Chewyourarts.com: an arts engagement experiment

This thesis is an explanation of Chewyourarts.com, a web-based multimedia project built to explore new methods of symphony orchestra audience engagement. Commentary and reviews of Los Angeles performances written by a number of expert contributors, original videos and photography, and artist interviews are placed alongside user-produced questions, comment threads, and multimedia, ultimately producing lively conversation around featured events. Chewyourarts.com investigates what exactly captivates listeners about symphony and classical music, and how current engagement strategies can translate into real meaning and understanding of the craft for audiences.