Posted by Karen
Since this is the beginning, I figure I'd begin...at the beginning. In May of 1986, David Landis took a chance on a young rock and roll publicist who had never before attended an orchestral concert and who failed the "classical music pronunciation" test butchering such basics as Edo de Waart and Herbert Blomstedt. Believe me, that gave him pause. After taking a few days to think, David went ahead and trusted his gut that Karen Cardell might just work out as Assistant Director of Public Relations for the San Francisco Symphony. With that decision, David gave me one of the greatest gifts imaginable. No, it wasn't the JOB, though he gave me that and it turned out pretty terrific. It was a chance to fall in love with classical music. With that one decision, he transformed my life.
I had a couple of key lucky breaks just prior to David giving me the Symphony job. The late Ken Baker, one of San Francisco's legendary rock and roll pr geniuses also took a chance on me. I had enrolled in his publicity class at SF State at the advice of my neighbor Scott Ross who gave me some informal career counseling over a glass of wine...saying....if you want to really learn this, you've got to take Ken's class. After one paper, he hired me to work for his firm. But even that wouldn't have happened had it not been for drummer Debbie Hopkins, then a member of the seminal San Francisco all-female punk band The Contractions. She was tired of drumming and managing and asked if I'd consider taking over band management. Through a series of long daily phone conversations from my day job as a secretary, Debbie walked me through baby steps of booking at the Mabuhay Gardens and Berkeley Square, negotiating contracts (at least one case of beer required), sound checks, and doing basic publicity (BAM Magazine). I've never been quite sure why she took a chance on me, but this first leap of faith gave me an entree into the actual working world of music. For that, I'm forever grateful.
Since those early days, my life has been magical with hundreds of concerts of every kind and genre all over the world. For a girl who grew up with no classical music, I have to pinch myself when I find myself sitting in the presidential box at La Scala for Nicola's debut, coaching Herbert Blomstedt on throwing the first pitch for the Giants back in 1998, working with the amazing Lynn Wyatt in Houston, escorting Placido Domingo from his car to the stage, talking shop with Jonathan Miller, ,sitting four rows from the stage in Vienna's Musikverein or working with philanthropists Joan and Sandy Weill on the opening of Weill Hall. I've worked hard -- but so many people have given me a leg up and a helping hand. Thanks to them, I'm where I am now. Out and About in San Francisco.
You might wonder -- why blog? Our goal isn't just to promote our clients (though we will certainly do that) but to give you a sense of what we experience day and night as we are "out and about" in the cultural world here in San Francisco....and beyond. We will write about our clients, but we'll also write about ourselves, our experiences, our passions, and our dreams.
Speaking of dreams.... GO GIANTS!!!!!
I had a couple of key lucky breaks just prior to David giving me the Symphony job. The late Ken Baker, one of San Francisco's legendary rock and roll pr geniuses also took a chance on me. I had enrolled in his publicity class at SF State at the advice of my neighbor Scott Ross who gave me some informal career counseling over a glass of wine...saying....if you want to really learn this, you've got to take Ken's class. After one paper, he hired me to work for his firm. But even that wouldn't have happened had it not been for drummer Debbie Hopkins, then a member of the seminal San Francisco all-female punk band The Contractions. She was tired of drumming and managing and asked if I'd consider taking over band management. Through a series of long daily phone conversations from my day job as a secretary, Debbie walked me through baby steps of booking at the Mabuhay Gardens and Berkeley Square, negotiating contracts (at least one case of beer required), sound checks, and doing basic publicity (BAM Magazine). I've never been quite sure why she took a chance on me, but this first leap of faith gave me an entree into the actual working world of music. For that, I'm forever grateful.
Since those early days, my life has been magical with hundreds of concerts of every kind and genre all over the world. For a girl who grew up with no classical music, I have to pinch myself when I find myself sitting in the presidential box at La Scala for Nicola's debut, coaching Herbert Blomstedt on throwing the first pitch for the Giants back in 1998, working with the amazing Lynn Wyatt in Houston, escorting Placido Domingo from his car to the stage, talking shop with Jonathan Miller, ,sitting four rows from the stage in Vienna's Musikverein or working with philanthropists Joan and Sandy Weill on the opening of Weill Hall. I've worked hard -- but so many people have given me a leg up and a helping hand. Thanks to them, I'm where I am now. Out and About in San Francisco.
You might wonder -- why blog? Our goal isn't just to promote our clients (though we will certainly do that) but to give you a sense of what we experience day and night as we are "out and about" in the cultural world here in San Francisco....and beyond. We will write about our clients, but we'll also write about ourselves, our experiences, our passions, and our dreams.
Speaking of dreams.... GO GIANTS!!!!!
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