Take A Friend To The Orchestra, or TAFTO, is an annual event at Adaptistration every April where more than a dozen critics, bloggers, musicians, classical music enthusiasts, and administrators writing about how average patrons throughout the country can invite friends who don’t regularly participate in live music events to a performance in your area. Essentially, TAFTO is an opportunity for the people who care the most about classical music to participate in a proactive way.
More Details
The inaugural year served as one of the very first cross-blog events in the burgeoning cultural blogging community. Although originally intended as a one-off event, it turned out to be a huge hit that demanded subsequent installments. Of course, that success was directly connected to the enthusiasm and imagination from each author.
Contributor Index
Undoubtedly, 2006 was a feisty year for contributions as one author challenged the very notion of preparing listeners for their first time experience. Additionally, a two-part contribution from a theatre manager who organized an entire group of co-workers to attend a concert event is chocked full of useful first-hand accounts.
Contributor Index
One of the longest events, 2007 went high tech with a systems dynamics analysis of the dynamic impact of TAFTO oriented events on audience development. Add to that a first-hand account of an author taking someone to their first concert experience and two wonderful opera oriented contributions made for a very well rounded year.
Contributor Index
2008 was the first year where an orchestra went all out with a TAFTO branded concert series. The Grant Park Music Festival planned a wonderful event with patron talks that sold out two concerts and received a fantastic review in the Chicago Sun Times, thereby demonstrating the powerful impact of a well planned TAFTO event (more about that event here).
Contributor Index
Without a doubt, 2009 was the year of multimedia contributions. We had first-ever TAFTO cartoon, two audio essays, and a mini video documentary about what social media social media means to the arts. And that’s in addition to the regular stream of fantastic written essays. Look, listen, learn, and then some! 
Contributor Index
2010 offered another round of diverse offerings! We had everything from nuts-and-bolts analysis of the value of ground roots audience development initiatives, to a celebrated author providing a pointed outsider’s view on classical music, to a veteran radio host interviewing a round of newbie concert-goers. And that’s in addition to the regular stream of fantastic written essays. Look, listen, learn, and then some!
CONTRIBUTOR INDEX
Paired down a bit from previous seasons due to the quantity of pressing current events, the 2011 program will fill a full week of publication time in April. This year’s contributors are weighted toward those from the arts technology fields alongside the usual cross section of entertaining and insightful professionals.
Contributor Index
2012 is another terrific year as the program continues forward with the pared down number of contributions from an Emmy award winning conductor, an orchestra executive, an arts PR and social media wizard, an amazing playwright and Renaissance Man, and the sort of uber patron every orchestra wishes they could clone!
Contributor Index
