I think Milan will be very welcome at the classical section of record
stores in KL and Singapore which are manned by wannabe rockers, arty farty
boys and "dodgy" looking characters (to paraphrase some of our customers -
who walk in when they need wedding music), who think nothing of listening
to all kinds of music and can easily discuss synchopation techniques from
Beethoven to Ellington to Sid Barrett.  Are classical composers better than
rockers??? Not the new breed according to me.  Good CM died a long time
ago.  Sure...Vanessa Mae is blah as a violinist....but she gets people
listening.A whole generation of Malaysian listeners now know Bach's Toccata
and Fugue.  So does Linda Brava, and a host of other musicians who're
better at embracing the pop culture of kissing up to their audience.
Angela Gheorghiu for instance is a superior artist, but when it came down
to simple meet the fans at a concert she and her husband held (by private
invite) in KL, she was a no show.  Aside from Neville Marriner...who charms
everyone each time he's in town...classical artists generally have this
stupid attitude that they're better than the rest of us plebs.  Why??? are
they that much better simply because they classical artists??? Bullshit!!!
In today's world it's all about marketing...you can be the best..and yet no
one aside from a few connoisseurs might hear you.  You can be crap and half
the world raves about you.  A violinist in a racy dress romping up and down
the stage, engaging her audience in banter - that's what gets people turned
on.  When Evelyn Glennie performed in KL...she had the audience eating out
of her hand...why, because she was so normal....she came in a loose pant
suit, smiled, chatted, danced barefoot.....and looked like she was having
a hell of a time on the marimba....that's marketability.Kennedy, W Marshall
- they're clued in, and the rest had better get their act together.  It's
an ugly world now...where talent alone is not enough, you also have to look
like a water nymph to make album and concert sales.

Regards,
Anu Nathan
7210