Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Venture Pre-Release Demonstration

Thu, Jul 7, 2010
I’m in Springfield, MO today for some strategic planning follow-up work with the Springfield Regional Arts Council. I’m also working with a collection of leading performing arts groups via some collaborative projects of mutual benefit to the entire local culture scene and since everyone is together in the same place at the same time, it

Looking Like A Genius Has Never Been Easier

Wed, Jul 7, 2010
Have you ever wondered what separates a mere schmuck with a stick from a bona fide maestro? Are you strangely attracted by the magnetic charm of a cape and ascot? Are batons really more magical than magic wands? If you answered “Oh dear God, YES!” to any of those questions (who are you kidding, of

Labor Oversupply: Reversal To The Rule

Tue, Jul 7, 2010
The 7/5/2010 edition of the New York Times published an article by Dan Wakin that examined the uncharacteristically large number of section, fixed chair, and principal positions open among the largest budget US orchestras. What’s interesting here is the groups in Wakin’s article are destination level ensembles, meaning these are the orchestras where the very

What The Richardson Symphony Should Have Done

Mon, Jul 7, 2010
The Sunday, 7/10/2010 edition of the Dallas Morning News published an article by music critic Scott Cantrell that calls the labor dispute between the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) and its musicians a “showdown.” That description certainly adds to the western flavor of events, nonetheless, the RSO could have employed a much better solution that would

Defining The Debate In Richardson

Fri, Jul 7, 2010
The labor dispute between the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) and their musicians, represented by Local 72-147 of the American Federation of Musicians, has crossed a new threshold in the war of rhetoric. Email messages from both parties dated 7/8/2010 and addressed to RSO musicians attempt to define the issues that characterize the dispute…