FOCUS on You is an inspiring talent support program that provides assistance to young performers and composers, working in the field of classical music. This April FOY highlights the importance of storytelling through its FOCUS on Storytelling workshop. The event will focus on how personal stories can support a presentation and how musicians can use storytelling as a tool for engaging their audience.
In 2006, Rob Walker carried out an interesting experiment: he bought 200 inexpensive objects, had writers create interesting stories for them, then offered these items –along with their stories – for sale on eBay. The experiment showed that people are more willing to pay a much higher price for items that have interesting or cool stories. Walker originally spent a total of $197 on the items and made almost $8,000 selling them. His experiment showed how much the value of an item can be increased by telling the buyer the story behind it.
Stories and storytelling are powerful and can be used to increase the value of products. While concerts are not products in the traditional sense, storytelling can also be useful for classical musicians when it comes to connecting with the audience or negotiating with event managers. Both the performers and the performed pieces offer fascinating stories, waiting to be told. Musicians often assume that there is nothing worth saying at a concert other than simply playing the musical numbers, but practice shows that audiences are very interested in stories. Well told stories can also help with reaching a wider audience, while also engaging one’s existing audience.
It is becoming increasingly common for musicians to share important and interesting stories about the music they are performing between pieces at concerts. This allows the audience to get to know the performed compositions from a new perspective and helps them to understand the music in a historical context. However, most artists tend to forget that their own stories can be just as interesting for the audience – not to mention cultural managers. Learning about an artist’s life story, their motivation for practicing daily, or why they chose to perform classical music in the first place are all relevant and exciting stories, waiting to be told. Getting a glimpse of an artist’s personal motivation, daily habits or thoughts can furthermore help with building a better relationship between performer and audience.
With the help of communication expert Kata Stumpf, participants of the FOCUS on Storytelling workshop can learn about how they can support the delivery of their message so that the audience can easily understand and remember them, while familiarizing themselves with the methodology of conscious story creation. The workshop is open for anyone working in the field of classical music.
The FOCUS on Storytelling workshop will be held online in English on 27 April 2024. For more information about the event, the mission of FOCUS on You and other FOY events, visit our website.
