LA International New Music Festival – Jan Karlin

The Strength of Ideas

January 23, 2020 Jan Karlin

Many friends and colleagues have encouraged me to write more in detail about how ideas originate, develop, and are finally realized. In my book and previous blogs, I have discussed the building blocks of creativity, especially inspiration, education, and the skills to bring one’s ideas to fruition. This blog is the first installment of a new series that will demonstrate idea development through my experiences as musician, administrator, educator and cultural entrepreneur.

My last blog spoke about the seed of creative ideas — inspiration. Something must inspire us in order to have the urge to create. Early childhood exposure builds interest and ultimately the direction of our life.

Experience Counts – Build Your Resources

June 27, 2018 Jan Karlin

As one gathers ideas to begin a new venture, many questions surface. What do you want to do? Is your idea unique? Where is the best location and when should we begin? Who can I ask to help? And, what resources are available?

Ah, “resources.” This often becomes a code word for “where’s the money?” Even if you are beginning with funds out of your own pocket, you need many resources to support your idea. And, I wish to stress, the idea MUST always come first. A quick route to mediocrity is finding money first and then deciding what you can afford. A strong idea will always generate the resources — and many people agree with me. Michael Kaiser, former president of the Kennedy Center, has made this central to his advice to struggling organizations:

Experience Counts – Jump In!

May 4, 2018 Jan Karlin

As I return after an extended stay in Vietnam as Artistic Advisor to the Hanoi New Music Ensemble, I have decided to embark on a series of blogs that I hope will be of use to the Ensemble and other entrepreneurial artists. Each new organization is unique, reflecting their art and reason for existence. However, starting any new venture requires new skills and advice.

Our best consultant in 35 years remains Trader Joe, Joseph Coulombe, who founded the highly successful Trader Joe Markets. We both live in Pasadena (next to Los Angeles) and have many mutual friends. A few years after founding Southwest Chamber Music with my husband, I invited Joe to our office to offer us advice.

Events vs. Culture

November 9, 2017 Jan Karlin

My observations of our world have a recurring theme — ample resources exist alongside an inability to spend wisely. Whether looking for solutions to the pressing problems of the environment, education, or politics, people who control the money rarely look beyond their individual experience to explore what is best for their community.

In politics, each voice tries to scream the loudest to be heard rather than finding a compromise. We have charter schools with their own focus to the detriment of public education. The oil industry continues to deface our planet for profit. And in the cultural world, we throw money at status entertainment rather than developing paths to future creativity.

Mis amigos en México

November 2, 2017 Jan Karlin

At times of natural disasters, such as the recent hurricanes in Florida, Texas and the Caribbean, and the earthquakes in México, tragedy becomes personal when you have friends or family in harm’s way. We have many contacts around the globe who cause us worry when we read about threats to their countries. Luckily everyone is safe this time and we send our best wishes that life will return to normal as soon as possible.

With this blog post, I look forward to introducing you to some of our other dear friends with whom we have collaborated over many years, and continue to enjoy making music together. The artistic vision of Southwest Chamber Music, the ensemble my husband and I founded in 1986, has always included a commitment to diversity, reflecting the reality of the population of Los Angeles.

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