In Columbus, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

10_audience_s_810_2Or more accurately, a picture is worth around 1,500 patrons. Regard
less of the fact that the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) executive board decided to cancel summer concerts due in part to the possibility of low turnout, the CSO musicians have successfully demonstrated that there is ample interest in summer programs. The photo to your right shows the approximately 1,500 in attendance at the 7/11/2008 concert given by CSO musicians. For more information about upcoming CSO musician concerts, visit http://www.mcsconcerts.org.

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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