Jumping The Gun

Whenever an orchestra goes out on strike, it isn’t unusual for folks to get a little jumpy and the bigger the group that strikes, the jumpier folks get. Case in point, not long after the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) went on strike, I started receiving messages from readers asking when I was going to write something about the Fort Worth Symphony shortly after that organization’s negotiations made local headlines…

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Garbage In, Garbage Out?

Thanks to Technology in the Arts for posting something on the Americans for the Arts video contest winners on 11/2/2010. All three videos features are well made, wonderful productions but it is hard to miss the fact that the message they deliver in response to the question “Why do the arts matter to you?” center mostly on the stereotypical talking points the field has been delivering for decades…

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What You Need To Know About Peer Review Part 2

In Part 1, we examined what the peer review process entails along with why some conductors experience frustration with the process only to be completely unaware that they are the root of the problem. Today’s installment will examine some solutions along with related material… Recapping The Problem We know that the peer review process is initiated by the employer and in all but a handful of professional orchestras those duties are …

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What You Need To Know About Peer Review

It seems that a little ignorance can go a long way in this business and a classic example is just how little some stakeholders really know about peer review. Case in point, the 10/27/2010 blog post from conductor James Gaffigan is a perfect example of ignorance run amuck in that he exhibits particular dissatisfaction for the current system of peer review… In order to make sure we’re approaching this discussion from …

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