New twist on motivation LO4789

Andrew Moreno (amoreno@broken.ranch.org)
Thu, 11 Jan 1996 00:49:22 -0800 (PST)

Replying to LO4743 --

On Tue, 9 Jan 1996, Ray Evans Harrell wrote:
> For the past nineteen years I've been working to get the singers, in my
> company, out of this free-lance model. My particular art form, chamber
> opera, is an Ensemble form. An Ensemble is a group that becomes one
> entity, takes on its own consciousness and learns specific thought
> patterns that are unique to the Ensemble.
>
> (That's right, a Learning Organization! Peter Senge knew that and used
> the term Ensemble to describe his idea. That is why I was drawn to his
> ideas and am on this list.)
>
> There is no such animal as a free-lance string quartet or a free-lance
> Chamber Opera Ensemble. It takes years to develop the mental states that
> are a part of the art. I've run a holistic training to undo the
> free-lance mental model and develop a stable integrated self-supporting
> model that is at home in the Art business world and the society at large.
>
> Refusal to give up the free-lance model makes the Learning Ensemble
> impossible. Temporary Employees have made Ensemble an impossible dream
> (sorry) in the grand opera companies of America. It is no mistake that an
> "Amazin Mets" underdog team made up of 2nd string rejects, can
> occasionally discover their unity, think as one and defeat the "Stars." A
> Broadway show that is an Ensemble mess can also discover their unity and
> begin Learning if they have a minimum of 100 consecutive performances with
> good salaries. At that point they are no longer Free-lance but members of
> a Cast a very special community.

Hi,

Your example of the "winner/loser" aspects of the entertainment
industries reminds me of the situation in the real estate agency
industry. The average real estate agent earns about $17 000/year. The top
agents earn over $300 000/year. What is the difference? I don't
necessarily think that the "market" forces some people to do well and
some people to do poorly in terms of financial compensation. It's not
easy to define "competence" in any arena. However I have heard one
explanation for this income differential - the top agents specialize in
one area of real estate and refuse to deal in other areas.

There are similar parallels in the real estate investing industry. Some
real estate investors I know refuse to deal with any lawyers that do not
specialize in real estate. They think that the lawyers that "do every
kind of law under the sun" are usually incompetent. So maybe
specialization is important. The questions I have are, "Specialize at
what? Specialize how? and How do you know when you are specializing?"

That's a very interesting example of your ensemble. I am practicing
writing sales letters and would like this opportunity to give an example
of a sales letter I might write to prospective opera singers using some
of the motivations you outlined above with the goal of convincing opera
singers to join your ensemble. Please excuse the "fast talking" tone of
this sales letter, I haven't learned to adapt the sales letter to
different markets i.e. this sales letter copy is targeted to "National
Enquirer" tabloid readers. I also have limited experience with the
"peformance arts" industry so please excuse any misrepresentations of
your organization.

>From the desk of Andrew Moreno
7:30 am

********************************
They didn't think I could find
a group that provided me with
"natural synergy" by I did.
********************************

You, the fledgling opera singer, are the target of numerous companies
wanting to EXPLOIT you for your talents. Every time you look in the
newspaper, there'a another company wanting to hire you AT LOW WAGES to
work for them to fill their opera houses. Now, you will also pay the
highest price for answering these "body shop" company ads, unless you use
a few secrets only used by "the big guys" to fight back.

But if you insist on letting companies use you for your looks, here's
what you have to look forward in your golden years; plastic surgery to
keep your youth, intense disagreement from "friends" when you start
having bags under your eyes, even low blows from the little old lady next
door because you didn't set a good example for her daughter to become a
famous opera singer. You'll be floundering in the floatilla of cd-roms,
broken tape cassette reels and obsolete vinyl records. You may even need
an AGENT to ease your suffering.

WE HAVE THE SOLUTION YOU NEED

A very exclusive individual has just developed a startling new
organization in SOHO...... The CENTER of the arts community in NY. What
is this organization? First, before we give you any more SECRET,
EXCLUSIVE information on the HARD DETAILS, this person recruited a brain
trust of the very best, most knowledgeable and skilled people to design
this organization. No expense was spared in obtaining the services of
these experts. This organizational design was tested in 8 months of
trials before new, exciting members were allowed to join.

In the ultimate test, we allowed the WORST opera singer on EARTH to join
this organization and this person was singing so well that the principals
of Juilliard were knocking on their door begging them to enter their
school. You can count on this organization to give you MAXIMUM results
with MINIMUM effort. With over 5 years of quality control and research
backing you up, you'll finally be a part of an organization that is as
good at getting the job done as God's sunrise.

Last spring two people entered the cutthroat world of BROADWAY OPERA
entertainment. One had kudos from industry elites, record contracts, show
bookings, etc.

The other had no kudos, no record contracts, no show bookings and worst
of all lounge owners asking this person to sing as a lounge lizard in
their cabaret.

What made the difference?

THE SUCCESSFUL PERSON JOINED OUR ORGANIZATION

Of course, it takes a very special individual to appreciate the value of
this EXCLUSIVE organization fully. Even though we've been very selective
in choosing the people to receive this invitation, we also realize that
only about five out of every hundred will respond. When you respond, you
will be part of an ELITE INNER CIRCLE and we will take every measure
necessary to ensure that you MEASURE UP before you can join this
EXCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION.

If you want a snazzy cd or tape of your singing that will put more money
into some media executives pockets while they quietly build up a LIBRARY
of recordings that they will charge INTERNET USERS 20 cents each time to
use
DON'T JOIN OUR ORGANIZATION

We only deal with GROUNDED people that get HARD RESULTS.

If you want to engage in HIT and MISS projects with UNTESTED new delivery
mediums like the INTERNET,

DON'T JOIN OUR ORGANIZATION

We only deal with REALISTIC people that want to give LIVE performances.

Take any 1000 opera singers at the start of their career and follow them
for 5 years until they reach "the hill" and here's what you will find,
according to the leading industry index: only one will be wealthy, 20
will be financially secure, 79 will continue working but in jobs
totally unrelated to THEIR DREAM not because they want to but because
they have to, 800 will be dead broke-dependent on their meager welfare
checks, relatives, friends, even charity for a minimum standard of living
and the rest will be dead or CRIPPLED - a victim of unscrupulous
"businessmen" that PREY on those in the entertainment business. That's 2
percent successful, 98 percent unsuccessful.

WHAT EXCUSE DO YOU HAVE WHEN OTHER OPERA SINGERS WHO ARE CHALLENGED
BY THE JOBS THEY HAVE ASK YOU HOW CHALLENGED YOU ARE AND YOU HAVE
TO MUMBLE - THEY DON'T WANT ME FOR MY MIND THEY WANT ME TO FILL
THE EMPTY PARTS OF THE STAGE

Can you afford to appear "behind the times" to your peers, future
business partners, family, etc? Or is it important to you to be perceived
as successful, savvy, in tune with the BACKROOM POWER FLOWS leading the
INTERNATIONAL entertainment scene?

The typical opera singer saves countless hours of headaches with our
special EXCLUSIVE ensemble. Consider the value of everything you get when
you become our EXCLUSIVE ensemble member:

* Unlimited FREE Consulting

If you sought out this so-called expert and asked for his advice, he'd
charge you $1000/hour to give you the opportunity to listen to him. But
you when you join this ensemble, you get to listen to him all the time
for FREE!

* Synergy

No other ensembles can provide the SYNERGY of this finely tuned LEARNING
ORGANIZATION. If you were to take seminars on developing a LEARNING
ORGANIZATION, this would cost you up to $10 000, but when you join our
ensemble you get to become a part of our ALREADY existing synergy for
FREE!

If you add this all up, you've got at least $100 000 in "hard value", in
reality a lot more - but this program will cost you just 10 percent of
your lifetime contract earnings. And that's not all! When you join us
within the next 5 days you receive two very special, valuable bonus gifts
and services, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

[Two valuable bonus gifts outlined]

You take NO RISK with our FREE TRIAL OFFER. If you're not happy with this
ensemble, just LEAVE.

If we recieve your reply after we have filled our QUOTA for the year, you
may have a YEAR DELAY in joining our ensemble. LOTS of people have
requested information on joining this EXCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION within the
last 2 days. Out of the millions of people in the entertainment business
only a small number of people will receive this offer. We expect most of
this INNER CIRCLE to take immediate action and take advantage of this
amazing discount - so if our email boxes bounce your message, please be
patient and keep sending. We have added extra mailboxes to handle
everybody's messages as well as possible.

By now, you are on the edge of your seat, WAITING with HUNGRY
ANTICIPATION on how you can TAKE ADVANTAGE of this EXCLUSIVE limited time
offer. Too bad, we have to qualify you first with a questionnaire and
several face to face interviews with our TOUGH, DISCRIMINATING AGENTS to
determine if you are really, truly ELITE INNER CIRCLE material.

So email me now for more information so you can know the location of our
next screening NOW!

Yours in future success,

X ORGANIZATION

P.S. You have nothing to lose by joining our organization.

P.P.S. Remember - the sooner you discover the benefits you will have when
you join this ensemble, the faster your evolution will happen to create
the NEW, IMPROVED person you've always dreamed of becoming. EMAIL NOW!

There's a lot of intrinsic motivations in the opera business it seems.
I think one of the only things separating the "winners/losers" is their
attitude - their mental model - and what they believe they are capable of
doing.

Andrew Moreno

--
Andrew Moreno <amoreno@broken.ranch.org>