A New Direction
"It's never too late to be who you might have been." - George Eliot
The fridge hums behind me like a swarm of bees in a constant state of unrest. The night is dark and stands quietly with occasional lightning piercing through the sky. Scattered city lights dots the horizon across the Hudson River.
For the past few days I have been thinking about the recent Aspen trip, the first MSIC (Mozar Strategic Innovation Council) meeting that took place on the patio of the beautiful Plato’s Restaurant, part of Aspen Institute. How fitting and meant to be, I so wanted to believe.
Thanks to Joanie from Aspen School of Music and Festival‘s support, we were fortunate to have presentation from New England Conservatory (Tom Novak), Shepherd School of Music (Brad Blunt), and The Colburn School (Kathy Tesar). After two hours of exhaustive discussion about technology’s role and performing arts institutions’ perception of technology as a whole, and challenges each institution is facing, I had quite a few takeaways and a lot to think about. We agreed that technology is indeed a strategic priority for their organizations, that we are at the tipping point of the generational shift to gen y, that the death of traditional software development approach is slow but inevitable, that the uniqueness of each performing arts institution demands bespoke solutions, and much more.
When the brunch tab settled, I realized what we needed wasn’t a conclusion, a definitive answer; what we needed was a conversation, a discussion, a shift in perception, an eye-opener, a first step, a recognition of a gap in existence, a handshake in collaboration, a moment to reflect.
The next 6 months is crucial for many of us, as we embrace the economic pain and still strive to move forward, tickling between a balance between conservative survival instinct and progressive forward thinking. I think about Mozar Group and what it stands for, what is meant to be, and why it exists. I think about Mozar Strategic Innovation Council and its first meeting, what it meant, and what is next. I think about the difference between a for-profit company and a non-profit foundation, and what Mozar Group’s identity should be.
I want Mozar Group to be the #1 innovation partner that performing arts institutions go to for advice when it comes to technology strategy, when it comes to collaborative initiatives, establishing standardized solutions within the industry, and developing artists as entrepreneurs. It’s a gap that desperately needs to be filled and a daunting responsibility that needs to be shouldered.
Perhaps it’s time for Mozar Group to take on a new direction, from for-profit to non-profit, from Mozar Group to The Mozar Foundation, and start serving the industry from a different perspective.
