If you google 'Meredith Rutledge-Borger, you will learn of the passion she has as a curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In reading about her, here are some quotes I found that provide insight into what she is about and more about this passion she brings to her work:
"I am an old-school, vinyl LP lover. For me, a huge part of the experience of music has been holding a 12 by 12 album cover in my hands, minutely examining the artwork, the liner notes, the credits – CDs and MP3s just don’t work the same way." Quote from Women Who Rock Exhibition Installation, Update #2, April 27, 2011
http://rockhall.com/blog/post/5790_women-who-rock-exhibit-install2/
"It’s been said that fashion and style are the natural visual counterparts to creative musical expression. Rock and roll artists have had a long relationship with the world of high fashion — picture Elvis Presley’s iconic gold lamé suit designed by Nudie, then fast forward to Madonna’s equally iconic gold bustier designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Fashion designers like Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Gianni Versace have all become synonymous with the branding of rock stars like Madonna, Mick Jagger and Elton John." Quote from Fashion Meets Rock and Roll, February 12, 2013
http://rockhall.com/blog/post/3821_fashion-meets-rock-and-roll/
In a NY times article, she is quoted as saying this about the Women Who Rock exhibit (which was on display at the Rock Hall in 2011/2012)...
“Women have always been the outsiders of rock ’n’ roll...we wanted to show that women persevered and their music — and there
were different kinds — became part of the fabric of the rock ’n’ roll
industry...they were singers and they were songwriters,
instrumentalists, producers and even record-label owners.” Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/arts/artsspecial/women-who-rock-exhibit-traces-female-music-artists-in-america.html
Kirk at DDTTRH caught up with Meredith while she was busy working on a major exhibit for the Rolling Stones which opens May 24th. Here is our interview with her:
Kirk, DDTTRH: Meredith, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Something I thought would be great to do is to speak to someone at the 'other side' of our effort, which represents the 'RH' in our name...DDTTRH or Duran Duran to the 'Rock Hall'.
I've been reading up on you a bit and some of the exhibits you've talked about. How long have you been an Assistant Curator at the Rock Hall and what do you enjoy most about what you do?
Meredith: I’ve been working for the Rock Hall since 1996. I started in the curatorial department in 1999. I really enjoy the fact that I am getting paid to follow my passion, and that I have the opportunity to share that passion with our visitors – giving them fresh insight into the music that changed the world.
Kirk, DDTTRH: I love that you have passion for what you do. I remember my last visit to the Rock Hall...I really enjoyed the exhibits that to me were put together with great care. I actually learned a lot just reading and perusing through them. One thing that interested me most was a video I was able to see about the history of Rock and the various branches that Rock created. Further, I remember seeing the David Bowie exhibit and thinking that he is not necessarily under the definition of 'Classic Rock' (would you agree?). Has the Rock Hall changed its views over the years about what it considers to be the classic 'vein' of Rock and Roll and how have those views affected the bands/artists it inducts?
Meredith: Here
at the Hall of Fame we try to be inclusive rather than exclusive in
terms of our definition of rock and roll. We also make an effort not to
glue artists in to any one particular
pigeon-hole – artists are just artists who bring their own unique
skill-set to the table. So we honor artists that are traditionally
defined as rock artists, but also artists whose work predates rock and
roll, work that we consider to be the roots of rock
and roll. Any music that shares those roots – even if it is outside of
the traditional definitions of rock and roll, is all welcome at our
table. Traditionally-defined “classic” rock and roll carries no more
weight here than folk music, or R&B or hip-hop.
The criteria for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
is that the artist must have released a record, in the generally
accepted sense
of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and
have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence. We consider factors
such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and
depth of career and the body of work, innovation
and superiority in style and technique, but musical excellence is the essential qualification for induction.
Kirk, DDTTRH: Please define what you mean by 'musical excellence'. That can be
subjective, right? I guess it would depend on who you speak to. Who
helps decide if an artist is 'excellent'?
Meredith: Everyone
personalizes everything about rock and roll. Without metrics, the
definition of "rock and roll," who is or was important, and who should
be inducted
is inevitably subjective.
As
a result, our Nominating and Voting Committees are replete with
Inductees (in fact, they are the largest bloc of voters).The Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame
has built our Voting Committee around the most qualified group
possible: the living Inductees, which number around 400 at this time.
The
selection of Performers is a two-step process. It begins with a
Nominating Committee consisting of a diverse panel of living inductees,
journalists,
educators, historians, noted musicians, industry heads, etc. Each
member receives a guide noting those eligible for the first time, those
who have been nominated unsuccessfully before and all other eligible
artists. Virtually every significant artist of the
past 50 years has been discussed at this level. A large majority are
very qualified but have yet to get the votes to make the final ballot.
Some have even made it on the ballot numerous times, but have not
received sufficient votes to be inducted.
Those
nominated are sent to a Voting Committee of about 600 people (all
living inductees, educators, journalists, historians, music industry
management,
musicians, etc.) around the world. Again, the factors to be considered
are impact, innovation and influence on this music that we broadly
define as rock and roll, as well as their overall “musical excellence” -
as defined by working musicians.
Gold
records, number one hits, and million sellers are not appropriate
standards for evaluation. Standards for artistic merit cannot be
objective, because
such standards are historically and culturally constructed. Artistic
merit can’t be measured by stats. What is valued as good music or
visual art or literature changes over time, depending on cultural
conditions and who is deciding.
Those
receiving the highest number of votes are inducted into the Hall.
Usually, this means five to seven new performing members each year.
Having
said all this, I believe that all worthy candidates will be inducted,
just not always when they or their fans deem timely. This phenomenon is
not
unique to us. The sports halls of fame have had many great stars that
do not get inducted in their early years of eligibility or for many
years to come.
Kirk, DDTTRH: Thank you Meredith for this fabulous explanation! I think its important
for fans to know about and understand so they don't take it 'personal'
if their band is passed over repeatedly. I think RUSH is a great
example of this. As part of a group trying to raise awareness for our
favorite band (Duran Duran of course), I have had my 'ears to the
ground' about other efforts and I know those RUSH folks have been
waiting for quite some time now. I am very happy that RUSH was able to
be inducted this year. I also have talked to Greg Method (also a native
Clevelander) and he is promoting Weird Al Yankovic I know.
On that note--I noticed something new and exciting this year that led up to the induction ceremonies. There was a poll on your website which lets people place their votes for who they think should be inducted. Can you tell us more about that? Do these votes really mean anything prior to the final decisions? I'm sure these kind of votes would not hold the kind of weight the living inductees would...I do think its rather fun though which is why I'm asking about it.
On that note--I noticed something new and exciting this year that led up to the induction ceremonies. There was a poll on your website which lets people place their votes for who they think should be inducted. Can you tell us more about that? Do these votes really mean anything prior to the final decisions? I'm sure these kind of votes would not hold the kind of weight the living inductees would...I do think its rather fun though which is why I'm asking about it.
Meredith: For the first time in its history, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
offered fans the opportunity to officially participate in the induction
selection process. The
public had the opportunity to vote for the five nominees most deserving
of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The top five artists,
as selected by the public, comprised a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied
along with the other ballots to choose the
2013 inductees,
The fans’ ballot counted as one vote – on several occasions the
difference in who gets inducted is decided by one vote, so this is
significant. The Hall of Fame adopted this model from the Heisman Trophy
organization, which uses a similar method to allow fans the opportunity
to vote on winners.
Kirk, DDTTRH: This is
exciting! And, this is especially great for fans who actually would
look forward to see their voted on act inducted into the museum.
Do you plan on doing the same thing in 2014?
Meredith: As far as I know, we plan on keeping the fans’ ballot in place for future inductions.
Kirk, DDTTRH: Speaking of the museum, I have heard that although Duran Duran has not been inducted yet, it has received items from the band--my guess is that most things are in storage. Further, a friend of mine who is an archivist in Seattle has said to me that he has helped in getting items to the Rock Hall. Is this true, and if so...what kind of things do you have from Duran Duran?
Meredith: We
have had multiple items of clothing on loan from John Taylor and Nick
Rhodes, and we had a John Taylor bass. All of the items were on
extended exhibit in the
Museum at various times throughout the years, and because they were
loans, they were returned to the band.
Kirk, DDTTRH: This is
good to hear. I'm sure John wanted his bass back [;. This next
question has to do with attitudes I'm sure you've come across
in regards to the Rock Hall. Many bands and artists think that the
Rock Hall is too political, that its too much like a business, and that
its aim is not to induct the most deserving artists, but the ones that
can bring in the most ticket revenue. Some have
even knocked on your black tie dinners that are held during induction
time and the extravagant ticket prices (I've heard its about $2500 per
ticket). They may see these events and ceremonies as too 'posh' and
artists that have either been inducted or are
eligible may look unfavorably at you.
What would you say to people like this that criticize the Rock Hall in this way?
What would you say to people like this that criticize the Rock Hall in this way?
Meredith: A
lot of folks don’t know that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
is a not-for-profit, 501-3c educational institution. As a non-profit,
all of our Museum
ticket sales and the funds that come to us from the Foundation, which
puts on the induction ceremony, go towards fulfilling our mission –
running the Museum, putting together exhibits and award-winning
educational programs that serve toddlers to seniors.,
both in the Museum, and around the world via our Distance Learning
programs. The Induction Ceremony is essentially a benefit – a
fund-raiser for the Museum, and the ticket prices to the Ceremony
reflect that.
Kirk, DDTTRH: And a related question...What is the image you strive to convey to guests as a curator at the Rock Hall?
Meredith: In
terms of the kind of image I want to project for the Museum as a
curator – rock and roll is so many different things to different people,
so there’s no one image
to project. If there is one idea that I want to project, it is that of
welcoming and inclusion. This is the music that changed the world and
brought people together – I want our visitors to feel welcome and see
themselves represented. I also want to challenge
visitors’ ideas of what rock and roll IS, and show them where it came
from, where it’s going and how it really did change the world.
Kirk, DDTTRH: What other types of things is the Rock Hall Foundation involved in? Is it just overseeing the Museum and its inductees?
Meredith: In
1983, A small group of music industry professionals led by Atlantic
Records Founder and Chairman Ahmet Ertegun and including Rolling Stone
magazine publisher Jann Wenner, attorney
Allen Grubman, manager Jon Landau and record executives Seymour Stein,
Bob Krasnow along with attorney Suzan Evans set out to establish an
organization to “recognize the people who have created this music which
has become the most popular music of our time.”
Ertegun approached the heads of various record companies with his idea,
spearheading the formation of the non-profit organization that would
eventually become the Foundation.
In 1986, the Foundation held the first annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. That same year, the Foundation selected Cleveland as the permanent home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
In September 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland. In 2006, Joel Peresman, a music industry veteran and former chief of Concerts and Entertainment at Madison Square Garden, became President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Under Peresman’s leadership, the Foundation announced the return of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies to Cleveland in 2009 and every three years thereafter. The Foundation also staged the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concerts on October 29 and 30, 2009, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These historic shows and their broadcast on HBO helped fund the first-ever endowment for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.
In addition to these projects, the Foundation provided an $8 million gift in 2008 to the Museum’s Capital Campaign, which was used to build the Library and Archives center in downtown Cleveland and the 2010-2011 Redesign of the Museum interior. The Foundation also provides funding for Museum capital projects on an on-going basis and continues to be the largest single contributor to the Museum.
Beyond funding, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation leverages its presence in one of the world’s major cultural and philanthropic centers to provide increased exposure for the Museum mission, connections to artists and philanthropists, and other partnerships to advance the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s cultural preservation initiatives.
In 1986, the Foundation held the first annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. That same year, the Foundation selected Cleveland as the permanent home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
In September 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland. In 2006, Joel Peresman, a music industry veteran and former chief of Concerts and Entertainment at Madison Square Garden, became President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Under Peresman’s leadership, the Foundation announced the return of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies to Cleveland in 2009 and every three years thereafter. The Foundation also staged the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concerts on October 29 and 30, 2009, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These historic shows and their broadcast on HBO helped fund the first-ever endowment for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.
In addition to these projects, the Foundation provided an $8 million gift in 2008 to the Museum’s Capital Campaign, which was used to build the Library and Archives center in downtown Cleveland and the 2010-2011 Redesign of the Museum interior. The Foundation also provides funding for Museum capital projects on an on-going basis and continues to be the largest single contributor to the Museum.
Beyond funding, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation leverages its presence in one of the world’s major cultural and philanthropic centers to provide increased exposure for the Museum mission, connections to artists and philanthropists, and other partnerships to advance the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s cultural preservation initiatives.
Kirk, DDTTRH: This
question comes from one of our fans. They were wondering if you had
seen the recent Mercury News poll regarding dream inductees to the Rock
Hall...Duran Duran made it to the top 4, which is exciting! http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_22927434/rock-and-roll-hall-fame-duran-duran-kiss
Meredith: How
much does public opinion and polling factor into the induction process?
When it comes right down to it, all the induction voters are FANS –
whether they are past inductees,
journalists, academics, record company executives – fans with the same
differences of opinion as other members of the public about what music
has made a difference and who should be recognized. As I said in a
previous email, we are sure that ALL DESERVING
artists will eventually be recognized.
Kirk, DDTTRH: This next question comes from Suzanne, one of our fans...
"Has the Rock Hall considered renaming the museum "music Hall of Fame" since many nominees and inductees are clearly not Rock & Roll stars?"
"Has the Rock Hall considered renaming the museum "music Hall of Fame" since many nominees and inductees are clearly not Rock & Roll stars?"
Meredith: As
I think I may have mentioned earlier, we try to be inclusive rather
than exclusive here at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We broadly define
rock and roll to
include the music that predates rock and roll and was important to the
development of rock and roll. We also open our doors to music that we
understand as sharing the same roots as rock and roll, so that would
include soul, metal, R&B, folk, hip-hop, disco,
techno, roots rock, alternative…we embrace diversity and try not to
pidgeonhole artists or styles. The definition of what rock and roll is
shifts as this is a living artform, constantly growing.
Kirk, DDTTRH: I had a
couple of extra questions, hope you don't mind. One is a fun one from
me and the other is really a favor for a 'Friend of Mine' (Duran Duran
pun
intended) who also has an effort that started in Cleveland for his
favorite artist, Weird Al Yankovic.
What do
you think? Weird Al at the Rock Hall? He certainly is a unique artist
and has a depth and breadth of work that it pretty amazing...albeit
satirical. Has his name come up do you know in any discussion of
inductees?
Meredith: Since
Weird Al released his first record in 1978, his name, along with
everyone else who released their first recordings in 1978, has been in
consideration as a
nominee since 2005. As I’ve said before, we believe that every
deserving artist will be recognized eventually.
Kirk, DDTTRH: So, lets imagine Duran Duran does get inducted one
day to the Rock Hall (which I know would make a lot of people in my
group happy). As a curator that helps in building displays, what artist
or band would you put them beside?
What kinds of things would you show about them to highlight their
musical contributions?
Meredith: When
Duran Duran artifacts were on display here in the past, we exhibited
them along with other artists of the 1980s. While I do ant to emphasize
that we try not
to cram artists into a pigeonhole here, we do like to give visitors a
sense of the chronology of the music.
Kirk, DDTTRH: This was
certainly an enlightening interview. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing with
us your time. Its so refreshing to know that the Rock Hall
and the foundation is out and about 'doing good' for Cleveland and the
world in its great mission of preserving music history and our rich
music culture.
To learn more about Meredith Rutledge-Borger and her work at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, please visit the Rock Hall's website: http://rockhall.com/blog/author/meredith-e-rutledge-borger/
To learn more about Duran Duran to the Rock Hall and its mission to raise awareness of Duran Duran and its impact on music history, please visit: http://www.ddttrh.info/
To learn about how Greg Method, also a fellow Clevelander, who is trying to 'Make the Rock Hall Weird', please visit: http://www.allthingsyank.com/rockhall/
