Reality TV meets Symphonies and Youtube

The idea of Reality TV with music has been around since American Idol where people auditioned to be put into the knock out competition where eventually the top prize was a juicy record contract and a nice cash prize.  This idea has now moved into the Internet domain (no pun intended) with YouTube, who is now taking auditions for their own Symphony Orchestra.

The idea of an organization having it’s own orchestra is nothing new (it all started with the BBC in 1930) but this is a good example of how the world is becoming more globalized and encouraging anyone to have a go.  The idea is that people will film themselves playing parts of the specially selected Symphony (which I will talk about later) to show their talent, as well as one to show their overall personality.

Similar to TV shows, there will be a panel of “experts” as well as public participation although in a different way to usual.  The experts are members of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.  They will select the semi-finalists to ensure that only quality acts get through (to avoid problems experienced in the UK where the public consistently chose the worst dancer in Strictly Come Dancing because he was a likeable person).  The vote will then go to the public to choose the final selection of people for the Orchestra.

The chosen ones will then perform the Internet Symphony No 1 “Eroica” at a concert in New York conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas who is the musical director of the San Francisco Symphony.  The piece has been specially composed by Tan Dun, and does have a fairly oriental feel as well as having quotes form Beethoven and some unusual percussion.

This is a great innovation: incorporating the undoubted history of classical music with the modern world and allowing people to use technology to dictate what will happen.  Combining this new and old will definitely introduce supporters of one to the other, i.e. youngsters interested and wanting to vote will get to experience classical music whilst the opposite is true for some older classical lovers regarding technology.

This really is a great idea and it also demonstrates the great power that websites have and how previously virtual worlds are crossing into reality.  I personally think that this is how technology should be used and that it is constructive to all involved as it uses technology to appeal to a wider audience.  In case you are feeling particularly musical, feel free to upload your audition by January 28th and keep your fingers crossed for the judging on Valentines Day (I doubt that that is a coincidence!)

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