Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Fly-In, Fly-Out Music Directors

Fri, Nov 11, 2003
More than half of the ROPA and ICSOM orchestras in this country employ a music director that does not reside in the community where the orchestra performs. Although that may strike you as staggering statistic, it has been the norm for over a decade. Part of the trouble is that the role of the music

Additional thoughts about Leadership

Thu, Nov 11, 2003
I was pleased to see the well-written response on Andrew’s page with regard to my earlier blog about artistic administration programs. Having been an avid reader of Andrew’s blog for some time now, I agree with his statement “One frustration is that I tend to agree with Drew that there are problems with the way

So who wears the pants in this orchestra anyway?

Wed, Nov 11, 2003
  No, this isn’t a blog about who’s in charge; rather, it’s a blog about lack of communication.  This lack of communication is centered on uniforms .  Here’s the firsthand account of a situation from a female member of a notable Northeast orchestra whose name rhymes with "Muffalo": The management decided that it would institute

Reader Response: Pandering to Grants

Mon, Nov 11, 2003
First off, let me thank everyone for the large volume of email I’ve received regarding the Pandering to Grants blog. Please keep in mind that I do wish to use your comments in these Reader Responses, so let me know if I have your permission to do just that when you take the time to

A Bridge Campaign too Far

Mon, Nov 11, 2003
I’m beginning to hear a regular complaint from orchestra patrons; they’re sick and tired of receiving persistent letters, emails, and phone calls from their local orchestras asking for donations. Here’s a few quotes from some orchestra patrons: “Why should I give more money? I already gave them money, why don’t they learn how to use