The Glory and the Struggle that is Symphony in the Barn

 

An Interview with Michael Schmidt by Michael Schmidt

 

I conducted this interview with myself two weeks after a series of events forced me to withdraw from the long proposed 2004 programme. My intention was to close down Symphony in the Barn . . . or so I thought . . .

 

MS: Michael, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me.

 

Michael: Well, it hasn't been the easiest two weeks I've had in my life.

 

MS: What happened?

 

Michael: Since 1995 at the beginning of Symphony in the Barn, I searched for ways to establish Symphony in the Barn within the context of the farm, within the community and within the cultural landscape of Ontario and Canada as a new inspiration for making music. By mid-May, I felt I had lost this battle for this year and gave up.

 

MS: Don't people know you as one who never gives up?

 

Michael: Yes that is my problem on many levels. I am determined, I am stubborn and I believe anything is possible. At the same time, I ignore very often the reality of today's world of thinking.

 

MS: What do you mean?

 

Michael: Whenever people come to me and tell me how incredible, how moving, how charming, how pure these performances are in the barn, I fall into the trap of believing that these people are committed and will support Symphony in the Barn. After last year's incredible season, we only received about $4000 in private charitable donations. The cruel reality is that society at large is not aware, and cannot make the connection, that culture needs personal commitments in the form of investments so that something like Symphony in the Barn can sustain itself. Look at the whole culture of gambling, where you are prepared to lose, look at the culture of investing for personal investment gains. People are prepared to lose for a slim and tiny chance to win.

 

MS: But did you think you could change that?

 

Michael: Yes, I have been the eternal optimist. I thought it would eventually change and slowly. Year after year, I had hoped that the performances would convince people of the need of support and commitment in order to continue beyond just buying a ticket. Money is out there. People drive to Toronto and easily spend $100 per person, not including gas and parking, and accept this type of spending as a given. Here, we have a hard time convincing people that $30, $35,or even $40 for a performance is justified.

 

MS: Artistically, do you compare yourself with Toronto's cultural events?

 

Michael: There is no comparison. I never pursued the path to create shows or entertainment in the commercial sense. I always looked at the events here at the Symphony as a total experience: The Barn, the farm, the fresh air, the purity and honesty in the presentations have been so much more than a slick show in Toronto. Without a doubt, the audiences have loved the uniqueness of the experience; however, it has not been without an incredible toll on the farm.

 

MS: You received funding from Trillium and HRDC?

 

Michael: Yes, this was initially a nice surprise, but one has to understand that this money is solely for the development of the administration and not for the artists. As a result, we had staff, a fully operational office, so much that it seemed to destroy the inner structure of Symphony in the Barn, which cannot and must not be commercialized. We worked so hard and, at the same time, we faced one roadblock after another.

 

MS: What roadblocks are you talking about?

 

Michael: We researched how we might update our image and look more professional. We had meetings and meetings with people who tried to tell us how to market and position Symphony in the Barn. They never guaranteed us results, but always presented the bills, intentionally or unintentionally jumping on the bandwagon because they thought there was money to be made. Whenever somebody appeared to tell us that they had the key to our success, I became very cautious. At the end, people tried to use Symphony in the Barn as a vehicle to profile themselves without the personal commitment that our success requires. The promises of sponsors were cancelled at the last minute and, after all was said and done, we faced a shortage of $40,000 to $50,000.

 

The artistic success of Symphony in the Barn seemed to attract the wrong attitude and lead to the notion of either “Milk the festival” or “They do not need our financial support because they pull it off anyway.”

 

MS: Some people may ask, “Is this another failure of Michael Schmidt?”

 

Michael: A lot of people probably think that. As I said before, we never failed artistically. All the performances, as unusual and adventurous as they have been, stayed true to the spirit of Symphony in the Barn. I failed in that my expectations of all the praise would translate into real support. Yes, that is my failure. But, at the same time, I look at the Maple Leafs failing to win the Stanley Cup and, year after year, they have the renewed support to keep going.

 

Some people say that I have failed so many times . They do not realize the nature of pioneering ideas. The reality is that, for every goal in sports, there are maybe thirty attempts without success. That's how I look at it: the ones who never try will never lose, but also never win.

 

MS: When the young orchestra came to the farm from all over the world, it looked like the ideal combination.

 

Michael: Indeed it gave me an incredible boost. I thought, once again, that there is hope for the arts. I had lost my faith in the real motivation of today's professional artists when, in 1997, Symphony in the Barn's board of directors left me hanging with a $30,000 lawsuit, orchestra members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony testifying in court against me after three years of an amazing partnership. It took us two years at the farm to generate this money with a lot of sacrifices. So, when these young musicians arrived, I truly believed in them.

 

MS: What happened?

 

Michael: The first year, everything was magic for them. They found a renewed passion for music. In the second year, they attempted to find the same magic again, but were put off by the realization that you have to work damned hard to create magic. After the second year, demands started to come in, complaints within the orchestra, and then the all- too-well-known line, “Michael, you are a farmer and not a musician”, pushed me over the edge. I decided to pull back

 

MS: Why?

 

Michael: When you make music, there is always the conflict of artistic interpretation. When you are confronted with so-called studied or professional musicians, there is a certain element of, “one should not do that, unless you have studied like us.” As a conductor, in general, your position within the orchestra is always difficult. A farmer as a conductor, as in my case, is interesting for them at the beginning, but then a certain attitude kicks in, which makes it impossible for the artists to look at the music-making as a cooperative creative process. I have experienced so many of these humiliating moments, but carried on for the sake of the music. I hope that these young musicians will not end up like so many frustrated orchestra members in Canada, playing under a musicians' union contract, forgetting how they started off and why they wanted to make music in the first place.

 

MS: Is there a difference in attitude amongst the different countries?

 

Michael: Yes there is. The East European members made music. Basta, no discussion. They just had a desire to be part of this and have been incredible artists. The members from the United States had a different approach; they were here to make music and were glad to do it. The Canadian contingent seemed to be the ones with the most problematic approach and the most demands. But as you know, it needs only a few bad apples to spoil the whole bushel. Overall, I love young people and understand their struggle in today's world.

 

MS: How did the farm manage 40-50 people every summer?

 

Michael: As I said before, it was magical for most of them, especially those who had never lived on a farm. Today's young people just do not understand the amount of work connected with a farm and of running an arts organization. They have no clue. Most of the young today grow up pampered, with meals prepared for them whenever they are hungry. I call that the “Supermarket Mentality.” So, as much as they loved it, as much as they truly struggled with this reality of living on the farm and its rhythm and structure, many could not cope with the amount of work involved. The farm was enriched by these young musicians, but was also drained to its limits. I do not know anybody who would even think to accommodate 40 musicians and not get paid a cent. That's the reality of the wonderful Symphony in the Barn. I always have to smile when I meet people on the street and they think I make a pile of money with Symphony in the Barn. The Farm has spent close to $75,000 in the last nine years to keep that dream going. Is there anybody who does not get it, that we cannot sustain that anymore?

 

MS: What are the next steps?

 

Michael: I need to recover and focus on the farm and our private life.

 

MS: So is Symphony in the Barn toast?

 

Michael: This is now in the hands of all those who really like and love Symphony in the Barn. If we are able to raise $75,000 in the form of donations before spring 2005, there is a good chance that we will have Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera, in the Barn.

 

MS: Will you conduct?

 

Michael: I do not think so. I see my role changing if I want to stay alive. Ernst Dunshirn from the Vienna State Opera will most likely take on the conducting. It is so amazing that this man totally believes in Symphony in the Barn and, over here, people have so much difficulty raising local support. We applied at every local bank branch, we made a presentation at the West Grey council, and all we receive is good luck notes and that's it. Stratford Festival struggled with the same problems as we have and it took many, many years until, finally, the local politicians realized that there is a benefit. Now the city of Stratford is successful because of the festival!

 

MS: I heard that Symphony in the Barn received the Best Practices Award 2004 from Community Arts Ontario.

 

Michael: Yes, we won the first place award for our performance of Haydn's Creation, a collaborative performance of orchestra and First Nations performers. This performance was truly unique, blending western and Native cultures, showing the universality of artistic expression.

 

MS: Do you think this summer without Symphony in the Barn will raise the awareness of the Symphony's needs?

 

Michael: Maybe, I am too tired to speculate. If people want Symphony in the Barn, then it needs to have more support. I have been incredibly sad. The summer could have been magical. But now I can see that maybe this could help to raise the awareness that culture and agriculture are the true pillars of a healthy community and society.

 

MS: Is there nothing this summer?

 

Michael: There will be a concert on Friday, July 30 celebrating the spirit of Symphony in the Barn . . . and FREE with a suggested donation and pledge for donations. This is an opportunity for the public to show its support.

 

MS: Are you more a musician than a farmer?

 

Michael: I am a human being trying to cope with two passions, two passions that seem to tear my heart apart. But that is maybe what, at the end, creates the music and the magic. Now I am thankful, that I have time to farm.

 

MS: Thank you

 

Michael: My thanks go out to a lot of people who tried hard to make Symphony in the Barn a lasting reality. My response to all those who looked at Symphony in the Barn as competition and say that a farmer has no business making music is this: If you are truly a musician, you would not even think that way.