“One of the reasons we have violence in the schools is we’ve taken music out of the schools.”
Tue, Aug 8, 2012
by Drew McManus
If there were ever a time to be cutting back on arts and culture in this country, now is just about the worst time to consider it. Recently my wife and I watched Bowling for Columbine, the Michael Moore documentary about high school gun violence, and not so much as a day later the tragic
Toeing The Line In Atlanta
Mon, Aug 8, 2012
by Drew McManus
Just because the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s (ASO) collective bargaining agreement has expired and the deadline set by management to reach an agreement or risk cutting musician benefits has passed doesn’t mean anything has happened. In fact, there’s a good bit of ambiguity going on right now, but here’s what you need to know.
When Play And Talk Runs Its Course
Fri, Aug 8, 2012
by Drew McManus
Although Play and Talk might be a useful treatment for bargaining deadline ills, it is important to remember that it isn’t a cure. Case in point, the 8/21/12 edition of the San Antonio Express News published an article by David Hendricks which reports that the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (SAS) have expressed frustration
Is No News Good News In Atlanta?
Thu, Aug 8, 2012
by Drew McManus
The clock is ticking as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) approaches what the musicians have claimed is the deadline delivered to them by management to reach an agreement or be locked out. ASO management has denied those claims and at the time this article was published, there have been no new reports or press statements
Imaginary Fiscal Distress Syndrome
Wed, Aug 8, 2012
by Drew McManus
Back in January of 2012 I published a post titled Do Some Orchestras Exaggerate Their Financial Position For Negotiation Leverage? Like most topical subjects, there was examination elsewhere throughout the culture blogging community with some in the Chicken Little circles suggesting such a notion was ludicrous. Consequently, I found Thomas Cott’s 8/21/12 newsletter fascinating as
