#TBT What Your Audition Rep Says About Your Orchestra

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Holly Mulcahy published an article recently that questions whether standard audition repertoire aligns with contemporary strategic visions.

“…how sincere is it to say your orchestra actively promotes outreach and diversity, new music, and gender equality when your orchestra lists only dead white male composers on the audition repertoire requirements?”

The subject of orchestra musician auditions is a sure fire topic for attention. Regardless if you’re a musician, administrator, board member, or audience member you can rest assured there are no shortages of opinions.

To that end, today’s #TBT post calls back to some of the more popular posts about auditions over the years:

Improving The Musician Audition Process

Enough Already With The Audition Nonsense!

Five Job Description Phrases We Should Have Stopped Using Years Ago

The Performance Simulator, Now With Realistic Backstage Ambiance!

And be sure to check out Mulcahy’s article at NeoClassical:

Your Orchestra Says It’s Progressive, Your Audition Requirements Say Otherwise

 

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

View all posts by Drew McManus | Website

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