Classical music and the credit crunch


There has been surprisingly little discussion of how the credit crunch will impact on classical music. So, as food and fuel prices soar and pensions become the plaything of accountants here are my personal strategies for coping with the credit crunch.

* Go to more live music performances and buy less CDs. Recordings can be always be bought in the future, live performances can't.

* Support record labels, composers, performance ensembles, venues and retailers that are local and independent.

* Make every new CD count by being more experimental and adventurous when buying.

* Look out for unmissable box set bargains from desperate record companies trying to monetise their back catalogue.

* Support free live music.

* Use our excellent library service to source books. Order them online and get them shipped to my local library which is within cycling distance.

* Listen to more internet radio. It's free and serendipitous.

* Support record labels who are socially responsible.

* Make my CD (and vinyl) collection work harder. Am I the only person who keeps buying CDs when I have quite a few unplayed on the shelf at home?

Suggestions from readers on how to avoid the credit crunch, as ever, warmly welcomed. I caught the environmentally friendly musicians in performance at St Gilles Croix de Vie, France. They had the perfect answer when I asked how green is your concert?
Photo(c) On An Overgrown Path 2008. Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

Comments

Pliable said…
This article netted one of the biggest readership figures ever OAOP.

Bloggers may not be writing much about classical music and the credit crunch but readers certainly seem to be concerned about it.
10:40 am
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