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So, you want to be famous?
Our recent report – Name Recognition, Influence and Age Groups (NRIAG) – takes a glimpse into that and other interesting trends. That being said, any number of conclusions can be drawn and there is not a lot to get excited about.
Conclusions from this study can be really only be looked at as opinion at this time. Yet, this report does serve a minimal purpose as a benchmark for future studies. What follows in this article amounts to some crystal-ball-gazing and it should for the time being be viewed as such.
3 aspects of fame in the horn world
1.) Longevity and position/status
Without a doubt the traditional means for fame in the horn world remain intact. Having a principal horn position in a large metropolitan orchestra for a long time, for example, lends a great deal of notoriety to a player.
Since Mr. Bains recently landed the principal horn spot his low numbers in the survey were anticipated. I would love to do this survey again in 10 years and see how differently that name would score.
2.) Body of work
Having a large volume of quality work – recordings, students, texts, publications, and/or videos – makes a difference. When looking at the results from the younger age group we can also see the strong impact of YouTube in balancing this equation.
3.) Internet presence and the Park Effect
A strong factor in this survey was to gauge internet presence as a sphere of influence. I tried to accomplish this by choosing certain players that scored highly in traffic and views on YouTube.
I arbitrarily picked these 5 names and weighed them more heavily in the criteria for choosing the overall list of 23 names:
- Stefan Dohr
- Annamia Eriksson
- Marc Papeghin
- Steve Park
- Sarah Willis
The X-factor
The genesis of this study stemmed from a conversation between myself and John over the topic of YouTube videos and their influence on the younger generation. The videos of Steve Park have been at the center of this conversation.
Previously:
With a little creativity and technology it is possible to make some very nice presentations and put them online for the world to see.
Steve Park, principal horn of the Orchestra at Temple Square and an instructor at Utah State University, cleverly demonstrates this in his growing library of YouTube videos. Since December 2008, he has been regularly posting videos of solo and ensemble repertoire in his YouTube channel.
(More.)
Mr. Park continues to add more and more video performances of standard French horn repertoire to his YouTube channel. More than once I have pointed students to his videos.
The Park Effect
If only one aspect of the NRIAG report were to be highlighted, it would be something I am calling the Park Effect. It is a phenomena named after Steve Park and what his sphere of influence represents in terms of future trending.
In past generations, names that were widely known were spread mostly by print, reputation and word-of-mouth. Known primarily through his YouTube videos, Mr. Park represents a shift in what we traditionally might view as fame and notoriety and how that is accomplished.
The results of this study suggest that what Mr. Park is doing on YouTube is changing that dynamic. Myself, I am most fascinated by the line charts in the study results. At every point where the name “S. Park” occurs, there is a notable pattern.
Charted examples of the ‘X-factor’
From the initial report a line chart titled “Vote Percentages By Age Group, Chart I” is one example. Among the three age groups there is a significant shift in name recognition between S. Park and the adjacent names in this alphabetically ordered chart.
* * *
The next chart is displayed in numerical order using the age group 16-25 and the sum data of the two other age groups.
The pattern is fairly easy to spot – it stands out like a large letter X on the chart. As an side I would add that this X-pattern eerily draws out the X-factor that I was looking for in developing the survey.
The colors represent:
- Blue = 16-25
- Red = 25-40+
* * *
Once again the letter X appears when comparing just two age groups: 16 to 25 and 40+.
The colors represent:
- Blue = 16-25
- Red = 40+
* * *
In this final chart comparing the age groups 40+ and 16-40 this X-pattern is less noticeable but still somewhat present.
The colors in this chart represent:
- Blue = 40+
- Red = 16-40
* * *
If this study serves to prove anything, it proves that Mr. Park’s body of work exists as a sphere of influence – among Americans especially. His name is well-known among the 16-25 age group.
Beyond this, I will leave the topic of the Park Effect for future researchers to explore. When looking deeper into the report it becomes more clear and in my mind at least, it serves as a barometer for change in what is currently defining fame and influence in the horn world.
Future research
There are other interesting scenarios to build further study upon, including
- a comparison of the five names listed above (under Internet presence and the Park Effect)
- a comparison of the American player subset
- a comparison of the non-American player subset
- the educational value of Steve Park’s videos in horn pedagogy
- a broader study on women horn players
Who is Steve Park?
To close the topic, here is one of my favorite Steve Park videos – a performance of the second movement from the 1st Haydn horn concerto. He demonstrates cool control, solid intonation and nice long lines.
