Yes, But No

I have been away since Friday for business and between that time and today have received dozens of email messages asking if I am going to publish something about an article which appeared in the February 14, 2007 edition of the Cleveland Scene…


Due to my work schedule, I only had time to read the article for the first time on Sunday afternoon and after going over the piece several times I have to say that I don’t think there is anything worthwhile to focus on at this point. I do believe there are some useful issues to examine at some point in the future from a dynamic perspective but they have nothing to do with any of the subjects raised in the article.

Stay tuned…

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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