Speaker Spotlight: Elizabeth Scott – From Baseball to Batons
I believe three key differences between the two industries, however, are the driving factors of Baseball’s comparative financial health and business growth: (1) game capture and broad distribution is the norm for sport, and the exception for the performing arts; (2) a history of artists holding strict approval rights for the use and release of recordings doesn’t encumber sport, where performances can be nimbly captured and used without such limitations; and—perhaps most importantly for the subject of this month’s forum—(3) the participatory engagement of baseball fans with their sport is far more democratized than it is for performing arts patrons. Baseball empowers its fans as consumers and even as critics—with multiple platforms of engagement that give them “voice” and provide a continuing emotional and intellectual investment in the game.
As part of this weekend’s Forum discussion, I’ll explore further how these three points of difference impact the challenges the two industries share. Meanwhile, to stimulate some thinking outside the (orchestral) box, I invite readers to imagine what the symphonic counterparts are—or might be—for the following audience engagement platforms that Baseball provides:
- Little League
- Batting Practice
- Fantasy League
- Fantasy Camp
- Jumbotron
- Call-in sports talk show
- “MLB At Bat” app and MLB.TV streaming service
I look forward to sharing my further thoughts – including some unconventional proposals – on May 13 at Davies Symphony Hall.
— Elizabeth Scott
Elizabeth Scott joins us on Sunday for our free “Talking About Audiences” event in San Francisco—register today. Not in San Francisco? Watch the webcast live at sfcv.org/amorchforum.
The opinions expressed in this blog and Forum are those of the writer individually, and do not purport to reflect the position of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts or that of any of its resident organizations.
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