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 events of the Perry Hall high school shooting unfolded. Add to that, an 8/25/2012 post from Norm Lebrecht highlighting the quote from jazz musician Byard Lancaster used as today’s headline and you have the makings for some profound realization.
Year: 2012
Toeing The Line In Atlanta
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
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 over more than season of play and talk without reaching resolution.
Is No News Good News In Atlanta?
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 from either side on the matter.
Imaginary Fiscal Distress Syndrome
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 it highlights yet another concrete example of this sad scheme that the Chicken Little crowd might have a tough time brushing off.