Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

It’s All About Ambiance

Mon, May 5, 2005
The Partial Observer published an article of mine today which examines some of the shared problems between movie theatres and classical music venues.  The discussion stems from Martha Bayles’ excellent article appearing at Serious Popcorn last week.   Getting people out of their comfy homes, plasma screen televisions, TiVo’s, 100+ channels of television, and DVD’s

TAFTO Reader Response: I Took Myself

Mon, May 5, 2005
Joe Patti, theatre manager and host of the always educational blog, Butts In The Seats, decided to take part in TAFTO in an unusual way; he took himself.  In an unusual turn of events, Joe crossed paths with some of the musicians shortly after the concert.  But I won’t spoil the surprise, read all about

What Sticky Floors And Orchestras Have In Common

Sat, May 5, 2005
Arts Journal weblog neighbor, Martha Bayles, published a great little article the other day about how the atmosphere at a typical Cineplex is one of the predominant factors in the declining attendance figures for that industry.  Says Martha, “[Will] the new “Star Wars” prequel will reverse the overall decline in theater-going. Surely not! Long before

TAFTO Contribution: Lynn Sislo

Fri, May 5, 2005
Rounding out this week’s contributions is Lynn Sislo, a classical music enthusiast who also hosts the very popular culture blog, "Reflections in d minor".   It’s easy for people who are intertwined deeply in the creation of live classical music to get overwhelmed by their surroundings.  As such, Lynn’s contribution is refreshing and quite poignant. Not

Reader Response: There Goes Joe

Thu, May 5, 2005
Last week’s article entitled There Goes Joe elicited several very passionate responses from readers.  Although the issue of executive compensation has been examined here before, it’s certainly a subject worth continued discussion. First, was a response from a senior manager at an ICSOM level orchestra who takes issue with what I wrote in that article