Generations X and Y
A spate of recent studies points to some general characteristics. l hey grew up as a part GENERATION Y T They have a tendency (born 1977 – 1998) of a service society, to rewrite rules to fit not a manufacturing their reality. l l The first generation Sometimes referred to one. Their expectations l to grow up with as “Millennials.” They embrace the are high with regard to computers, they have notion of institutional l customer service and They are at the a natural comfort level irrelevance. satisfaction. forefront of how with technology. Both society combines l Generations X and They are independent, communication, Y do not consider resilient, and adaptable. X and Y Shared Traits entertainment, and the computer to be Many grew up as innovation. l T hey both prefer the technology, just as latchkey kids and have internet to television, l their parents and learned to approach Unlike baby boomers because it provides grandparents do not problem-solving and many in the the crucial element of consider the toaster from an independent Generation X, they interactivity. to be technology.They perspective. have internet lives, have a pragmatism and l existing as avatars and l Doing is more They are qualitycynicism that affects escaping to fantasy important than seekers. They do not their interaction with and social-networking knowing. The concept mind spending more everything from the sites at regular of an “expert” is rarely for quality, and remain media and institutions intervals. embraced. passionately loyal of higher learning to l toward those who They believe it is “cool” l Static knowledge is corporate America. provide it. to be smart, and have irrelevant to them; l They possess a casual an insatiable fascination if needed, it can be disdain for authority with technology. found on the internet. and are somewhat l They tend to be l less loyal toward their Results and actions team-oriented, and employers. are considered more band together to date important than the and socialize.They accumulation of facts. enjoy the hubbub of crowds; multitasking is endemic.
GENERATION X (born 1965 – 1976)
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Determine parking availability and mass-transit options. Find pre- and post-concert activities at or near the concert hall.
A critical reason to have members of Generations X and Y among us is simply to have them serve as reverse mentors— providing technological guidance and advice to the older generation. The level of service and immediacy expected by Generations X and Y as a result of their technical prowess may seem trivial. However, we ignore their proclivities at our peril. Fortunately, We Have Been Down This Road Before … Sort Of
Symphony orchestras have already struggled with issues of diversity. The symphony world discovered during early attempts at cultural and ethnic diversity that if we made no efforts to understand and value the communities we sought to add to our base, we could expect those communiamericanorchestras.org
ties to look askance at our organizations or continue to ignore us all together. Our implied message was, “We don’t care who you are as a culture, we just want you to support our culture (the symphony).” The institutional disrespect was palpable and could only lead to failed efforts. Seeking diversity is a two-way street. I am heartened by the growing number of admirable exceptions to failed or ineffective attempts at cultural diversification. One of note is the St. Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON program, inaugurated in 1992 after the orchestra recognized that the African-American population represented a substantial percentage of the city but was not equally represented among the supporters of the symphony. IN UNISON began with five churches and quickly established itself as the model for the St. Louis Symphony’s community programs. Musicians in the program now perform for 20,000 members from more than 30 churches serving the African-
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Generations X and Y multitask. Listening to music is rarely done without texting or some other form of engagement. taying connected S is essential; isolation or disconnection is dreaded. hey have a strong T demand for immediacy and little tolerance for delays. They expect service 24/7. hey have a videogame T trial-and-error approach to solving problems, rather than a logic-and-rules-based approach. hey blur the lines T between creator, owner, and consumer of information.
American community in St. Louis. The SLS understood that something more substantial than the traditional “outreach” program had to be developed. The symphony listened to this community and
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identified an underserved segment of the community; developed systematic steps toward understanding the culture of that community; identified and placed value on elements of that community; interacted with that community from a position of mutual respect; based success on the amount of human interaction between the orchestra and the African-American community, rather than on the type of repertoire performed.
The IN UNISON program represents an organization’s willingness to change its thinking and notions of engagement. A
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