Successful Is As Successful Does!

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Hey there devoted readers, all nine of you. I wanted to write a post tonight but the problem is that I really didn’t have anything in mind when I sat down at the keyboard. So I thought for a few moments about what I had done today, and I decided that I wanted to write about JSO. I know that many of you have zero interest in classical music in general let alone the Johann Strauss Orchestra itself. But tonight’s post is not really about music at all. The post tonight is about perseverance and overcoming obstacles and dealing with criticism.


Andre Rieu is the man responsible for creating the Johann Strauss Orchestra. In fact when they tour they are actually billed as “Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra,” and quite often they are simply referred to as Andre Rieu as if one might expect a soloist. But the fact is that Andre Rieu is a very talented violinist and probably an even better arranger. He has a miniscule fan base here in the US but in other parts of the world he draws immense crowds often selling out some of the larger soccer and Olympic stadiums. In fact, for 2011 He ranked number 9 in box office receipts edging out top Pop acts such as Michael Buble, Justin Beiber, The Eagles and Toby Keith.

In classical music circles Rieu is either loved or hated. It seems that there is little middle ground. Fans obviously adore him but the critics salivate each time they get an opportunity to cast aspersions. They brand him a sellout and chastise him for breaking away from the traditional classical music paradigm. They scorn him for playing a light program. They once scoffed at him for using amplification to which he replied, “When they start selling out basketball arenas and outdoor stadiums they too may need amplification,” or something to that effect.

I’ve not put forth much research into it, okay I admit I’ve not checked it out at all, but I would be willing to bet that the Boston Pops, NYC Philharmonic or any of the other traditional orchestras have ever placed in the Top Ten box office receipts even once. Rieu has done it for two consecutive years. The critics like to classify Rieu as a mediocre violinist who never attempts difficult pieces. That very well may be the case. I’m hardly in a position to offer an opinion as to what makes someone a virtuoso when it comes to playing the violin, or any other instrument for that matter. But I do know that you can’t argue with numbers and statistics.

So now that I’ve told you all a little bit about who Andre Rieu is and what the critics say about him I want to focus on the way he deals with critics. The best I can tell is that he doesn’t. He simply lets his own unbridled success speak for him. Is Rieu a violinist in the caliber of Pearlman or Stern? I don’t know. But I do know that he draws more fans. Having said that I will also state that popularity does not necessarily equate with quality. For example Andrea Boccelli is a much better singer than Eminem yet sadly Eminem sells far more records. Maybe someday society will finally take a couple of music appreciation classes, but that is a different subject for a different post.

To wrap things up, I just wanted to emphasize the fact that the best way to deal with critics is simply to achieve success in your field. Of course one could then ask the very legitimate question as to exactly how success is to be measured. Is success purely a quotient of measured statistics and numbers or are there other more subtle factors involved? I think that in all areas success is relevant and self determined, but as always, your mileage may vary.

I Now know How Teenage Girls Felt When The Beatles Broke Up

I remember where I was when I heard that Elvis had died. I also remember where I was when I heard that John Wayne had left us. And now I know where I was when I heard that Oklahoma City’s Premiere Media Darling Bobbie Miller left KFOR. The good news is that she’s not going far. Just five clicks up the dial will let you see the Media Maven on KWTV, Channel 9. So it’s not a total loss. Long term readers of this blog will remember the first post I wrote about HOW COOL BOBBIE MILLER IS a couple of years back. Even going back to the days of Foreman Scotty and Papa Ogle we’ve always been a Channel 4 family. So now it seems that I must inevitably face the looming decision and ask myself, “Do I switch?”


I don’t know that I can ever switch full time but I have decided that I will be watching KWTV’s AM show with Bobbie Miller. I have to stay true to Joleen Chaney and Emily Sutton so I will certainly remain a KFOR viewer during their time slots. I currently get my early morning tube… errr screen… from “Rise and Shine” on Freedom 43 but like I said, that will soon be a thing of the past. According to the folks over at The Lost Ogle, Mrs. Miller will start her new gig on January 16.

OKC has seen a lot of good folks come and go over the years. I was glad to see Tammy Payne return a while back but I have to admit that I haven’t seen a lot of her, perhaps the hours I spend watching Mrs. Miller on KWTV will yield some Tammy Payne time. Now all we have to do is figure out a way to get Donna Gregory to return!

So anyway, to keep this one short, I am glad to see that Mrs. Miller is getting to branch out and do more anchoring. Each morning as I sit down to put my shoes on I will be able to get my BM fix, a pretty good way to start the day as I see it.

Congratulations Mrs. Miller! I hope KFOR realizes what an asset they are losing to a competitor.

Oh Yeah... I made a flow chart for possible upcoming media trades.