Amidst last week’s Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) discussion threads, a reader asked about my thoughts on whether or not the DSO dispute is part of the growing union debate that began in Wisconsin. Since the question was posed, I’ve given it some considerable thought and have decided that whether or not any connection ever existed moot. Simply put, they’re connected now whether they want to be or not…
Month: February 2011
Detroit Poll Friday
It’s been an eventful week in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) labor dispute. In particular, the brouhaha surrounding the Detroit News coverage of the replacement musician scheme set culture blogs and social media platforms ablaze. Speculation about intent flourished and although we had a number of productive discussions here, I realized that I never actively solicited an opinion. So it’s high time to rectify that…
Happy Anniversary! Now Get Your Butt In That Seat
I want to take a moment to post a very special happy anniversary shout-out to my Inside The Arts blogging neighbor Joe Patti. His culture blog, Butts In The Seats, turned six years old yesterday and if you aren’t already familiar with Joe’s blog you should be…
Lessons In Damage Control
If you’re anything like MusicalAmerica.com’s Susan Elliott, the one-two punch of interviews with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) executive vice president Paul Hogle appearing in the Detroit News (here & here) which attempted to clarify the replacement orchestra brouhaha left you thinking “huh?” If that’s not confusing enough, an interview with DSO president Anne Parsons in the 2/21/2011 edition of the Detroit Free Press sent an equally mixed message…
The DSO's Bombshell Of Profound Magnitude
The 2/21/2011 edition of the Detroit News published an article by Lawrence B. Johnson that reports the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) intends to hire replacement musicians if the current DSO musicians do not accept terms for an agreement that are “less generous” than the offer they recently rejected. Simply put, this turn of events has the potential to have a profound impact on the field for decades to come…