalist, editing and writing for several local, national, and international publications. She currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.