There are so many stereotypes around business and art that would have us say that they are two separate things. For one, there is this pervasive image of the “broke artist” that implies that artists don’t have as much acumen and savvy for business as their non-artistic counterparts. As someone has been a working artist for many years, Elizabeth Bachman knows that this cannot be further from the truth. Art is a business. You get paid for your creativity, but a lot of times, you have to deliver under budget and on time. There is so much that the business world can learn from the arts. With this in mind, Elizabeth introduces The Relationship between Business and Art, a special miniseries within the show that explores the relationship within business and art from the point of view of some big and up-and-coming names in the performing arts, as well as the amazing geniuses behind the curtains. Her guest list for this mini series will include such names as J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Christine Goerke, Valerie Day, Steven White, Kathleen Kelly, Darren Woods, Filippo Petteni, Colleen Bonniol and Bob Bonniol.
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Introducing, The Relationship Between Business And Art
Have you ever heard, “I’m an artist. Money is beneath me,” or “Those flaky artists, why can’t they be more businesslike?” I’m here to tell you that there is a relationship between business and art. It’s just complicated. The stereotypes would have us say that art and business are two separate things. I’ll tell you, as a working artist for many years, getting paid for my creativity, but having to deliver under budget and on time, art is a business. What can business learn from the arts? This show is going to be exploring that. Art and business have been a theme through my whole life. I’ve been dedicated to the art of great communication since I first walked on stage at the age of five. I heard my mom telling her friends, “She was the best bunny rabbit to ever grace the stage of the Hillside School,” and I was hooked. I went from acting to directing opera singers, to running an opera company.
I get to leverage all that experiences as I train business leaders, not just in charisma and confidence but also the strategy that will get you the results that you want. When I first started this show, I thought about interviewing performers. After all, I can see 100 times a day how the work I did in the opera informs the work that I do with business leaders. I decided to focus on things that were of more direct use to people who were using their presentation skills in business. We talked about leadership, visibility, and the things that are behind giving you the courage to step forward and be a presenter. We also talked about the mechanics of producing your voice and the challenges of international communication. I’ve done some several solo episodes on how to be a great speaker, or getting speaking gigs, or even to make a content heavy speech interesting.
All along I was thinking, “I want to do those arts interviews.” It’s finally time. This is the beginning of the special miniseries within this show called The Relationship Between Business and Art. We’re releasing it at the end of the summer in 2020 as a tribute to all those theaters around the world who would normally be ramping up for a fall season at this point. In the next nine episodes, I’ll be discussing the relationship between business and art with opera singers, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Christine Goerke and rock singer, Valerie Day. I’m also talking to pianist, coaches and conductors such as Maestro Steven White and Kathleen Kelly.
The key to success is to be the best that you can be. Click To TweetTenor and artistic director, Darren Woods gives us some useful information about stepping from employee to management. It’s not just opera. I have an interview with Filippo Petteni who is an international art lawyer and art advisor. He’s going to tell us about how negotiating for a raise is not that different from negotiating to sell a Picasso. This is the event industry. I work in the event industry producing events. The design world is represented by Colleen and Bob Bonniol of MODE Studios. They design and produce big events. The thing I love about them is instead of bemoaning the loss of the in-person projects they had, they’re excited about the future of the event industry, where it can go and where the virtual event industry can make a difference.
In the conversations with these very smart people, some themes have come up over and over. We’ve talked a lot about branding and positioning. Your personal brand and how you stand out as someone to be promoted, followed, hired, that’s a core part of a performer’s life. How can you stand out from the crowd? How can you be interesting? How can you make sure you’re noticed for the things you want to be noticed for? The singers, conductors and pianist have a lot to say about this.
Business And Art: How can you stand out from the crowd? How can you make sure you’re noticed for the things you want to be noticed for?
Are you part of a minority in your field? Is the dominant culture full of people who don’t look like you? Lawrence Brownlee and J’Nai Bridges have some very important things to say about being an African-American in a mostly white industry. Gender parity and women’s rights is a big theme in this show. It has been from the beginning. Kathleen Kelly and I have great fun delving into women’s roles in business. From the rivalry in the nineteenth century between the piano virtuosos’ Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt to how Kathy managed when she was the first American to be the director of musical studies at the Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera.
There’s so much more in these interviews, and yet the one theme that has come through all of them, the one message I would give to everybody is the key to success is to be the best that you can be. I can’t wait for you to read all these interviews. Please subscribe on YouTube, Stitcher, iTunes, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us, subscribe, tell your friends and we’ll delve into the relationship between business and art.
Important Links
- J’Nai Bridges
- Lawrence Brownlee
- Christine Goerke
- Valerie Day
- Steven White
- Kathleen Kelly
- Darren Woods
- Filippo Petteni
- MODE Studios
- YouTube – Speakers Who Get Results
- Stitcher – Speakers Who Get Results
- iTunes – Speakers Who Get Result