Is It Possible To Manage A Large Budget Orchestra Using Mostly Consultants?
Fri, Jul 7, 2016
by Drew McManus
It certainly isn’t unheard of for larger budget orchestras to hire consultants for everything from temporarily filling staff holes to serving as the architect for marketing or development campaigns but relying on third party providers for the majority of admin functionality is decidedly not the norm. Nonetheless, that’s where the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is
When Was The Last Time You Saw A Genuinely Impressive Video Promo?
Thu, Jul 7, 2016
by Drew McManus
Norman Lebrecht posted an item at Slippedisc.com yesterday poking fun at what he calls “the worst-ever orchestra promo video” and I have to agree, it’s entirely uninspiring. But Lebrecht’s post got me thinking about video promos in general and I found it difficult to think of anything that really caught my attention over the past
Why Yes, You SHOULD Care About Military Bands
Wed, Jul 7, 2016
by Drew McManus
The 7/11/2016 edition of NonprofitQuarterly.org published an article by Sophie Lewis (h/t Joe Patti) that examines the value military bands add to the national cultural scene and why you should care that some in congress are attempting to all but eliminate funding for the entire program. Lewis’ article joins another exemplary piece of writing from
Compensation Continues To Encourage Conversation
Tue, Jul 7, 2016
by Drew McManus
Toward the end of last week, a pair of articles triggered by this year’s Orchestra Compensation Reports emerged at two traditional media outlets: The Cleveland Plain Dealer and Houston Chronicle. Both articles approached the topic by comparing national trends to what was going on at their local orchestra. What was especially wonderful to see is
Better Do It “Right”
Mon, Jul 7, 2016
by Drew McManus
“Santa Claus is real,” “taxes are not optional,” and “arts managers are always allowed to do the right thing.” Sorry to be the one to break the news to you but only one of those items is true (spoiler alert: it’s the middle one). I don’t have any advice to offer about Santa that may
